other--two in one morning--but for your plain
speaking about drunk old Tom."

"Did I say any harm?"

"No--no harm," replied Firth; laughing. "You will do, my boy--when you
have got through a few scrapes. I'm your friend, at any rate."

CHAPTER VI.

FIRST RAMBLE.

Hugh's afternoon lessons were harder than those of the morning; and in
the evening he found he had so much to do that there was very little
time left for writing his letter home. Some time there was, however; and
Firth did not forget to rule his paper, and to let Hugh use his ink.
Hugh had been accustomed to copy the prints he found in the Voyages and
Travels he read; and he could never see a picture of a savage but he
wanted to copy it. He was thus accustomed to a pretty free use of his
slate-pencil. He now thought that it would save a great deal of
description if he sent a picture or two in his letter: so he flourished
off, on the first page, a sketch of Mr. Tooke sitting at his desk at the
top of the school, and of Mr. Carnaby standing at his desk at the bottom
of the school.

The next evening he made haste to fill up the sheet, for he found his
business increasing upon his hands so fast that he did not know when he
should get his letter off, if he did not despatch it at once. He was
just folding it up when Tom Holt observed that it was a pity not to put
some words into the mouths of the figures, to make them more animated;
and he showed Hugh, by the curious carvings of their desks, how to put
words into the mouths of figures. Hugh then remembered having seen this
done in the caricatures in the print-shops in London; and he seized on
the idea. He put into Mr. Tooke's mouth the words which were oftenest
heard from him, "Proceed, gentlemen;" and into Mr. Carnaby's, "Hold
your din."

Firth was too busy with his sense-verses to mind the little boys, as
they giggled, with their heads close together, over Hugh's sheet of
paper; but the usher was never too busy to be aware of any fun which
might possibly concern his dignity. He had his eye on the new boys the
whole while. He let Hugh direct his letter, and paint up a stroke or two
which did not look so well as the rest; and it was not till Hugh was
rolling the wafer about on his tongue that he interfered. Mr. Carnaby
then came up, tapped Hugh's head, told him not to get on so fast, for
that every letter must be looked over before it went to the post. While
saying this, he took the letter, and put i