The Human Boy

llows in the Wing Dormitory followed their lead. And, mind you, everybody had the welfare of the school at heart. It seemed a jolly brave sort of thing to do, and jolly interesting. Trelawny arranged the military side of the business, and Bradwell, whose father is known as the "Whiteley" of some place in Yorkshire, lo

ise, and I remember the first conversation which led to everything. Happening to take so

him. I've thought about it a lot, and I think if a section of chaps could put themselves in a strong, fortified position they might demand to be he

e," said

relative positions of the sides are always taken i

g at?" said Bradwell

im. He couldn't understand somehow, and insulted chaps in the most frightful way, not seeing any difference between fellows at the top of the school and mere 26kids at the bottom. Captains of elevens were as nothing to him. He seemed to have read up boys like he read mathematics and stuff--from rotten books. He would say sometimes, "Now, you fellows, let's 'ave a jolly game of leap-frog before the bell rings," and things like that. Boys never do play leap-frog except in books really. Once he offered to show Trelawny how to make a kite, and he asked Chambers--Chambers, mind you, the Captain of the First Eleven at Cricket--whether he knew a shop where there were capital iron hoops for sale at a shilling each

r week's pocket-money to provisions, and to hold out till we starved, having first signed another paper for Doctor Dunston 28explaining our united protest against Thompson, and hoping for the good of the school that he would be removed. I didn't understand much about it really. In fact, I don't believe anybody did but Trelawny and Bradwell. Only they said we were acting for the good of the school, and they also said that if we held the Wing Dormitory properly nothing short of cannon or starvation could dislodge us. It was a tremendously tall building, complete in itself, with iron fire-proof doors constructed to cut it off from the rest of the school, and with a bath-room and a lavatory adjoining, all at a great height above the ground. The windows were barr

t that Thompson would be sent away at once, to avoid the affair becoming serious; others fancied we should be starved out or expelled to a man. Trelawny never hazarded any guess at what would be the en

st; then he explained his military system of night and day watches and guards. Each of the four windows had a guard at all hours, and two chaps were to be stati

hompson, but think him unsuited to carry on the great reputation of Dunston's. We, the undersigned, take this important step fully alive to the gravity of it, for we are prepared to suffer if necessary 31to call attention to the subject. We do not doubt Mr. Thomp

lowed th

he kids, but they put their trus

riat, drew up a list of the total supplies, and showed what each fellow had contributed to the store. This list I copied for Bradwell at the time, with notes about

hams, eight l

otted salmon, two seed-ca

a week pocket-money, his father being rather rich. Bradwe

n Guava jelly. (Bradwell was awfully pleased about the milk, beca

veal and ham paste, one pot marmalade.

ht raspberry vinegar would be a jolly good thing to break the

seven pears, two pots blackberry jam. (Morrant has no pocke

lings a week pocket-money. 33He pretended he had forgotten. Tr

olls were cut in half to be eaten first thing before they went bad. But Bradwell said M

), one packet of beef tabloids.

en reading a book about chaps getting scurvy on a raft, and he thought a siege would be

ad when he heard what Corkey minimus had got; but Trelawny pointed out

ie and thirteen currant b

vril can be taken on bread like treacle, and once

ined it was because he had seen an advertisement about the goodness of them. It said they had dried buffalo meat in them,

of fare and made calculations. We were rather surprised in the morning to hear the rations would not last more than a fortnight, but Trelawny said the siege must be o

ed to get in and couldn't. He shook the door, then

of this, you fellows

stood by it to pull up any letter that might be fastened to it. But none was. Some of the chaps were prowling

one of Mathers's sausage-rolls, and half a tumbler of water. So we began at once to see what a jolly serious thing a siege is. And Gideon saw 36it more than we did, because he had no sardines and no sausage-roll. He offered Trelawny

the trouble had begun, but Trelawny said it was the summons to a parley. Anyway, we heard the Doctor's voice, and it wasn't

ou must take the consequences. As it is, they will be suffic

string is out of the window. We are doin

because he had hear

"then, when they find they can't do anything w

afternoon, because he expected a night attack with ladders. To get in it would be necessary to remove the ba

pberry vinegar as would go into a bullet-mold that Wilson had. Gideon ate the ham like anybody else, which shows Jews don't refuse pork in any shape at times of siege, whateve

ot Defiance"; but Derbyshire said they were going to starve us out like rats, so as to reduce the glory as much as possible. One or two chaps had private rows that day, and Trelawny was pretty short and sharp. He said we were to regard ourselves as under martial law, and he stopped Forrest having any tea at all because he l

door with directions to wake him instantly if anything happened or anybody assembled outside below. But he didn't sleep really. In fact, only a few of

ng sort of siege when chaps simply sit and see the enemy get to the end of their food supplies, but they won't do that with us. The day boys w

t in the act of flinging 40a letter out of the window addressed to his mother. It was torn up, and he was cautioned. That ended the day, and nothing else happened until a quarter to one o'clock. Then Bradwell, whose watch it was, called "Cave!" and came to Trelawny wi

ith news from the enemy. The least you

aid Trelawny,

ll's against the moonlight. Trelawny made everybody get out of earshot except Bradwel

Thomps

ny means, and you want me to go, and you've locked yourself and friends up

Trelawny; but he fell back o

. We wish it to be understood

er than ever, and I understand this much, that you don't like me. I'm not proud. I'm q

right man for Dunston's, s

ers by climbing up 'ere now to advise you to give in 42to-morrow. Take my advice, and come out at the first bell, and with ropes round your necks. Measures are in 'and; and as your protest has utterly fai

other day at least, sir," said Trela

aste of time, trouble, and money, we shall enter your stronghold to-morrow. I am quite good-tempered to-day. To-morrow I shall p

omply with your terms

make your 43foolishness fall as light as possible. Your mothers

is ended," s

Trelawny." Then he went down the ladder, and looking out, Bradwell report

I

mpson was better up in tactics really than Trelawny. Anyway, he found a weak spot that T

much smaller than Mr. Thompson, the Doctor, the gardener, 44and the military agent who drills our volunteer corps and teaches gymnastics. They put the escape against the wall of the Wing

roof!" said Trelawny; "

lar avalanche of plaster and dust, that fell on Watson minor and jolly nearly smothered him. Then came Thompson, Mannering followed, and the gardener and the sergeant dropped after them as quick as lightning. Of cours

ender," sa

d yield!" said Mannering, who had cut his hand gett

keeping his nerve jolly well. "We are prepared to pay the p

nston didn't seem to realize what frightfully good motives prompted them to protest against Thompson in an abstract way. Nothing was done to any

nd joined his father, who was the Whiteley of the North I spoke of. He wrote to me only a week ago to say that he was getting a hundred pounds a year from his governor for doing much less than he had to do at Dunston's. Mind you, Thompson is