Tom’sfacebeginstolookveryone-sided——therearelittlequeerbumpsonhisforehead，andhismouthisbleeding；butEastkeepsthewetspongegoingsoscientificallythathecomesuplookingasfreshandbrightasever。Williamsisonlyslightlymarkedintheface，butbythenervousmovementofhiselbowsyoucanseethatTom’sbodyblowsaretelling。Infact，halftheviceoftheSlogger’shittingisneutralized，forhedaren’tlungeoutfreelyforfearofexposinghissides。Itistoointerestingbythistimeformuchshouting，andthewholeringisveryquiet。
“Allright，Tommy，“whispersEast；“holdon’sthehorsethat’stowin。We’vegotthelast。Keepyourhead，oldboy。“
ButwhereisArthurallthistime？Wordscannotpaintthepoorlittlefellow’sdistress。Hecouldn’tmustercouragetocomeuptothering，butwanderedupanddownfromthegreatfivescourttothecornerofthechapelrails，nowtryingtomakeuphismindtothrowhimselfbetweenthem，andtrytostopthem；thenthinkingofrunninginandtellinghisfriendMary，who，heknew，wouldinstantlyreporttotheDoctor。Thestorieshehadheardofmenbeingkilledinprize-fightsroseuphorriblybeforehim。
Onceonly，whentheshoutsof“Welldone，Brown！““HuzzafortheSchool-house！“rosehigherthanever，heventureduptothering，thinkingthevictorywaswon。CatchingsightofTom’sfaceinthestateIhavedescribed，allfearofconsequencesvanishingoutofhismind；herushedstraightofftothematron’sroom，beseechinghertogetthefightstopped，orheshoulddie。
Butit’stimeforustogetbacktotheclose。Whatisthisfiercetumultandconfusion？Theringisbroken，andhighandangrywordsarebeingbandiedabout。“It’sallfair“——“Itisn’t“——“Nohugging！“Thefightisstopped。Thecombatants，however，sittherequietly，tendedbytheirseconds，whiletheiradherentswrangleinthemiddle。Eastcan’thelpshoutingchallengestotwoorthreeoftheotherside，thoughheneverleavesTomforamoment，andpliesthespongesasfastasever。
Thefactis，thatattheendofthelastround，Tom，seeingagoodopening，hadclosedwithhisopponent，andafteramoment’sstruggle，hadthrownhimheavily，byhelpofthefallhehadlearntfromhisvillagerivalintheValeofWhiteHorse。
Williamshadn’ttheghostofachancewithTomatwrestling；andtheconvictionbrokeatonceontheSloggerfactionthatifthiswereallowedtheirmanmustbelicked。TherewasastrongfeelingintheSchoolagainstcatchingholdandthrowing，thoughitwasgenerallyruledallfairwithinlimits；sotheringwasbrokenandthefightstopped。
TheSchool-houseareoverruled——thefightisonagain，butthereistobenothrowing；andEast，inhighwrath，threatenstotakehismanawayafternextround(whichhedon’tmeantodo，bytheway)，whensuddenlyyoungBrookecomesthroughthesmallgateattheendofthechapel。TheSchool-housefactionrushtohim。“Oh，hurrah！nowweshallgetfairplay。“
“Please，Brooke，comeup。Theywon’tletTomBrownthrowhim。“
“Throwwhom？“saysBrooke，cominguptothering。“Oh！
Williams，Isee。Nonsense！Ofcoursehemaythrowhim，ifhecatcheshimfairlyabovethewaist。“
Now，youngBrooke，you’reinthesixth，youknow，andyououghttostopallfights。Helookshardatbothboys。“Anythingwrong？“sayshetoEast，noddingatTom。
“Notabit。“
“Notbeatatall？“
“Blessyou，no！Heapsoffightinhim——Ain’tthere，Tom？“
TomlooksatBrookeandgrins。
“How’she？“noddingatWilliams。
“Soso；ratherdone，Ithink，sincehislastfall。Hewon’tstandabovetwomore。“
“Time’sup！“Theboysriseagainandfaceoneanother。Brookecan’tfinditinhishearttostopthemjustyet，sotheroundgoeson，theSloggerwaitingforTom，andreservingallhisstrengthtohithimoutshouldhecomeinforthewrestlingdodgeagain，forhefeelsthatthatmustbestopped，orhisspongewillsoongoupintheair。
Andnowanothernewcomerappearsonthefield，towit，theunder-porter，withhislongbrushandgreatwoodenreceptaclefordustunderhisarm。Hehasbeensweepingouttheschools。
“You’dbetterstop，gentlemen，“hesays；“theDoctorknowsthatBrown’sfighting——he’llbeoutinaminute。“
“YougotoBath，Bill，“isallthatthatexcellentservitorgetsbyhisadvice；andbeingamanofhishands，andastanchupholderoftheSchool-house，can’thelpstoppingtolookonforabit，andseeTomBrown，theirpetcraftsman，fightaround。
