id stringlengths 16 16 | text stringlengths 151 2.3k | word_count int64 30 60 | source stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|
twg_000000049300 | you young gen'lemen can't do something for yourselves, instead of bothering me." "Well, it isn't my orders," answered Jack; "it's Mr. Blake's." "Mr. Blake's, is it? All right, I'll do it when I can spare the time." When the boys came out at interval, the box was still lying about in the yard, although there were heavy clouds overhead threatening | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049301 | rain. Mr. Blake sent for Noaks, and a rather sharp passage of arms took place between them, which ended in the man's being told to leave what he was doing and carry the fireworks down to the shed. "I believe he left them on purpose, in the hope they'd get wet," said Shaw. "He hates us all like poison, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049302 | I believe it's all because his son's at the other school. D'you remember what a row he kicked up when he heard Acton say that the Philistines were cads for shooting at us with catapults?" "Yes," answered Morris; "and if he hates us, he hates Blake a jolly sight worse. He's been like it ever since that football match; and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049303 | he'll get sacked if he doesn't mind, for Blake won't stand his cheek much longer." The purchase of fireworks had this year been more extensive than on any previous occasion, and every one was looking forward with great anticipation to the business of the following evening. "I say, Diggy," cried Acton at the close of afternoon school, "I wish you'd | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049304 | run down into the playground and bring up that football flag that's got to be mended; I left it in the corner by the shed. I'd go myself, but I want to finish this letter before tea." Diggory trotted off to fetch the flag, and Jack Vance, who was loitering about one of the passages, accompanied him down into the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049305 | playground. It was very dark, the stars being hidden by heavy clouds. "I say," exclaimed Diggory, "it'll be a splendid night for the fireworks if it's like this to-morrow. We must get--Hark! what's that?" "I didn't hear anything." "Yes, there was a sort of a rapping sound. Hush! there it is again." Jack heard it this time. "It's some one | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049306 | knocking very gently against that door leading into Locker's Lane," he whispered. They groped their way across the playground until they reached the wall. There was no mistake about it--some one was gently tapping with his knuckles on the other side of the door. "Who's there?" asked Jack Vance. "I want to speak to the young gen'leman who was locked | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049307 | up t'other day in the cow-shed," was the answer, given in a low voice which Diggory instantly recognized. "I know him," he said; "it's Joe Crump. Here, give me a leg up, and I'll talk to him over the wall.--All right, Joe; I'm the chap." "Well, if you are," answered the voice, "you'll remember you offered me a bob if | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049308 | I could find out and tell you when somebody was going to do something." "Well, what's the news?" "Give me the money first, and then I'll tell you." Jack Vance fortunately had the required coin in his pocket, and Diggory dropped it into Joe Crump's cap. "Well, the news is this," said the latter, speaking in the same low tone--"that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049309 | there Noaks and Hogson are coming up here to-night just afore nine o'clock, and they're a-going to drown your fireworks." "Drown our fireworks! why, what ever d'you mean? How do they know we've got any fireworks? and how can they get at them when they're all locked up?" "I can't say," returned Crump, "so it's no use asking me. I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049310 | only knows that Noaks is a-going to do it; 'drown 'em all in a bucket of water,' was what he said. Remember you promised to tell nothink about me, that's all. Good-night, mister!" The stranger vanished in the darkness, and Diggory dropped down from the wall. "Here's a pretty go!" he remarked. "What are we to do? there's no time | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049311 | to lose. Come on, Jack, let's go and tell Acton." The latter was engaged on the closing sentence of his letter; but on hearing the intelligence which Diggory had to impart, he threw the unfinished epistle into his desk, and rose to his feet with an exclamation of astonishment. "D'you think it's really true? or is this fellow, Lump or | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049312 | Bump or whatever you call him, trying to take a rise out of us, or telling lies to earn the shilling?" "I don't think so," answered Diggory, "and I'll tell you why. For some reason or other, he's at daggers drawn with young Noaks and Hogson. I think they've knocked him about, and he's doing it to pay them out." | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049313 | "But how did they get to know about our fireworks? and how do they reckon they're going to get them out of the shed? Look here, hadn't we better tell Blake?" "We can't do that," answered Jack Vance, "or it'll get Diggy in a row. If he says anything about Joe Crump, it'll all come out about his having been | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049314 | in Locker's Lane when the Philistines caught him, and of course that's