sign it, to show from whom it
emanates. They will not begin to try on their tricks upon us, I
suspect. They will not know who else has signed it; and we will put the
little fellows up how to act, as circumstances may show us to be most
advisable."

"Capital!" exclaimed Buttar, affixing his signature in a clear bold hand
to the document. "Would it not be better to tell Lemon what we have
done?"

"I think not," said Ernest. "The resolution emanates from us, so let us
carry it out. There is nothing like independence and freedom of action
to ensure success. Lemon will not wish to make anybody fag for him; but
being a big fellow, he may not see the matter in the same light we do.
If we bravely resist the attempt, he is much more likely to assist us in
crushing it at the end, than if we were to go whining to him now for aid
and advice."

Buttar agreed in this point also with Ernest, and undertook to let
Dawson immediately have a look at the document. Dawson said he should
like to show it to some of the big fellows.

"Catch a weasel asleep, and draw his teeth," answered Buttar. "No, no,
Dickey! You may take a copy of it in pencil, and show it to anybody you
like. You may say also, that all the school, with the exception of a
few miserable sneaks, like some who shall be nameless, will sign it and
stick by it. And now, just go and tell the fellows what you have seen."

Off went Dawson with the copy of the protest to his masters. They
laughed scornfully.

"That upstart, conceited young monkey, Bracebridge, is at the bottom of
all mischief," observed Blackall; and the opinion was echoed by two or
three other fellows.

"I'll tell you what," said Blackall; "the only way will be to begin
fagging at once, and to crush this proposed rebellion in the bud. We
must parcel out the boys of the lower classes, so that each of us may
have four or five fags a-piece. You see we have already each of us got
a willing fag. They shall be head fags, and assist to keep the rest in
order. We'll tell them that, and then they will help us to bring the
rest under subjection."

Blackall's plan was willingly assented to by the rest of the big boys
who had entered into this conspiracy against the liberties of their
younger schoolfellows; and minor details being arranged, they considered
everything ripe for carrying out their plans. All this time neither the
Doctor nor masters suspected that anything out of the way was taking
plac