Frank and Fearless | Page 7

the end."
"I guess you can lick him," said the young sycophant.

"Of course I can," said Nicholas, loftily.
"Are you going to try it?"
"Why should I? I haven't anything against him. We came out even.
What's the use of bearing malice?"
Tower was astonished to hear such sentiments from Thorne. It did not
sound at all like him. He was about the last boy who would be singled
out for forbearance or forgiveness of injuries. So the younger boy
concluded that his leader was afraid of Jasper. But here he did him
wrong. Thorne had learned to respect his adversary's strength and skill,
but he would have hazarded a second encounter but for the prudential
reasons already suggested. For the present he thought it best to keep
quiet.
Jasper also had made a discovery, though, as we know, the information
he had received was not correct. He supposed Thorne to be a nephew of
his father's governess, whereas she was his mother.
"Does Thorne know this?" he asked himself.
He could not feel quite satisfied on this point, nor could he determine
precisely how far his feelings were affected by this discovery. He felt a
dislike toward Thorne on account of his tyrannical disposition and
ill-treatment of younger boys. He cherished a dislike for the governess,
the cause of which he could not as well define. Now, it appeared that
these two were allied to each other. I beg to say that Jasper was too
sensible and gentlemanly to dislike the governess simply because she
was poor. That he knew very well had nothing to do with the
substantial worth of a person. But he could not rid himself of the
feeling that Miss Thorne's residence in his father's family portended
misfortune to the parent whom he loved so well.
So a week passed without any new disturbance or outbreak between the
two boys. Jasper had been on the lookout, fearing that Thorne would
take some opportunity to wreak vengeance on young Cameron when he
was not present. But his fears were gradually allayed. Thorne seemed

usually peaceable--so much so that his school-mates, who knew him
well, thought he had turned over a new leaf, and speculated as to what
had produced the change. But neither boys nor men change suddenly
and completely, though policy and self-interest may for a time lead
them to suppress the manifestation of their characteristic traits.
Nine days after the fight recorded in my first chapter, as Jasper was
walking in the school-yard, Davies came up hurriedly.
"Kent," he said, "you're wanted."
"Who wants me?" asked Jasper. "Is it Dr. Benton?"
"No, the doctor's absent."
"Who wants me, then?"
"Little Cameron."
"What! is Thorne at him again?" asked Jasper, stopping short and
looking toward the house.
"Yes, Thorne's at his old business, bullying him. He took the
opportunity when he thought you were out of hearing."
"I must stop it," said Jasper. "Where are they?"
"In the back yard."
"I suppose I shall have to fight him again," said Kent, regretfully.
"You needn't be afraid to try it. You are a match for him."
"I think I am. That is not my reason."
"What then?"
"I don't like fighting--it's brutal. Besides, I have another reason, which I
don't care to mention."

By this time they had reached the scene of the difficulty, Little
Cameron was half-crying, and Thorne stood over him with upraised
arm.
"Do as I tell you, you little blackguard!" he was just saying, when a
voice he well knew was heard, calm and resolute:
"Thorne, are you bullying that boy again?"
Nicholas turned and saw his old antagonist. He was sorry to see him,
but he could not well withdraw now.
"It's none of your business," he answered, sullenly.
"I shall make it my business to protect the weak," said Jasper, quietly.
"You may need to protect yourself," sneered Thorne.
"If necessary, I feel competent to do so. Cameron, come here."
"Don't you go!" said Thorne, menacingly.
The little boy looked in terror from one to the other. Evidently he
dreaded that the immediate result of his obeying Kent would be to
precipitate a blow from the bully.
Jasper saw the little boy's quandary, and he quickly advanced to the
rescue. Throwing one arm protectingly round Cameron's waist, he
regarded Nicholas firmly.
"Well," he said, "what do you propose to do?"
Thorne had had time to think. He hated Jasper worse than ever, but he
knew that our hero did not care for blows. Moreover, he was likely to
give back better than he received. There was another way of wounding
him, which prudence would have led him to hold in reserve. But he was
too angry to be prudent. Moreover, he had had a note two days before
from his mother, from