against rules." "What time did he say they meant to come?" "About a quarter to nine." There was a silence which lasted for over a minute; then Diggory spoke. "This is what I think we'd better do. If they come at all, they are certain to be here | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049315 | soon after half-past eight, because I heard Fox telling Blake on the day of the match that they go to bed at nine. We won't tell any one, but as soon as 'prep' is over we'll cut down into the playground, and when they come we'll kick up a row. They'll soon make tracks if they find they're discovered, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049316 | it'll be better than saying anything to Blake about it, and we shall have defeated them ourselves." "All right," answered Acton. "But it'll look queer if we all three stop out from supper; two's enough. I'll go for one, and you and Vance toss up." This suggestion was accepted with some reluctance, as both boys were anxious to take part | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049317 | in the adventure. Acton's word, however, was law, and eventually Diggory was chosen by fate to be his companion. Directly after tea all the boys paid a visit to the shed; the door was securely locked, as also was the one leading into Locker's Lane, and it seemed impossible for the Philistines to carry out their evil designs upon the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049318 | fireworks. "I believe it's all bunkum," said Acton, as they strolled back towards the house. "However, we'll come down as we said, and just see if anything happens." Three boys, at all events, did very little work that evening, for it was impossible to concentrate one's mind on Caesar or on French verbs with such an adventure looming in the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049319 | near future. How would the Philistines get at the fireworks? Would they change their minds, and instead of drowning them apply a slow match and blow up the shed? or would it, after all, turn out to be only a false alarm, raised by the boy Crump for the sake of the promised shilling? These and other thoughts filled the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049320 | minds of the trio as they sat frowning at the books in front of them. The clock seemed to go slower and slower, until they really began to wonder whether it had stopped. At length the long hand reached the half-past. Mr. Blake yawned, put down his paper, and said, "Put away your work, and pass on to supper." Acton | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049321 | and Diggory, both tingling with excitement, lingered behind until the rest had left the room; then, when the coast was clear, they slipped out into the garden, and hurried down the sloping path. It was considerably lighter than it had been before tea; the clouds had cleared away, and there were plenty of stars. "Locked," muttered Acton, examining the shed. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049322 | "Locked," he repeated, trying the door leading into Locker's Lane. "I don't believe there's anything in it. They might get over the wall if one gave the other a leg up, but then how's the last man to get back again?" "Well, if there's nothing in it," answered Diggory, "how should Joe Crump have got to know we had any | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049323 | fireworks in the place? There must-- Hush! what's that?" There was a sound of footsteps coming down the path from the house. "_Cave!_" cried Acton. "It's Blake; let's hide!" Several shrubs growing in the garden and overhanging the boarded partition threw one corner of the playground into deep shadow. The boys rushed into the angle, and, crouching down in the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049324 | inky darkness, were at once hidden from the view of any one who might advance even to within a few feet of their hiding-place. They had hardly time to conceal themselves, when a man, the outline of whose figure they could just make out in the gloom, came through the garden door, and, advancing a few yards, stood still, turning | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049325 | his head from side to side as though looking to make sure that the quadrangle was empty. "He heard us talking," whispered Acton. The new-comer having apparently come to the conclusion that he was alone, walked slowly across to the shed, halted in front of the door, and the next moment there was the sound of a key being fitted | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049326 | into the lock. At that instant Diggory, who had been craning his neck forward to get a better view of the intruder, suddenly gripped Acton's arm, and, putting his mouth close to the latter's ear, whispered,-- "_It isn't Blake; it's old Noaks!_ Now keep quiet," he added, as his companion made a movement as though he meant to rush out | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049327 | of their hiding-place; "let's see what he does." "He's the thief who stole all those things!" answered Acton excitedly. "He must have another key, and he's going to bag something now." Noaks (for certainly it was he) disappeared inside the shed; but in a few seconds he was out again, and once more stood waiting as though undecided what to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049328 | do next. Before the boys could have counted ten, there was a low whistle in the lane. "They've come," whispered Diggory. "He's got the key of the door, and is going to let them in." His words were speedily verified, and the next moment two more figures entered the playground, the object of their visit being at once made evident | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049329 | by the fact that one of them was carrying a bucket. It was too dark to distinguish their faces, but the short conversation which took place on their entry soon made them known to the two watchers. "Now, then," said old Noaks, "if you're going to do it, just look sharp." "Awful joke, isn't it, dad?" answered one of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049330 | new-comers. "Lend us a hand, and we'll dip 'em all in this bucket and put 'em back again." "No, I shan't," returned the man. "I don't know nothink about it. It's your game, and all I promised was I'd open the door." "Well, show us where the box is.