where, on this
occasion, he was expected to meet the big wigs, to confer on some
important measures necessary for the future peace and welfare of the
university. The usual time had elapsed for these unpleasant visitations,
and Echo was chuckling finely at his dexterity in evading the eye of
authority, nor was I a little pleased to have escaped myself, when
a single rap at the oak, not unlike the hard determined thump of an
inflexible dun, in one moment revived all our worst apprehensions, and,
unfortunately, with too much reason for the alarm. The proctors had
marked poor Tom, and traced him out, and this visit was from one of
their bull-dogs, bringing a summons for Echo to attend before the
vice-chancellor and dignitaries. "What's to be done, old fellow?" said
Echo; "I shall be ~272~~expelled to a certainty--and, if I don't strike
my own name off the books at the buttery hatch, shall be prevented
making a retreat to Cam roads.--You're out of the scrape, that's clear,
and that affords me some hope; for as you are fresh, your word will pass
for something in extenuation, or arrest of judgment." After some little
time spent in anticipating the charges likely to be brought against him,
and arranging the best mode of defence, it was agreed that Echo should
proceed forthwith to _Golgotha_, and there, with undaunted front, meet
his accusers; while I was to proceed to Transit and Lionise, and having
instructed them in the story we had planned, meet him at the _place of
skulls_, fully prepared to establish, by the most incontrovertible
and consistent evidence, that we were not the aggressors in the row. A
little persuasion was necessary to convince both our friends that their
presence would be essential to Echo's acquittal; they had too many just
qualms, and fears, and prejudices of this inquisitorial court not to
dread perhaps detection, and a severe reprimand themselves: having,
however, succeeded in this point, we all three compared notes, and
proceeded to where the vice-chancellor and certain heads of houses sat
in solemn judgment on the trembling _togati_. Echo was already under
examination; one of the _bull-dogs_ had sworn particularly to Tom's
being a most active leader in the fray of the previous night; and
having, in the contest, suffered a complete disorganization of his lower
jaw, with the total loss of sundry of his _front rails_, he took this
opportunity of affixing the honour of the deed to my unlucky friend,
expec