p his society.
The master of the week being short-sighted, and the praepostors of the
week small, and not well up to their work, the lower-school boys
employ the ten minutes which elapse before their names are called, in
pelting one another vigorously with acorns, which fly about in all
directions. The small praepostors dash in every now and then, and
generally chastise some quiet, timid boy, who is equally afraid of
acorns and canes, while the principal performers get dexterously out
of the way; and so calling-over rolls on somehow, much like the big
world, punishments lighting on wrong shoulders, and matters going
generally in a queer, cross-grained way, but the end coming somehow,
which is after all the great point. And now the master of the week has
finished, and locked up the Big School; and the praepostors of the week
come out, sweeping the last remnant of the School fags,--who had been
loafing about the corners, by the fives' court, in hopes of a chance
of bolting before them, into the close.
"Hold the punt-about!" "To the goals!" are the cries, and all stray
balls are impounded[41] by the authorities; and the whole mass of boys
move up toward the two goals, dividing as they go into three bodies.
That little band on the left, consisting of from fifteen to twenty
boys, Tom amongst them, who are making for the goal under the
School-house wall, are the School-house boys who are not to play-up,
and have to stay in goal. The larger body moving to the island goal
are the School boys in a like predicament. The great mass in the
middle are the players-up, both sides mingled together; they are
hanging their jackets, and all who mean real work, their hats,
waistcoats, neck-handkerchiefs, and braces,[42] on the railings round
the small trees; and there they go by twos and threes up to their
respective grounds. There is none of the color and tastiness of get
up, you will perceive, which lends such a life to the present game at
Rugby, making the dullest and worst fought match a pretty sight. Now,
each house has its own uniform of cap and jersey, of some lively
color; but at the time we are speaking of, plush caps had not yet come
in, or uniforms of any sort, except the School-house white trousers,
which are abominably cold to-day; let us get to work, bare-headed and
girded with our plain leather strap,--but we mean business, gentlemen.
[41] #Impounded#: locked up.
[42] #Braces#: suspenders.
OLD BROOKE'S G
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