“Whatfun！“saidTom，whocouldscarcelycontainhisprideatthisexploitofhisfutureschool-fellows。Helongedalreadyfortheendofthehalf，thathemightjointhem。
“’Taintsuchgoodfun，though，sir，forthefolkasmeetsthecoach，norforwewhohastogobackwithitnextday。ThemIrisherslastsummerhadallgotstonesreadyforus，andwasallbutlettingdrive，andwe’dgottworeverendgentsaboardtoo。Wepulledupatthebeginningoftheline，andpacifiedthem，andwe’renevergoingtocarrynomorepea-shooters，unlesstheypromisesnottofirewherethere’salineofIrishchapsa-stonebreaking。“Theguardstoppedandpulledawayathischeroot，regardingTombenignantlythewhile。
“Oh，don’tstop！Tellussomethingmoreaboutthepea-
shooting。“
“Well，there’dliketohavebeenaprettypieceofworkoveritatBicester，awhileback。Wewassixmilefromthetown，whenwemeetsanoldsquare-headedgray-hairedyeomanchap，a-joggingalongquitequiet。Helooksupatthecoach，andjustthenapeahitshimonthenose，andsomecatcheshiscobbehindandmakeshimdanceuponhishindlegs。Isee’dtheoldboy’sfaceflushandlookplaguyawkward，andIthoughtwewasinforsomethin’nasty。
“Heturnshiscob’sheadandridesquietlyafterusjustoutofshot。Howthat’erecobdidstep！Wenevershookhimoffnotadozenyardsinthesixmiles。Atfirsttheyounggentswaswerrylivelyonhim；butaforewegotin，seeinghowsteadytheoldchapcomeon，theywasquitequiet，andlaidtheirheadstogetherwhattheyshoulddo。Somewasforfighting，someforaxinghispardon。Heridesintothetowncloseafterus，comesupwhenwestops，andsaysthetwoasshotathimmustcomebeforeamagistrate；andagreatcrowdcomesround，andwecouldn’tgettheossesto。Buttheyoungunstheyallstandbyoneanother，andsaysallornonemustgo，andashowthey’dfightitout，andhavetobecarried。Justas’twasgettin’
serious，andtheoldboyandthemobwasgoingtopull’emoffthecoach，onelittlefellowjumpsupandsays，’Here——I’llstay。I’monlygoingthreemilesfarther。Myfather’sname’sDavis；he’sknownabouthere，andI’llgobeforethemagistratewiththisgentleman。’’What！betheeparsonDavis’sson？’saystheoldboy。’Yes，’saystheyoungun。’Well，Ibemortalsorrytomeettheeinsuchcompany；butforthyfather’ssakeandthine(fortheebistabraveyoungchap)I’llsaynomoreaboutit。’Didn’ttheboyscheerhim，andthemobcheeredtheyoungchap；andthenoneofthebiggestgetsdown，andbegshispardonwerrygentlemanlyforalltherest，sayingastheyallhadbeenplaguyvexedfromthefirst，butdidn’tliketoaxhispardontillthen，’causetheyfelttheyhadn’toughttoshirktheconsequencesoftheirjoke。Andthentheyallgotdown，andshookhandswiththeoldboy，andaskedhimtoallpartsofthecountry，totheirhomes；andwedrivesofftwentyminutesbehindtime，withcheeringandholleringasifwewascounty’members。
But，Lor’blessyou，sir，“saystheguard，smackinghishanddownonhiskneeandlookingfullintoTom’sface，“tenminutesartertheywasallasbadasever。“
Tomshowedsuchundisguisedandopen-mouthedinterestinhisnarrationsthattheoldguardrubbeduphismemory，andlaunchedoutintoagraphichistoryofalltheperformancesoftheboysontheroadsforthelasttwentyyears。Offtheroadhecouldn’tgo；theexploitmusthavebeenconnectedwithhorsesorvehiclestohangintheoldfellow’shead。Tomtriedhimoffhisowngroundonceortwice，butfoundheknewnothingbeyond，andsolethimhavehishead，andtherestoftheroadbowledeasilyaway；foroldBlow-hard(astheboyscalledhim)wasadryoldfile，withmuchkindnessandhumour，andacapitalspinnerofayarnwhenhehadbrokentheneckofhisday’swork，andgotplentyofaleunderhisbelt。
WhatstruckTom’syouthfulimaginationmostwasthedesperateandlawlesscharacterofmostofthestories。Wastheguardhoaxinghim？Hecouldn’thelphopingthattheyweretrue。It’sveryoddhowalmostallEnglishboyslovedanger。Youcangettentojoinagame，orclimbatree，orswimastream，whenthere’sachanceofbreakingtheirlimbsorgettingdrowned，foronewho’llstayonlevelground，orinhisdepth，orplayquoitsorbowls。
Theguardhadjustfinishedanaccountofadesperatefightwhichhadhappenedatoneofthefairsbetweenthedroversandthefarmerswiththeirwhips，andtheboyswithcricket-batsandwickets，whicharoseoutofaplayfulbutobjectionablepracticeoftheboysgoingroundtothepublic-housesandtakingthelinch-pinsoutofthewheelsofthegigs，andwasmoralizinguponthewayinwhichtheDoctor，“aterriblesternmanhe’dheardtell，“hadcomedownuponseveraloftheperformers，“sendingthreeon’emoffnextmorninginapo-shaywithaparishconstable，“whentheyturnedacornerandnearedthemilestone，thethirdfromRugby。Bythestonetwoboysstood，theirjacketsbuttonedtight，waitingforthecoach。