Itisgrimearnestnow，andnomistake。Bothboysfeelthis，andsummoneverypowerofhead，hand，andeyetotheiraid。A
pieceofluckoneitherside，afootslipping，ablowgettingwellhome，oranotherfall，maydecideit。Tomworksslowlyroundforanopening；hehasallthelegs，andcanchoosehisowntime。TheSloggerwaitsfortheattack，andhopestofinishitbysomeheavyright-handedblow。Astheyquarterslowlyovertheground，theeveningsuncomesoutfrombehindacloudandfallsfullonWilliams’sface。Tomdartsin；theheavyrighthandisdelivered，butonlygrazeshishead。Ashortrallyatclosequarters，andtheyclose；inanothermomenttheSloggeristhrownagainheavilyforthethirdtime。
“I’llgiveyouthreeortwoonthelittleoneinhalf-crowns，“
saidGroovetoRattle。
“No，thank’ee，“answerstheother，divinghishandsfartherintohiscoat-tails。
Justatthisstageoftheproceedings，thedooroftheturretwhichleadstotheDoctor’slibrarysuddenlyopens，andhestepsintotheclose，andmakesstraightforthering，inwhichBrownandtheSloggerarebothseatedontheirseconds’kneesforthelasttime。
“TheDoctor！theDoctor！“shoutssomesmallboywhocatchessightofhim，andtheringmeltsawayinafewseconds，thesmallboystearingoff，Tomcollaringhisjacketandwaistcoat，andslippingthroughthelittlegatebythechapel，androundthecornertoHarrowell’swithhisbackers，aslivelyasneedbe；Williamsandhisbackersmakingoffnotquitesofastacrosstheclose；Groove，Rattle，andtheotherbiggerfellowstryingtocombinedignityandprudenceinacomicalmanner，andwalkingofffastenough，theyhope，nottoberecognized，andnotfastenoughtolooklikerunningaway。
YoungBrookealoneremainsonthegroundbythetimetheDoctorgetsthere，andtoucheshishat，notwithoutaslightinwardqualm。
“Hah！Brooke。Iamsurprisedtoseeyouhere。Don’tyouknowthatIexpectthesixthtostopfighting？“
Brookefeltmuchmoreuncomfortablethanhehadexpected，buthewasratherafavouritewiththeDoctorforhisopennessandplainnessofspeech，soblurtedout，ashewalkedbytheDoctor’sside，whohadalreadyturnedback，-
“Yes，sir，generally。ButIthoughtyouwishedustoexerciseadiscretioninthemattertoo——nottointerferetoosoon。“
“Buttheyhavebeenfightingthishalf-hourandmore，“saidtheDoctor。
“Yes，sir；butneitherwashurt。Andthey’rethesortofboyswho’llbeallthebetterfriendsnow，whichtheywouldn’thavebeeniftheyhadbeenstopped，anyearlier——beforeitwassoequal。“
“WhowasfightingwithBrown？“saidtheDoctor。
“Williams，sir，ofThompson’s。HeisbiggerthanBrown，andhadthebestofitatfirst，butnotwhenyoucameup，sir。There’sagooddealofjealousybetweenourhouseandThompson’s，andtherewouldhavebeenmorefightsifthishadn’tbeenletgoon，orifeitherofthemhadhadmuchtheworstofit。“
“Wellbut，Brooke，“saidtheDoctor，“doesn’tthislookalittleasifyouexercisedyourdiscretionbyonlystoppingafightwhentheSchool-houseboyisgettingtheworstofit？“
Brooke，itmustbeconfessed，feltrathergravelled。
“Nowremember，“addedtheDoctor，ashestoppedattheturret-
door，“thisfightisnottogoon；you’llseetothat。AndI
expectyoutostopallfightsinfutureatonce。“
“Verywell，sir，“saidyoungBrooke，touchinghishat，andnotsorrytoseetheturret-doorclosebehindtheDoctor’sback。
MeantimeTomandthestanchestofhisadherentshadreachedHarrowell’s，andSallywasbustlingabouttogetthemalatetea，whileStumpshadbeensentofftoTew，thebutcher，togetapieceofrawbeefforTom’seye，whichwastobehealedoff-
hand，sothathemightshowwellinthemorning。Hewasnotabittheworse，exceptaslightdifficultyinhisvision，asinginginhisears，andasprainedthumb，whichhekeptinacold-waterbandage，whilehedranklotsoftea，andlistenedtothebabelofvoicestalkingandspeculatingofnothingbutthefight，andhowWilliamswouldhavegiveninafteranotherfall(whichhedidn’tintheleastbelieve)，andhowonearththeDoctorcouldhavegottoknowofit——suchbadluck！Hecouldn’thelpthinkingtohimselfthathewasgladhehadn’twon；helikeditbetterasitwas，andfeltveryfriendlytotheSlogger。AndthenpoorlittleArthurcreptinandsatdownquietlynearhim，andkeptlookingathimandtherawbeefwithsuchplaintivelooksthatTomatlastburstoutlaughing。
