ennybet, we entered the room and
with due respect lifted the master's large writing-desk from its
little platform, and carried it to the further end of the room. We
left him his armchair, decently disposed upon the platform, thinking
it would be ungenerous to keep him standing through an hour's
lesson.

Then we guiltily stole out of the class-room, closed the door, and
lined up in the corridor, as smartly as a squad of regulars. Aided
by Penny's hand, we right-dressed. We kept our eyes front, heads
erect, and heels together. We braced ourselves up still better when
Mr. Caesar appeared at the end of the corridor. None of us spoke nor
moved. A few fools like myself giggled nasally, and were promptly
subdued: "Don't spoil it all, you stinking fish!"

On came the gallant Mr. Caesar, his eyes mutely inquiring the reason
for this ominous quiet. He reached the door with no sign from any of
us that we were aware of a new arrival. He tried the lock with his
key and, after an expression of surprise to find it already turned,
opened the door and walked in. Immediately, in accordance with a
pre-arranged code of signals, Penny dropped _one_ book. We
right-turned. We did it in faultless time, turning as one man, and
each of us bringing his left foot with a brisk stamp on the floor.
Then, a suitable silence having ensued, Penny dropped two books.
Instantly we obeyed. In single file, our left feet stamping
rhythmically, with heads erect and eyes front, we marched after Mr.
Caesar, and gradually diverged from one another till each man stood
marking time at his particular desk. At this point Penny tripped
over his left heel, and in an unfortunate accident flung all his
books on to the floor. Abruptly, and like machines, we sat down. The
room shook.

It was difficult for our master to know what to do; as there was no
real reason to associate our military movements with Penny's series
of little accidents, and there was certainly no fault to find with
our orderly entry into the class-room. So he did nothing beyond
sadly sweeping us with his eyes. And then he inquired:

"Where's my desk?"

Goodness gracious, where could his great desk be? We got out of our
seats, foreseeing a long search. We began by opening our own desks
and looking inside. Certain high lockers that stood against the wall
we opened. It was in none of them. We pulled ourselves up and looked
along the top of these lockers. It was not there. Penny did three or
four of