What more insult might have followed it is impossible to say, for the omnibus now stopped at a gate, and the occupants began to scramble off. Trevor rose, and waited for the gentleman called Barney to get down. But he remained; so Trevor stepped over him, and Pratt was about to follow, when the fellow thrust out his legs, and the young man tripped, staggered, and would have fallen from the omnibus but for the strong arm of his friend. "Get down first," said Trevor. "No, no--never mind," said Pratt, catching his arm. "Get down first," said Trevor, as if he were on the quarter-deck. "There's nothing to be gained by it," whispered Pratt. "I'll come directly," was the reply; and facing round upon the fellow, who had risen, he looked him full in his closely-set eyes, face close to face, as he said, quietly-- "I think I shall know you again, my friend." Before the fellow had recovered from his surprise, Trevor stepped lightly down, took Pratt's arm in an easy-going, familiar way, and the friends joined the string of people crossing the fields. "Thank goodness!" said Pratt; "I do hate a row. You must be on the losing side. Lost anything?" "No," said Trevor, thoughtfully. "But if that fellow had been at sea with me, and behaved like that--" "You'd have had him flogged?" "No," said Trevor, "I'd have pitched him overboard." "Overboard?" "Yes," said Trevor, with his face once more all smiles--"and fished him out!" Volume 1, Chapter IV. RATHER UNPLEASANT. "Ah," said Pratt, after a brisk walk, "it might have been worse; it all comes of getting on knife-boards. I never do go on a 'bus but I'm sure to meet some one I don't want to see from that elevated position. Let's see: in somebody's fables one poor bird got his neck wrung through being in bad company, and getting caught by the fowler." "And what has that to do with knife-boards?" "Only this," said Frank, grimly; "I should uncommonly like to see that barouche; and the cocky old gentleman inside will be safe to give us credit for being the ringleaders of those rowdies." "Well, never mind," said Trevor; "I wanted to see a steeplechase, though I don't suppose I shall like it any more than a ball." No more was said then, for they had reached the ground flagged out for the course--a pleasant tract running round in front of a mound-like hill, affording the spectators from the various stands a capital view of the whole race; save where here and there a tiny copse intervened, so that it must inevitably hide the horses for a few moments. They were in ample time, for twelve, one, and two o'clock upon racing cards are very different hours to those represented upon the time-tables at our various termini; so they had a stroll round, pausing here or there; but, no matter where they strayed, so sure as Frank Pratt turned his head, it was to see the evil-looking countenance of their companion on the omnibus close at hand, though whether Trevor had seen him or not he could not tell.