"Bet you twopence, Court, I hit him first in the eye." They went on pelting and I went on filling my barrel, dipping with the bucket and pouring it in, and a dozen times over it was all I could do to keep from discharging the contents of the pail in Courtenay's face.
Full at last, and I was ready to go up the garden again.
I glanced round in the hope of seeing Mr Solomon or Bunce or one of the other gardeners; but they were all busy in the upper gardens, while I was quite shut in here with my tormentors.
"Here, let's get some more shot, Court," cried Philip.

"I'll serve the sneaking coward out for getting me in that row with pa." "Wait a bit," said his brother; "look at him.

He goes down just like a monkey.

He's going to wash his gooseberry face." He was quite right, for I had laid my cap aside and stooped down at the dipping place to wash off some of the seedy, sticky pulp before going back.
"Dirty brute!" said Philip.

"I never saw such a coward in my life." I ought to have been on my guard and not have given them the opportunity which I did, for as I stooped down there, crouching on my heels, I placed a great temptation in Courtenay Dalton's way.