“Lookhere，sir，“saystheguard，aftergivingasharptoot-
toot；“there’stwoon’em；out-and-outrunnerstheybe。Theycomesoutabouttwiceorthreetimesaweek，andspirtsamilealongsideofus。“
Andastheycameup，sureenough，awaywenttwoboysalongthefootpath，keepingupwiththehorses——thefirstalight，clean-
madefellowgoingonsprings；theotherstoutandround-
shouldered，labouringinhispace，butgoingasdoggedasabull-terrier。
OldBlow-hardlookedonadmiringly。“Seehowbeautifulthatthereunholdshisselftogether，andgoesfromhiships，sir，“
saidhe；“he’sa’mazin’finerunner。Nowmanycoachmenasdrivesafirst-rateteam’dputiton，andtryandpass’em。ButBob，sir，blessyou，he’stender-hearted；he’dsoonerpullinabitifhesee’d’ema-gettin’beat。Idob’lieve，too，asthatthereun’dsoonerbreakhisheartthanletusgobyhimaforenextmilestone。“
Atthesecondmilestonetheboyspulledupshort，andwavedtheirhatstotheguard，whohadhiswatchoutandshouted“4。56，“therebyindicatingthatthemilehadbeendoneinfoursecondsunderthefiveminutes。Theypassedseveralmorepartiesofboys，allofthemobjectsofthedeepestinteresttoTom，andcameinsightofthetownattenminutesbeforetwelve。
Tomfetchedalongbreath，andthoughthehadneverspentapleasanterday。Beforehewenttobedhehadquitesettledthatitmustbethegreatestdayheshouldeverspend，anddidn’talterhisopinionformanyalongyear——ifhehasyet。
“FootandeyeopposedIndubiousstrife。“-Scott。
“Andsohere’sRugby，sir，atlast，andyou’llbeinplentyoftimefordinnerattheSchool-house，asItelledyou，“saidtheoldguard，pullinghishornoutofitscaseandtootle-tooingaway，whilethecoachmanshookuphishorses，andcarriedthemalongthesideoftheschoolclose，roundDead-man’scorner，pasttheschool-gates，anddowntheHighStreettotheSpreadEagle，thewheelersinaspankingtrot，andleaderscantering，inastylewhichwouldnothavedisgraced“CherryBob，“
“ramping，stamping，tearing，swearingBillyHarwood，“oranyotheroftheoldcoachingheroes。
Tom’sheartbeatquickashepassedthegreatschoolfieldorclose，withitsnobleelms，inwhichseveralgamesatfootballweregoingon，andtriedtotakeinatoncethelonglineofgraybuildings，beginningwiththechapel，andendingwiththeSchool-house，theresidenceofthehead-master，wherethegreatflagwaslazilywavingfromthehighestroundtower。AndhebeganalreadytobeproudofbeingaRugbyboy，ashepassedtheschoolgates，withtheorielwindowabove，andsawtheboysstandingthere，lookingasifthetownbelongedtothem，andnoddinginafamiliarmannertothecoachman，asifanyoneofthemwouldbequiteequaltogettingonthebox，andworkingtheteamdownstreetaswellashe。
Oneoftheyoungheroes，however，ranoutfromtherest，andscrambledupbehind；where，havingrightedhimself，andnoddedtotheguard，with“Howdo，Jem？“heturnedshortroundtoTom，andafterlookinghimoverforaminute，began，-
“Isay，youfellow，isyournameBrown？“
“Yes，“saidTom，inconsiderableastonishment，glad，however，tohavelightedonsomeonealreadywhoseemedtoknowhim。
“Ah，Ithoughtso。Youknowmyoldaunt，MissEast。ShelivessomewheredownyourwayinBerkshire。Shewrotetomethatyouwerecomingto-day，andaskedmetogiveyoualift。“
Tomwassomewhatinclinedtoresentthepatronizingairofhisnewfriend，aboyofjustabouthisownheightandage，butgiftedwiththemosttranscendentcoolnessandassurance，whichTomfelttobeaggravatingandhardtobear，butcouldn’tforthelifeofhimhelpadmiringandenvying——especiallywhenyoungmylordbeginshectoringtwoorthreelongloafingfellows，halfporter，halfstableman，withastrongtouchoftheblackguard，andintheendarrangeswithoneofthem，nicknamedCooey，tocarryTom’sluggageuptotheSchool-houseforsixpence。
“Andhark’ee，Cooey；itmustbeupintenminutes，ornomorejobsfromme。Comealong，Brown。“Andawayswaggerstheyoungpotentate，withhishandsinhispockets，andTomathisside。
“Allright，sir，“saysCooey，touchinghishat，withaleerandawinkathiscompanions。
“Hullothough，“saysEast，pullingup，andtakinganotherlookatTom；“this’llneverdo。Haven’tyougotahat？Weneverwearcapshere。Onlytheloutswearcaps。Blessyou，ifyouweretogointothequadranglewiththatthingon，Idon’tknowwhat’dhappen。“TheveryideawasquitebeyondyoungMasterEast，andhelookedunutterablethings。
Tomthoughthiscapaveryknowingaffair，butconfessedthathehadahatinhishat-box；whichwasaccordinglyatonceextractedfromthehind-boot，andTomequippedinhisgo-to-
