d do a number of things, but he was diffident from not
knowing of what value they might be considered by other boys. He had
heard that some savages despised the purest pearls, while they set a
high value on bits of glittering glass, and so he thought that some of
his accomplishments might be very little thought of by other boys.
However, by the time the tea-bell rang, he had fully established himself
in the good opinions of most of the younger boys; even two or three of
the elder ones pronounced him to be a plucky little chap.

The evening was spent in a fine large hall which had been fitted up for
playing. Before each breaking-up a platform was raised at one end, and
speeches were delivered from it, and more than once it had been fitted
up as a theatre, and the boys had got up, with some effect, some
well-selected plays. There were some tables and desks at one end, and
rows of shelves on which were placed boxes and baskets, and cages with
birds and tame mice, and indeed all sorts of small pets. A few of the
quieter boys went in that direction, but the greater number began to
play a variety of noisy games.

"I say, who's for a game of high-cock-o'lorum?" exclaimed Bouldon.

"I, I, I," answered several voices.

"Come along, Bracebridge, try your hand at it."

Ernest declined at first, for he did not much admire having a number of
fellows jumping over his head and sitting on his shoulders, but Tommy
pressed him so hard that at last he consented to try. His side was to
leap.

"Go on, go on!" shouted Buttar.

Ernest had for some time practised vaulting; he ran, measuring his
distance, and sprang over the heads of all the boys right up to the
wall.

"Bravo!" cried Buttar, delighted, "you'll do, I see; there's no fear of
you now."

Ernest felt much pleased by the praise bestowed on him by his new
friend, and turning round he waved to the other boys to come on. The
last boy failed, and his side had to go under. He proved as staunch,
however, with two heavy boys on his shoulders, as any of the most
practised players, and his side were much oftener riders than horses.

"I say, though, you don't mean to say, Bracebridge, that you have never
been to school before?" said Buttar, as they were summoned away to their
bedrooms. "I should have thought, from the way you do things, that you
were an old boy."

Ernest assured him that he had never been in any school whatever, and
that he had associated very little with