owdyism going on in the House just then; and at times it
would have been hard to draw the exact borderline between ragging and
bullying. A solemn procession moved to Study No. 14. Rudd was working.

"Hullo, Byzantium," said Mansell. "How goes it?"

"Oh, get out, you; I want to work!"

"Gentlemen, Mr Rudd wishes to work," Betteridge announced. "The question
is, shall he be allowed to? I say 'No!'" He suddenly jerked away the
chair Rudd was sitting on: the owner of the study collapsed on the
floor.

Archie at once loosed a tremendous kick at his back.

"Get up, you dirty swine! Haven't you any manners? Stand up when you are
talking to gentlemen."

Rudd had a short temper; he let out and caught Mansell on the chin. It
is no fun ragging a man who doesn't lose his temper. But, as far as
Mansell was concerned, proceedings were less cordial after this. He
leapt on Rudd, bore him to the ground, and sat on his head. Foul
language was audible from the bottom of the floor. Rudd had not studied
Euripides for nothing. Lovelace picked up a hockey stick. "This,
gentlemen," he began, "is a hockey stick, useful as an implement of
offence if the prisoner gets above himself, and also useful as a means
of destroying worthless property. I ask you, gentlemen, it is right
that, while we should have only three chairs among two people, Rudd
should have two all to himself? Gentlemen, I propose to destroy that
chair."

In a few minutes the chair was in fragments. A crowd began to collect.

"I say, you men," shouted Gordon, "the refuse heap is just opposite;
let's transfer all the waste paper of the last ten years and bury the
offender."

Just across the passage was a long, blind-alley effect running under the
stairs, which was used as a store for waste paper. It was cleaned out
about once every generation. In a few minutes waste-paper baskets had
been "bagged" from adjoining studies, and No. 14 was about a foot deep
in paper.

"That table is taking up too much room, Lovelace," Bradford bawled out;
"smash it up."

The table went to join the chair in the Elysian Fields. Rudd was now
almost entirely immersed in paper. The noise was becoming excessive.
Oaths floated down the passage.

At last Ferguson moved. In a blase way he strolled down the passage. For
a minute he was an amused spectator, then he said languidly: "Suppose we
consider the meeting adjourned. I think it's nearly half-time."
Gradually the crowd began to clear; Rudd ros