as for being a boy , at least i am not a useless old scrub sent away because he did not deserve his old post - `` blincoln slapped him across the face , which laurence , on the point of intervening , could not call entirely unmerited , even if there were no shortage of blame to be credited to blincoln 's account in the situation ; but the noise was crisp and loud in the dry air , and kulingile 's head snapped up from his repast to see demane stumbling back under the blow .