n; outside the
School-gates were drawn up several chaises and the four-horse coach
which Tom's party had chartered, the postboys in their best jackets and
breeches, and a cornopean player, hired for the occasion, blowing away
"A southerly wind and a cloudy sky," waking all peaceful inhabitants
half-way down the High Street.

Every minute the bustle and hubbub increased: porters staggered about
with boxes and bags, the cornopean played louder. Old Thomas sat in
his den with a great yellow bag by his side, out of which he was paying
journey-money to each boy, comparing by the light of a solitary dip the
dirty, crabbed little list in his own handwriting with the Doctor's list
and the amount of his cash; his head was on one side, his mouth screwed
up, and his spectacles dim from early toil. He had prudently locked the
door, and carried on his operations solely through the window, or he
would have been driven wild and lost all his money.

"Thomas, do be quick; we shall never catch the Highflyer at Dunchurch."

"That's your money all right, Green."

"Hullo, Thomas, the Doctor said I was to have two pound ten; you've only
given me two pound." (I fear that Master Green is not confining himself
strictly to truth.) Thomas turns his head more on one side than ever,
and spells away at the dirty list. Green is forced away from the window.

"Here, Thomas--never mind him; mine's thirty shillings." "And mine too,"
"And mine," shouted others.

One way or another, the party to which Tom belonged all got packed and
paid, and sallied out to the gates, the cornopean playing frantically
"Drops of Brandy," in allusion, probably, to the slight potations in
which the musician and postboys had been already indulging. All luggage
was carefully stowed away inside the coach and in the front and hind
boots, so that not a hat-box was visible outside. Five or six small
boys, with pea-shooters, and the cornopean player, got up behind; in
front the big boys, mostly smoking, not for pleasure, but because they
are now gentlemen at large, and this is the most correct public method
of notifying the fact.

"Robinson's coach will be down the road in a minute; it has gone up to
Bird's to pick up. We'll wait till they're close, and make a race of
it," says the leader. "Now, boys, half a sovereign apiece if you beat
'em into Dunchurch by one hundred yards."

"All right, sir," shouted the grinning postboys.

Down comes Robinson's coach in a minute or tw