catch hold of him t'other side before he can
holla."

The youth was seized, and dragged, struggling, out of the quadrangle
into the School-house hall. He was one of the miserable little pretty
white-handed, curly-headed boys, petted and pampered by some of the big
fellows, who wrote their verses for them, taught them to drink and use
bad language, and did all they could to spoil them for everything *
in this world and the next. One of the avocations in which these young
gentlemen took particular delight was in going about and getting fags
for their protectors, when those heroes were playing any game. They
carried about pencil and paper with them, putting down the names of all
the boys they sent, always sending five times as many as were wanted,
and getting all those thrashed who didn't go. The present youth belonged
to a house which was very jealous of the School-house, and always picked
out School-house fags when he could find them. However, this time he'd
got the wrong sow by the ear. His captors slammed the great door of the
hall, and East put his back against it, while Tom gave the prisoner a
shake up, took away his list, and stood him up on the floor, while he
proceeded leisurely to examine that document.

* A kind and wise critic, an old Rugboean, notes here in the
margin: "The small friend system was not so utterly bad from
1841-1847." Before that, too, there were many noble
friendships between big and little boys; but I can't strike
out the passage. Many boys will know why it is left in.

"Let me out, let me go!" screamed the boy, in a furious passion. "I'll
go and tell Jones this minute, and he'll give you both the --- thrashing
you ever had."

"Pretty little dear," said East, patting the top of his hat.--"Hark how
he swears, Tom. Nicely brought up young man, ain't he, I don't think."

"Let me alone, --- you," roared the boy, foaming with rage, and kicking
at East, who quietly tripped him up, and deposited him on the floor in a
place of safety.

"Gently, young fellow," said he; "'tain't improving for little
whippersnappers like you to be indulging in blasphemy; so you stop that,
or you'll get something you won't like."

"I'll have you both licked when I get out, that I will," rejoined the
boy, beginning to snivel.

"Two can play at that game, mind you," said Tom, who had finished his
examination of the list. "Now you just listen here. We've just come
across the fives court, a