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Rh struggle, Ralph had won it. He was in high spirits over the victory, and this made him a little boisterous.

When they entered the water, Ralph had "ducked" one of the smaller boys, who had made little resistance or remonstrance at the moment, but bided his time and retaliated, as Ralph discovered when he left the water and began to dress.

Ralph examined his shirt just long enough to discover that knots had been tied in the sleeves and then, hastily drawing on his trousers and throwing his jacket around his shoulders, he started to run along the road after the retreating figure of the sly small boy, who had left the water some little time before.

In spite of the long start secured, Ralph overtook his fleeing prey and grasped him firmly by the nape of the neck. Then, without checking his speed, Ralph turned a long curve, driving his unhappy captive before him, and the two were soon at the swimming-beach again.

"Now," said Ralph, "you can just untie those knots, youngster, and be quick, too!"

"What for?" asked the younger boy, whose name was Plunkett, feigning a bland innocence which was really absurd under the circumstances.

Disdaining other answer, Ralph tightened his grasp upon Plunkett's neck in a most convincing way. Plunkett seemed satisfied with this proof of his crime, and began a reluctant struggle with the knots, regretting perhaps that he had so firmly constructed them.

A few of the older boys had meanwhile come to the conclusion that there was something to be said on the other side of this case which Ralph was deciding so summarily.

"See here, Ralph," said Tom Cromwell, one of the most ambitious of the champion's rivals, "just suppose you let Plunkett go. He's all right. You ducked him first!"