--Come on, Hogson; don't make more row than you can help." After | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049331 | a moment's hesitation and some muttered remarks about "that there Blake" and "them uppish young dogs," Noaks senior led the way across the gravel, and followed by the two Philistines entered the shed. Hardly had they crossed the threshold when Diggory started up, kicked off his slippers, crept swiftly and noiselessly as a shadow across the ground, and before his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049332 | companion had time to realize what was happening, the door of the shed was slammed to and locked on the outside. To describe exactly what followed would be well-nigh impossible, as even the principal actors themselves seemed to have but a confused recollection of the part they played. Those concerned, however, will probably never forget Diggory's bursting into the room | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049333 | as they sat finishing supper, and striking every one dumb with amazement by saying to Mr. Blake, "Please, sir, some fellows are stealing our fireworks, and I've locked them up in the shed." And there will still remain in their minds memories of a wild rush to the playground; of old Noaks being peremptorily ordered to "clear out," and on | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049334 | attempting to bandy words with Mr. Blake, being taken by the scruff of the neck and "chucked out;" of the two Philistines being conducted, under a strong escort, to Mr. Welsby's study; of a polite note being dispatched by the latter to Mr. Philips; and of the unmitigated delight of the Birchites when Hogson and Noaks junior were delivered over | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049335 | into the hands of Mr. Fox, and marched off by that gentleman to take their trial at Horace House. Every one was in high spirits. Acton and Diggory were made to tell their story over twenty times. Kennedy and Jacobs were at once declared innocent, and instead of being looked upon as outcasts, came to be regarded as martyrs who | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049336 | had suffered in a good cause. Old Noaks was clearly the culprit. He volunteered no explanation as regarded his possession of a duplicate key to the shed door, and though no attempt was made to bring the charge home against him, there was little doubt as to his guilt, and he was dismissed the next morning. The firework display came | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049337 | off the following evening, and was a great success. Every rocket or Roman candle that shot into the air seemed to attest the final triumph of the Birchites over the Philistines, and was cheered accordingly. I say final triumph, for the removal of young Noaks and Hogson from the rival school caused a great change for the better among the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049338 | ranks of Horace House. The old feud died out, giving place to a far better spirit, which was manifested each term in the friendly manner in which the teams met for matches at cricket and football. This sounds very much like the end of a story; but it is not, and for a connecting-link to join this chapter to those | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049339 | that follow, we will go forward for one moment into the future. Nearly a year later Diggory and Jack Vance were sauntering arm in arm across one of the fives-courts at Ronleigh College. "D'you remember," remarked the former, "how, that night we caught the Philistines bagging our fireworks, you said, 'Well, I should think now we've just about finished with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049340 | young Noaks'?" "Did I?" answered Jack, shrugging his shoulders. "My eye, I ought to have said we'd just begun!" . RONLEIGH COLLEGE. The first two or three weeks of a new boy's life at a big school are, as a rule, a dull and uneventful period, which does not furnish many incidents that are of sufficient interest to be worth | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049341 | recording. The Triple Alliance passed through the principal entrance to Ronleigh College one afternoon towards the end of January, with no flourish of trumpets or beat of drums to announce the fact of their arrival to their one hundred and eighty odd schoolfellows. They were simply "new kids." But though, after the fame they had won at The Birches, it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049342 | was rather humiliating at first to find themselves regarded as three nobodies, yet there was some compensation in the thought that, just as the smallest drummer-boy can point to a flag covered with "honours," and say "My regiment," so, in looking round at the many things of which Ronleians past and present had just reason to be proud, they could | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049343 | claim it as "our school," and feel that they themselves formed a part, however small and insignificant, of the institution. The crowd of boys, and the maze of passages, rooms, and staircases, were very confusing after the quiet, old-fashioned house at Chatford; but though in this world there is no lack either of lame dogs or of stiles, there is | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049344 | also a good supply of kindly-disposed persons who are ever ready to help the former over the latter, and our three friends were fortunate enough to fall in with one of these philanthropic individuals soon after their arrival. The stranger, who was a youngster of about their own age, with a pleasant, good-natured-looking face, patted Diggory on the back in | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049345 | a fatherly manner, and addressing the group said,-- "Well, my boys, we're a large family at Ronleigh, but fresh additions are always welcome. How did you leave them all at home? Quite well, I hope? Um, ah! Just so. That's what Dr. Denson always says," continued the speaker, without waiting for any reply to his numerous questions. "You'll have to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049346 | go and see him after tea. My name's Carton; what's yours?" The three comrades introduced themselves. "What bedroom are you in?" "Number ." "Then you're in the same one as I and young Hart. Come for a stroll, and I'll show you round the place." With Carton acting as conductor, the party set out on a tour of inspection. It | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049347 | was some time before the new-comers could find their way about alone without turning down wrong passages, or encroaching on forbidden ground, and getting shouted at by irate seniors, and ordered to "Come out of that!" But by the time they had finished their round, and the clanging of a big bell summoned them to assemble in the dining-hall for | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049348 | tea, they had been able to form a general idea as to the geography of Ronleigh College, and a brief account of their discoveries will be of interest to the reader. Passing through the central archway in the block of buildings which faced the road, the boys found themselves in a large gravelled quadrangle surrounded on all sides by high | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049349 | walls, broken by what appeared at first sight to be an almost countless number of windows, while the red brick was relieved in many places by a thick growth of ivy. "That's the gymnasium on the left," said Carton, "and above it are studies; and that row of big windows on the right, with the coloured glass in the top, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049350 | is the big schoolroom." Crossing the gravel they passed through another archway, in which were two folding-doors, and emerged upon an open space covered with asphalt, upon which stood a giant-stride and two double fives-courts. This formed but a small corner of a large level field, in which a number of boys were to be seen wandering about arm in | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049351 | arm, or standing chatting together in small groups, pausing every now and then in their conversation to give chase to a football which was being kicked about in an aimless fashion by a number of their more energetic companions. "The goal-posts aren't up yet," said Carton, "and this is only what's called the junior field; the one beyond is where | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049352 | the big fellows play. The pavilion is over the hedge there, with the flagstaff by the side of it. That's the match ground, and there's room for another game besides." "Where do all the fellows go when they aren't out of doors?" asked Diggory. "Well, the Sixth all have studies; then comes Remove, and those chaps have a room to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049353 | themselves; all the rest have desks in the big school, and you hang about there, though of course, if you like, there's the gymnasium, or the box-room--that's where a lot of fellows spend most of their time." "What sort of a place is that?" "Oh, it's where the play-boxes are kept. Come along; we'll go there next." They passed once | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049354 | more through the double doors, and were crossing the quadrangle, when a certain incident attracted their notice, unimportant in itself, but indicating a strong contrast in the manner of life at Ronleigh to what they had always been accustomed to at The Birches. A youngster was tearing up a piece of paper and scattering the fragments about on the gravel. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049355 | "Hi, you there!" cried a voice; "pick that up. What d'you mean by making that mess here?" The small boy grabbed up the bits of paper, stuffed them in his pocket, and hurried away towards the schoolroom. "Is that one of the masters?" asked Mugford. "No," answered Carton, "that's Oaks; he's one of the prefects. Don't you see he's got | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049356 | a blue tassel to his mortar-board?" "But what's a prefect?" "Whew!" laughed the other, "you'll soon find out if you play the fool, and don't mind what you're about. Why, there are fourteen of them, all fellows in the Sixth, and they keep order and give you lines, and all that sort of thing." "Why, I thought it was only | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049357 | masters did that," said Jack Vance. "Well, you'll find the prefects do it here," answered Carton; "and when they tell you to do a thing, I'd advise you to look alive and do it, for they don't reckon to speak twice." The evening passed quickly enough. After tea came an interview with the head-master in his study, and then what | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049358 | was perhaps a still more trying ordeal--a long spell of sitting in the big schoolroom answering an incessant fire of questions such as, "What's your name?"