And not long after we were both sound asleep.
I managed to keep down my bad marks below four next day, so that I was able once more to take my walks abroad in the playground.
It was with a little feeling of misgiving that I sallied forth, for Smith was at my side, reminding me of our resolution to escape, if only for a few minutes, to the free country outside. I would greatly have preferred not trying it, but Smith was set on it, and I had not the face to leave him in the lurch.
The far end of the playground, beyond the swings, broke into a patch of tangled thicket, beyond which again a little ditch separated the grounds of Stonebridge House from the country outside.
To this thicket, therefore, we wandered, after "showing ourselves" on the swings for a few minutes, for the sake of allaying suspicions. The other fellows were most of them loafing about on the far side of the gravel yard, where the marble holes were; so we managed to make our escape pretty easily, and found ourselves at length standing on the breezy heath. Once there, Smith"s whole manner changed to one of wild delight. The sense of freedom seemed to intoxicate him, and the infection seized me too. We scampered about in a perfectly ridiculous manner; up hills and down hollows, leaping over bushes, chasing one another, and, in fact, behaving exactly like two kids (as we were), suddenly let loose from confinement.
"I say," said I, all out of breath, "suppose we run clean away, Smith?"
Smith pulled up in the middle of a scamper, and looked up and down on every side. Then the old solemn look came as he replied, "Where to, that"s it?"
"Oh, Brownstroke, if you like; or your home. Let"s turn up, you know, and give them a jolly surprise."
Smith"s face clouded over as he said, hurriedly, "I say, it"s time to be going back, or we shall get caught."
This was an effectual damper to any idea of flight, and we quickly turned back once more to Stonebridge House.
We found our gap all right, and strolled back past the swings and up the gravel walk as unconcernedly as possible, fully believing no one had been witness of our escapade. We were wrong.
Hawkesbury came up to us as we neared the house, with the usual smile on his face.
"Didn"t you hear me calling?" he said. "You know it"s against rules to go out of bounds, and I thought--"
"What! who"s been out of bounds?" said the voice of the Henniker at that moment.
Hawkesbury looked dejected.
"Who did you say, Hawkesbury, had been out of bounds?"
"I"d rather not tell tales," said Hawkesbury, sweetly.
"I"ve been out of bounds," blurted out Smith, "and so has Batchelor. I asked him to come, and Hawkesbury has been spying and--"
"Silence," cried Miss Henniker. "Smith and Batchelor, follow me."
We followed duly to Mr Ladislaw"s study, where we were arraigned.
Hawkesbury was sent for as evidence. He came smiling, and declared he may have been mistaken, perhaps it was two other boys; he hoped we should not be punished, etcetera. Smith was nearly breaking out once or twice during this, and it was all I could do to keep him in. Hawkesbury was thanked and dismissed, and then, with the a.s.sistance of Miss Henniker, Mr Hashford, and Mr Ladislaw, Smith and I were birched, and forbidden the playground for a fortnight, during which period we were required to observe absolute silence.
So ended our little adventure out for a puff of free air! Among our fellows we gained little enough sympathy for our misfortunes. Flanagan was the only fellow who seemed really sorry. The rest of the ill- conditioned lot saw in the affair only a good opportunity of crowing over their ill-starred adversary, and telling me it served me right for chumming up to such a one.
One day, greatly to my surprise, when the Henniker was away superintending the flogging of Flanagan for some offence or other, Hawkesbury came over and sat beside me.
"Oh," said he, softly, "Batchelor, I"ve been wanting to tell you how sorry I am I helped get you into your sc.r.a.pe. I didn"t mean--I was only anxious for you to know the rule. I hope you"ll forgive me?" and he held out his hand.
What could I do? Perhaps he was telling the truth after all, and we had thought too badly of him. And when a big boy comes and asks pardon of a small one, it is always embarra.s.sing for the latter. So I gave him my hand, and told him I was sure he did not mean it, and that it did not matter at all.
"Thanks, Batchelor," he said, smiling quite gratefully. "It"s a relief to me."
Then I watched him go on what I knew was a similar errand to Smith, but, as I expected, his reception in that quarter was not quite so flattering as it had been in my case. I could see my chum"s eyes fire up as he saw the elder boy approach, and a flush come over his pale cheeks. I watched Hawkesbury blandly repeating his apology, and then suddenly, to my astonishment and consternation, I saw Smith rise in his seat and throw himself furiously upon his enemy. Hawkesbury was standing near a low form, and in the sudden surprise caused by this attack he tripped over it and fell p.r.o.ne on the floor, just as Miss Henniker re-entered.
There was a brief pause of universal astonishment, then the Henniker demanded, "What is this? Tell me. What is all this, Hawkesbury?"
Hawkesbury had risen to his feet, smiling as ever, and brushing the dust from his coat, replied softly, "Nothing, really nothing, ma"am. I fell down, that"s all."
"I knocked you down!" shouted Smith, panting like a steam-engine, and trembling with excitement.
"Oh," said Hawkesbury, kindly, though not quite liking the downright way in which the adventure had been summed up. "It was only play, Miss Henniker. My fault as much as Smith"s. He never meant to be so rough.
Really."
"Silence, both!" said Miss Henniker. "Smith, follow me!"
"Oh, Miss Henniker, please don"t punish him," said Hawkesbury.
"Silence," replied the Henniker, icily. "Come, Smith."
Miss Henniker had the wonderful art of knowing by instinct who was the culprit in cases like this. She was never troubled with a doubt as to her verdict being a right one; and really it saved her a great deal of trouble.
Smith was haled away to justice, where, in addition to a flogging and further term of imprisonment, he was reduced for a given period to a bread-and-water diet, and required publicly to beg Hawkesbury"s pardon.
That there might be no delay about the execution of the last part of the sentence, the culprit was conducted back forthwith to the schoolroom, accompanied by Miss Henniker and Mr Ladislaw.
"Hawkesbury," said the latter, addressing the injured boy, "I have desired Smith to beg your pardon here and now for his conduct to you.
Smith, do as you have been told."
Smith remained silent, and I who watched him could see that his mind was made up.
"Do you hear Mr Ladislaw, Smith?" demanded the Henniker; "do as you are bid, at once."
"Please, sir," began Hawkesbury, with his pleasant smile.
"Silence, Hawkesbury," said the Henniker. "Now, Smith."
But she might have been addressing a log of wood.
"Do you hear what I say to you?" once more she exclaimed.
Smith only glared at her with his big eyes, and resolutely held his tongue.
"Then," said Mr Ladislaw, "Smith must be publicly punished."
Smith was punished publicly; and a more repulsive spectacle I never wish to witness. A public punishment at Stonebridge House meant a flogging administered to one helpless boy by the whole body of his schoolfellows, two of whom firmly held the victim, while each of the others in turn flogged him. In the case of an unpopular boy like Smith, this punishment was specially severe, and I turned actually sick as each of the cowardly louts stepped up and vented their baffled wrath upon him.
Hawkesbury, of course, only made the slightest pretence of touching him; but this of all his punishment seemed to be the part Smith could bear least. At last, when it was all over, the bruised boy slunk back to his desk, and cla.s.s proceeded.
That night, as I knelt beside my poor chum"s bed, he said, "We"ve paid pretty dear for our run on the heath, Fred."
"_You_ have, old man," I replied.