I remember once seeing a street-row in London, at which twenty people stood by, and let a drunken beast of a husband strike his wife without ever stirring to defend her." "Well," sighed Eric, "I hope my day of deliverance will come soon, for I can't stand it much longer, and 'tell' I won't, whatever Owen may do." Eric's deliverance came very soon.

It was afternoon; the boys were playing at different games in the green playground, and he was waiting for his turn at rounders.

At this moment Barker lounged up, and calmly snatching off Eric's cap, shied it over Dr.Rowlands' garden wall.
"There, go and fetch that." "You blackguard!" said Eric, standing irresolutely for a few minutes; and then with tears in his eyes began to climb the wall.

It was not very high, but boys were peremptorily forbidden to get over it under any circumstances, and Eric broke the rule not without trepidation.

However, he dropped down on one of Mrs.Rowlands' flower-beds, and got his cap in a hurry, and clambered back undiscovered.
He thought this would have satisfied his tormentor for one day; but Barker was in a mischievous mood, so he again came up to Eric, and calling out, "Who'll have a game at football ?" again snatched the cap, and gave it a kick; Eric tried to recover it, but every time he came up Barker gave it a fresh kick, and finally kicked it into a puddle.
Eric stood still, trembling with rage, while his eyes lightened scorn and indignation.