--"Where d'you come from?" etc., etc. At length the signal was given for passing on to bed, and the Triple Alliance were not sorry to gain the shelter of No. dormitory. The room contained seven | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049359 | other beds besides their own, two of which were as yet still vacant, waiting the arrival of boys who had not turned up on the first day. The remainder were occupied by a couple of other new-comers, and three oldsters, Carton, Hart, and Bayley. It was very different from the cosy little bedrooms at The Birches; but the three friends | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049360 | were glad to be allowed to undress in peace and quiet, and had scrambled safely into bed some time before the prefect put in an appearance to turn out the light. "I tell you what," said Hart, a few moments later: "you new kids may think yourselves lucky that you're in a quiet room for a start. I know when | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049361 | I came first there used to be christenings and all kinds of humbug." "What was that?" asked Diggory. "Why, fellows used always to christen you with a nickname: they stuck your head in a basin and poured water over you, and if you struggled you got it all down your back." "Yes," continued Carton, "and they hid your clothes, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049362 | had bull-fights and all sorts of foolery. That was in _Nineteen_: old 'Thirsty' was the prefect for that passage, and he doesn't care tu'pence what fellows do. But Allingford's put a stop to almost all that kind of thing: he's captain of the school, and he's always awfully down on anything of that sort." By the time breakfast was over | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049363 | on the following morning, Diggory and his two companions were beginning to recover a little from their first state of bewilderment amid their strange surroundings. They donned the school cap of black flannel, with the crest worked in silk upon the front, and went out to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine in the playground. It was a bright, frosty | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049364 | day, and the whole place seemed full of life and activity. There was plenty to engage their attention, and much that was new and singular after their comparatively quiet playground at The Birches. But whatever there was to awaken their interest out of doors, a thing was destined to happen during their first morning school which would be a still | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049365 | greater surprise than anything they had yet encountered during their short residence at Ronleigh. At nine o'clock the clanging of the big bell summoned them to the general assembly in the big schoolroom. They took their places at a back desk pointed out to them by the master on duty, and sat watching the stream of boys that poured in | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049366 | through the open doors, wondering how long it would take them to become acquainted with the names of such a multitude. The forms passed on in their usual order, and the new boys were conducted to a vacant classroom, where they received a set of examination papers which were intended to test the amount of their knowledge, and determine the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049367 | position in which they were to start work on the following day. Jack Vance, Diggory, and Mugford sat together at the first desk, just in front of the master's table, and were soon busy in proving their previous acquaintance with the Latin grammar. Presently the door opened, and a voice, which they at once recognized as Dr. Denson's, said, "Mr. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049368 | Ellesby, may I trouble you to step here for a moment?" None of the trio raised their eyes from their work. There was a muttered conversation in the passage, and then the door was once more closed. The master returned to his desk, dipped his pen in the ink, and addressing some one at the back of the room, inquired,-- | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049369 | "What did Dr. Denson say your name was?" "Noaks, sir." The Triple Alliance gave a simultaneous start as though they had received an electric shock, and their heads turned round like three weathercocks. There, sure enough, at the back desk of all, sat the late leader of the Philistines, with a rather sheepish expression on his face, somewhat similar to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049370 | the one it had worn when the marauders from Horace House had been ushered into Mr. Welsby's study. Jack Vance looked at Mugford, and Mugford looked at Diggory. "Well, I'm jiggered!" whispered the latter, and once more returned to his examination paper. At eleven o'clock there was a quarter of an hour's interval. Being still, as it were, strangers in | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049371 | a strange land, the three friends kept pretty close together. They were walking arm in arm about the quadrangle, giving expression