s, and it looks like a lot of
robbers in a cave. And the louts come and pound at the great gates, and
we pound back again, and shout at them. But this half we only sing in
the hall. Come along down to my study."

Their principal employment in the study was to clear out East's table;
removing the drawers and ornaments and tablecloth; for he lived in the
bottom passage, and his table was in requisition for the singing.

Supper came in due course at seven o'clock, consisting of bread and
cheese and beer, which was all saved for the singing; and directly
afterwards the fags went to work to prepare the hall. The School-house
hall, as has been said, is a great long high room, with two large fires
on one side, and two large iron-bound tables, one running down the
middle, and the other along the wall opposite the fireplaces. Around the
upper fire the fags placed the tables in the form of a horse-shoe, and
upon them the jugs with the Saturday night's allowance of beer. Then
the big boys used to drop in and take their seats, bringing with them
bottled beer and song books; for although they all knew the songs by
heart, it was the thing to have an old manuscript book descended from
some departed hero, in which they were all carefully written out.

The sixth-form boys had not yet appeared; so, to fill up the gap, an
interesting and time-honoured ceremony was gone through. Each new boy
was placed on the table in turn, and made to sing a solo, under the
penalty of drinking a large mug of salt and water if he resisted or
broke down. However, the new boys all sing like nightingales to-night,
and the salt water is not in requisition--Tom, as his part, performing
the old west-country song of "The Leather Bottel" with considerable
applause. And at the half-hour down come the sixth and fifth form boys,
and take their places at the tables, which are filled up by the next
biggest boys, the rest, for whom there is no room at the table, standing
round outside.

The glasses and mugs are filled, and then the fugleman strikes up the
old sea-song,

"A wet sheet and a flowing sea,
And a wind that follows fast," etc.,

which is the invariable first song in the School-house; and all the
seventy voices join in, not mindful of harmony, but bent on noise, which
they attain decidedly, but the general effect isn't bad. And then follow
"The British Grenadiers," "Billy Taylor," "The Siege of Seringapatam,"
"Three Jolly Postboys," and other v