The battle was over, the victory was ours, but the campaign was not ended, and thenceforward the disadvantages would be for us.  Even real warfare is complicated when men fight with men less civilized than themselves; and we had learnt before now that when we snowballed each other or snowballed the rougher “lot” of village boys, we did so under different conditions. We had our own code of honour and fairness, but Bob Furniss was not above putting a stone into a snowball if he owed a grudge.

So when we heard a rumour that the bigger “roughs” were going to join the younger ones, and lie in wait to “pay us off” the first day we came down to the ice, I cannot say we felt comfortable, though we resolved to be courageous.  Meanwhile, the thaw continued, which suspended operations, and gave time, which is good for healing; and Christmas came, and we and our foes met and mingled in the mummeries of the season, and wished each other Happy New Years, and said nothing about the pond.

How my father came to hear of the matter we did not know at the time, but one morning he summoned Jem and me, and bade us tell him all about it.  I was always rather afraid of my father, and I should have made out a very stammering story, but Jem flushed up like a turkey-cock, and gave our version of the business very straightforwardly.  The other side of the tale my father had evidently heard, and we fancied he must have heard also of the intended attack on us, for it never took place, and we knew of interviews which he had with John Binder and others of our neighbours; and when the frost came in January, we found that the stones had been taken out of the pond, and my father gave us a sharp lecture against being quarrelsome and giving ourselves airs, and it ended with—­“The pond is mine.  I wish you to remember it, because it makes it your duty to be hospitable and civil to the boys I allow to go on it.  And I have very decidedly warned them and their parents to remember it, because if my permission for fair amusement is abused to damage and trespass, I shall withdraw the favour and prosecute intruders.  But the day I shut up my pond from my neighbours, I shall forbid you and Jack to go on it again unless the fault is more entirely on one side than it’s likely to be when boys squabble.”

My father waved our dismissal, but I hesitated.

“The boys won’t think we told tales to you to get out of another fight?” I gasped.

“Everybody knows perfectly well how I heard.  It came to the sexton’s ears, and he very properly informed me.”

I felt relieved, and the first day we had on the ice went off very fairly.  The boys were sheepish at first and slow to come on, and when they had assembled in force they were inclined to be bullying.  But Jem and I kept our tempers, and by and by my father came down to see us, and headed a long slide in which we and our foes were combined.  As he left he pinched Jem’s frosty ear, and said, “Let me hear if there’s any real malice, but don’t double your fists at every trifle.  Slide and let slide! slide and let slide!” And he took a pinch of snuff and departed.