Held Fast For England | Page 4

Bob Repton, another
time--for he made sure that he was at the bottom of the matter,
especially as he had been one of those who had listened to the snake
story.
Mr. Purfleet was held in but light respect by the boys. He was a pale
young man, and looked as if he had been poorly fed, as a boy. He took

the junior classes, and the belief was that he knew nothing of Latin.
Moffat, who took the upper classes, was much more severe, and sent up
many more boys to be caned than did the junior usher; but the boys did
not dislike him. Caning they considered their natural portion, and felt
no ill will on that account; while they knew that Mr. Moffat was a
capital scholar and, though strict, was always scrupulously just. Above
all, he was not a sneak. If he reported them, he reported them openly,
but brought no accusation against them behind their back; while Mr.
Purfleet was always carrying tittle tattle to the headmaster. There was,
therefore, little gratitude towards him for holding his tongue as to the
eel; for the boys guessed the real reason of his silence, and put it down
to dread of ridicule, and not to any kindliness of feeling.
"Purfleet would give sixpence to know what we are talking about,
Bob," one of the group talking in the corner of the playground said.
"It is worth more than that, Jim; still, we shall have to be extra careful.
He suspects it was our lot who played him the trick about the eel, and
he will do his best to catch us out, in something.
"Well, as I was saying, Johnny Gibson has got a first-rate dog for
rabbits, and he says there are lots of them up on the Common. I told
him that I would come, and I expected two or three more; and we
would meet him at the top of the hill, at four o'clock tomorrow morning.
It will be getting light by that time. Of course, we shall get out in the
usual way, and we can be back by half past six, and no one will be any
the wiser. Old Thomas never comes down till a quarter to seven. I have
heard him a dozen times. He just comes down in time to ring the bell
for us to get up."
"Oh, I ain't afraid of Thomas," one of the others said, "but I am afraid
of Purfleet."
"There need be no fear about him. He never wakes till the bell rings,
and sleeps like a top. Why, he didn't wake, the other morning, when we
had a scrimmage and you tumbled out of bed. Besides, we all sleep at
the other end of the room and, even if he did wake up in the night, he

wouldn't notice that we had gone; especially if we shoved something in
the bed, to make a lump.
"My only fear is that we shan't wake. We ought to keep watch till it's
time to get up, but I am sure we shouldn't keep awake. We must all
make up our minds to wake at three, then one of us will be sure to do it.
And mind, if one wakes, he must promise not to go to sleep again
before he hears the hall clock strike, and knows what time it is. If it is
before three, he can go off to sleep again. That way, one of us is sure to
be awake, when it strikes three."
"I say, shan't we just be licked, if we are found out, Bob?"
"Of course we shall; but as we get licked pretty well every day, that
won't make much difference, and we shall have had awful fun. Still, if
any of you fellows don't like it, don't you go. I am going, but I don't
want to persuade any of you."
"Of course we are going, if you are going, Bob. What are we going to
do with the rabbits?"
"Oh, I settled Johnny Gibson should keep them. He is going to bring
his dog, you know; besides, what could we do with them? We can't
cook them, can we?"
As it was clear to all the party that this could not be managed, no
objection was raised to this disposal of their game.
Bob Repton slept but little that night. They went to bed at eight, and he
heard every hour strike after nine; dozing off occasionally, and waking
up, each time, convinced that the clock would strike three next time. At
last he heard the three welcome strokes, and at once got up and went to
the beds of the other three boys.
They were all sound asleep, and required some shaking before they