grip."

This brought David back to Joel's plight, and he sighed dismally, and
leant his head on his hands. How long he sat there he couldn't have
told. The first thing he did know, a big hand was laid on his shoulder,
and a bright glare of light fell full on his face.

"Oh my soul and body!" cried John, the watchman, bending over him, "if
here ain't one of th' boys dead asleep on the doorsteps!"

"Little goose, to sit there!" groaned Tom, huddling back into his
bushes. "Now it's all up with him. Well, I'll save my skin, for I don't
believe those boys will tell on me."

"Coventry" was a small square room in the extension, containing a bed, a
table, and a chair, where the boys who were refractory were sent. It was
considered a great disgrace to be its inmate. They were not locked in;
but no boy once put there was ever known to come out unless bidden by
the authorities. And no one, of course, could speak to them when they
emerged from it to go to recitations, for their lessons must be learned
in the silence of this room. Then back from the class-room the culprit
must go to this hated place, to stay as long as his misdemeanor might
seem to deserve.

It was so much worse punishment than a flogging could possibly be, that
all Dr. Marks' boys heard "Coventry" with a chill that stopped many a
prank in mid-air.

But Joel didn't get into "Coventry" after all, for at the foot of the
stairs, another candle-beam was advancing; and back of it was the thin,
sharp face of Mr. Harrow, one of the under-teachers.

"Oh Mr. Harrow," screamed Joel, breaking away from the matron, to plunge
up to him, "she's going to put me into Coventry. Oh, don't make me go
there; it will kill my Mamsie, and Polly."

"Hey?" Mr. Harrow came to a sudden stop, and whirled the candlestick
around to get a better view of things. "What's this, Mrs. Fox? And _Joel
Pepper_, of all boys!"

"I know it," said Mrs. Fox, her candlestick shaking in an unsteady hand.
"Well, you see, sir, I was going upstairs to see if little Fosdick had
blankets enough; it's turned cold, and you know he's had a sore throat,
and----"

"Well, come to the point, Mrs. Fox," said the teacher, bringing her up
quickly. Joel clung desperately to his hand, shaking violently in every
limb.

"Oh, yes, sir--well, and I heard a noise outside, so I bethought me to
look, and there was this boy climbing up the lightning conductor."

"Up the lightning conductor?" echoed Mr. Harrow.

"Yes, s