to their astonishment at this latest arrival at Ronleigh, when Diggory suddenly exclaimed, "Look out! here he comes!" After so many encounters of a decidedly hostile nature, it was difficult to meet their old enemy on neutral ground without | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049372 | some feeling of embarrassment. Young Noaks, however, walked up cool as a cucumber, and holding out his hand said,-- "Hullo, you fellows, who'd have thought of seeing you here! How are you?" The three boys returned the salutation in a manner which, to say the least, was not very cordial, and made some attempt to pass on their way; but | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049373 | the new-comer refused to see that he was not wanted, and insisted on taking Mugford's arm and accompanying them on their stroll. "I say," he continued, addressing Jack Vance, "were you at Todderton these holidays? I don't think I saw you once." "The last time I saw you," returned Jack, in rather a bitter tone, "was when you came to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049374 | spoil our fireworks, and we collared you in the shed." Noaks clinched his fist, and for a moment his brow darkened; the next instant, however, he laughed as though the recollection of the incident afforded him an immense amount of amusement. "Ha, ha! Yes, awful joke that, wasn't it? almost as good as the time when that fool of a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049375 | master of yours, Lake, or Blake, or whatever you call him, had me sent off the field so that you could win the match." "It was no such thing," answered Jack. "You know very well why it was Blake interfered; and he's not a fool, but a jolly good sort." "Oh, don't get angry," returned the other. "I'm sure I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049376 | shouldn't fly into a wax if you called Fox or old Phillips a fool. I got sick of that beastly little school, as I expect you did of yours, and so I made my uncle send me here.--Hullo! I suppose that's the bell for going back to work; see you again later on." "I say," whispered Diggory, as soon as | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049377 | they had regained their seat in the examination-room, "I vote we give that chap the cold shoulder." The following morning the three friends heard their names read out as forming part of the Third Form, to which their friend Carton already belonged. Young Noaks was placed in the Upper Fourth, and they were not destined therefore to have him as | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049378 | a class-mate. The Third Form at Ronleigh had, for some reason or other, received the title of "The Happy Family." They certainly were an amusing lot of little animals, and Diggory and his companions coming into the classroom rather late, and before the entrance of the master, saw them for the first time to full advantage. Out of the two-and-twenty | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049379 | juveniles present, only about six seemed to be in their proper places. One young gentleman sitting close to the blackboard cried, "Powder, sir!" and straightway scrubbed his neighbour's face with a very chalky duster. The latter, by way of retaliation, smote the former's pile of books from the desk on to the ground--a little attention which was immediately returned by | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049380 | boy number one; while as they bent down to pick up their scattered possessions, a third party, sitting on the form behind, made playful attempts to tread upon their fingers. Two rival factions in the rear of the room were waging war with paper darts; while a small, sandy-haired boy, whose tangled hair and disordered attire gave him the appearance, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049381 | as the saying goes, of having been dragged through a furze-bush backwards, rapped vigorously with his knuckles upon the master's table, and inquired loudly how many more times he was to say "Silence!" The entrance of the three new-comers caused a false alarm, and in a moment every one was in his proper seat. "Bother it!" cried the small, sandy-haired | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049382 | boy, who had bumped his knee rushing from the table to his place; "why didn't you make more noise when you came in?" "But I thought you were asking for silence," answered Diggory. "Shut up, and don't answer back when you are spoken to by a prefect," retorted the small boy. "Look here, you haven't written your name on Watford's | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049383 | slate.--They must, mustn't they, Maxton?" he added, turning to a boy who sat at the end of one of the back seats. "Of course they must," answered Maxton, who, with both elbows on the desk, was blowing subdued railway whistles through his hands; "every new fellow has to write his name on that little slate on Mr. Watford's table, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049384 | he enters them from there into his mark-book. I'm head boy, and I've got to see you do it. Look sharp, or he'll be here in a minute, and there'll be a row." Diggory, Vance, and Mugford hastily signed their names, one under the other, upon the slate. There was a good deal of tittering while they did so; but | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049385 | as a new boy is laughed at for nearly everything he does, they took no notice of it, and had hardly got back to their places when the master entered the room, and the work began in earnest. About a quarter of an hour later the boys were busy with