"Well," exclaimed I, starting suddenly to run, "that's Cad Prog, the butcher-boy, there; come along."
So it was! Of all our enemies Cad Prog was the most truculent, and most feared. The sight of his red head coming round the corner was always enough to strike panic into a score of youngsters, and even we bigger boys always looked meek when Prog came out to defy us.
He was strolling guilelessly along, and didn't see us at first. Then suddenly he caught sight of us approaching, and next moment the blue apron and red head disappeared with a bolt round the corner.
"So we are!" cried we, and hue and cry was made for Cad Prog forthwith.
We sighted him as we turned the corner. He was making straight for the market. Perhaps to get an axe, I thought, or to hide, or to tell my uncle!
It's wonderful how a short sharp chase warms up the blood even of a small boy of twelve. Before we were half down the street, even Bates had no thought left of deserting, and we all four pressed on, each determined not to be last.
The fugitive Prog kept his course to the market, but there doubled suddenly and bolted down Side Street. That was where he lived; he was going to run into his hole then, like a rabbit.
We gained no end on him in the turn, and were nearly up to him as he reached the door of his humble home.
He bolted in--so did we. He bolted up stairs--so did we. He plunged headlong into a room where was a little girl rocking a cradle--so did we. Then began a wild scuffle.
"Catch him! Take his cap off!" cried Bobbins.
"He hasn't got a cap!" cried Rasper--"butcher-boys never have!"
In the scuffle the little girl was trodden on, and the cradle clean upset. A crowd collected in the street. Cad Prog roared as loud as he could, so did his little sister, so did the baby, so did Jimmy Bates, so did Joe Bobbins, so did Harry Rasper, so did I. _I_ did not care what happened; I went for Cad Prog, and have a vague idea of my hand and his nose being near together, and louder yells still.
Then all of a sudden there was a tramp of heavy footsteps on the stairs, and all I can remember after that was receiving a heavy cuff on my head, being dragged down into the street, where--so it seemed to me for the moment--at least a million people must have been congregated; and, finally, I know not how, I was standing in the middle of my uncle's study floor, with my coat gone, my mouth bleeding, and my cap, after all, clean vanished!