ck was worn out, other waggish gentlemen had
introduced the practice of dropping wax matches on the floor and
treading on them, and of hunting an imaginary moth--an irresistibly
humorous proceeding, in which the participators rushed about brandishing
books and magazines, ever and anon crying, "There he is!" and smiting on
the head some quiet, unoffending reader. Some evil-minded young
miscreant went so far as to put bits of india-rubber on the top of the
stove, the consequence being that in a short time a mysterious smell
arose of such a fearful and distressing nature that every one was
obliged to bolt out into the passage.

Those boys who at the time of the elections had formed the rank and file
of the Thurstonian party, saw here an opportunity for showing their
resentment of what they still chose to consider unfair conduct on
Allingford's part. As a result, so they said, of the captain's
favouritism, Lucas had been forced into a position for which he was
entirely un-fitted; and with the expressed determination "not to stand
him at any price," they proved themselves ever ready to assist in
keeping up a constant repetition of the disturbances which have just
been described.

These games, it need hardly be said, were not carried on when any of the
prefects or members of the Sixth happened to be present; but during the
half-hour between the end of tea and the commencement of preparation,
when it rarely happened that any of the seniors put in an appearance,
the conduct of the place went steadily from bad to worse. Lucas lost
his head and lost his temper, and in doing so lost all control of his
charge; and at last things were brought to a climax in the manner we are
about to describe.

At the back of the room was one of those short desks which can be
changed at will into a seat, the top part falling over and making a
back-rest, while the form remains stationary. In connection with
this article of furniture Gull one evening introduced a new pastime,
which he called putting fellows in the stocks, and which consisted in
decoying innocent small boys into taking a seat, then suddenly pushing
them backwards on to the floor, and imprisoning their feet between the
form and the reversible desk--a position from which they only extricated
themselves with considerable difficulty.

Lucas made a couple of attempts to interfere and stop the proceedings,
and when at length, for the third time, a thud and a shout of laughter
announ