a Latin exercise, when silence was broken by a shuffle | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049386 | and an exclamation from the back desk. "You again, Maxton," said the master, looking up with a frown. "I suppose you are determined to idle away your time and remain bottom of the class this term as you were last. I shall put your name down for some extra work. Let's see," he continued, taking up the slate: "I appear | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049387 | to have three boys' names down already--'Vance,' 'Mugford,' and 'Trevanock.' What's the meaning of this? This is not my writing. How came these names here?" "Please, sir," faltered Mugford, "we put them there ourselves." "Put them there yourselves! What d'you want to put your names down on my punishment slate for? I suppose some one told you to, didn't they?" | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049388 | "Please, sir," answered Diggory warily, "we thought we had to, so that you might have our names to enter in your mark-book." There was a burst of laughter, but that answer went a long way towards setting the Alliance on a good footing with their class-mates. "That young Trevanock's the right sort," said Maxton, "and so are the others. I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049389 | thought they'd sneak about that slate, but they didn't." Mr. Noaks, junior, on the other hand, was destined to find that he was not going to carry everything before him at Ronleigh as he had done among the small fry at Horace House, The Upper Fourth voted him a "bounder," and nicknamed him "Moke." After morning school he repeated his | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049390 | attempt to ally himself with his former foes, but the result was decidedly unsatisfactory. Down in the box-room, a good-sized apartment boarded off from the gymnasium, Jack Vance was serving out a ration of plum-cake to a select party, consisting of his two chums and Carton, when the ex-Philistine strolled up and joined himself to the group. "Hullo!" he said, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049391 | "are you chaps having a feed? D'you remember that pork-pie we bagged from one of your kids at Chatford? Ha, ha! it was a lark." "I don't see it's much of a lark to bag what doesn't belong to you," muttered Diggory. "What's that you say?" "Nothing for you to hear," returned the other. "I don't know if you're waiting | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049392 | about here to get some cake, but I'm sure I never invited you to come." "Look here, don't be cheeky," answered Noaks. "If you think I want to make friends with a lot of impudent young monkeys like you, all I can say is you're jolly well mistaken," and so saying he turned on his heel and walked away. "I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049393 | say, Trevanock," said Carton, two days later, "that fellow Noaks has found a friend at last: he's picked up with Mouler. They'll make a nice pair, I should say. Mouler was nearly expelled last term for telling lies to Ellesby about some cribs." Noaks certainly seemed to have discovered a chum in the black sheep of the Upper Fourth, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049394 | the Triple Alliance began to congratulate themselves that he would trouble them no further. In a big school like Ronleigh College there was plenty of room for everybody to go his own way without fear of running his head into people whom he wished to avoid. Our three friends, however, seemed fated to find in the person of Noaks junior | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049395 | a perpetual stumbling-block and cause of disquietude and annoyance. They had no sooner succeeded in setting him at a distance when an incident occurred which brought them once more into violent collision with the enemy. The pavilion, which has already been mentioned as standing on the match ground, was a handsome wooden structure, surrounded by some low palings, in front | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049396 | of which was a small oblong patch of gravel. On the second Saturday morning of the term Noaks and Mouler were lounging across this open space, when Oaks, the prefect, emerged from the pavilion, carrying in his hand a pot of paint he had been mixing for the goal-posts, which were just being put up. On reaching the paling he | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049397 | suddenly ejaculated, "Bother! I've forgotten the brush;" and resting the can on the top of the little gate-post, hurried back up the short flight of steps, and disappeared through the open door. "I say, there's a good cock-shy," said Noaks, nodding his head in the direction of the paint. "Umph! shouldn't like to try," answered Mouler. "Why not?" "Because Oaks | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049398 | would jolly well punch both our heads." "Well, here's a new kid coming; let's set him on to do it. You speak to him; he knows me. His name's Mugford." The two cronies both picked up a handful of stones, and began throwing at the can, taking good care that their shots should fly wide of the mark. Mugford, who, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000049399 | as we have already seen, was not blessed with the sharpest of wits, paused for a moment to watch the contest. The paint had been mixed in an old fruit-tin, and at first sight it certainly seemed to have been put on the post for the sole purpose of being knocked off again. "Hullo, you new kid!" exclaimed Mouler. "Look | 60 | gutenberg |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.