“Ah, and I should have halfpence, and we’d play at heads-and-tails,” said Tom, not contemplating the possibility that this recreation might have fewer charms for his mature age. “I’d divide fair to begin with, and then we’d see who’d win.” “I’ve got a halfpenny o’ my own,” said Bob, proudly, coming out of the water and tossing his halfpenny in the air. “Yeads or tails?” “Tails,” said Tom, instantly fired with the desire to win. “It’s yeads,” said Bob, hastily, snatching up the halfpenny as it fell. “It wasn’t,” said Tom, loudly and peremptorily. “You give me the halfpenny; I’ve won it fair.” “I sha’n’t,” said Bob, holding it tight in his pocket. “Then I’ll make you; see if I don’t,” said Tom. “You can’t make me do nothing, you can’t,” said Bob. “Yes, I can.” “No, you can’t.” “I’m master.” “I don’t care for you.” “But I’ll make you care, you cheat,” said Tom, collaring Bob and shaking him. “You get out wi’ you,” said Bob, giving Tom a kick. Tom’s blood was thoroughly up: he went at Bob with a lunge and threw him down, but Bob seized hold and kept it like a cat, and pulled Tom down after him. They struggled fiercely on the ground for a moment or two, till Tom, pinning Bob down by the shoulders, thought he had the mastery. “_You_, say you’ll give me the halfpenny now,” he said, with difficulty, while he exerted himself to keep the command of Bob’s arms. But at this moment Yap, who had been running on before, returned barking to the scene of action, and saw a favourable opportunity for biting Bob’s bare leg not only with inpunity but with honour. The pain from Yap’s teeth, instead of surprising Bob into a relaxation of his hold, gave it a fiercer tenacity, and with a new exertion of his force he pushed Tom backward and got uppermost. But now Yap, who could get no sufficient purchase before, set his teeth in a new place, so that Bob, harassed in this way, let go his hold of Tom, and, almost throttling Yap, flung him into the river. By this time Tom was up again, and before Bob had quite recovered his balance after the act of swinging Yap, Tom fell upon him, threw him down, and got his knees firmly on Bob’s chest. “You give me the halfpenny now,” said Tom. “Take it,” said Bob, sulkily. “No, I sha’n’t take it; you give it me.” Bob took the halfpenny out of his pocket, and threw it away from him on the ground. Tom loosed his hold, and left Bob to rise. “There the halfpenny lies,” he said. “I don’t want your halfpenny; I wouldn’t have kept it. But you wanted to cheat; I hate a cheat. I sha’n’t go along with you any more,” he added, turning round homeward, not without casting a regret toward the rat-catching and other pleasures which he must relinquish along with Bob’s society. “You may let it alone, then,” Bob called out after him. “I shall cheat if I like; there’s no fun i’ playing else; and I know where there’s a goldfinch’s nest, but I’ll take care _you_ don’t. An’ you’re a nasty fightin’ turkey-cock, you are——”