thoughtlessnessinthefirstplace。Itneveroccurredtothemtoconsiderwhysuchandsuchruleswerelaiddown:thereasonwasnothingtothem，andtheyonlylookeduponrulesasasortofchallengefromtherule-makers，whichitwouldberatherbadpluckinthemnottoaccept；andthenagain，inthelowerpartsoftheschooltheyhadn’tenoughtodo。Theworkoftheformtheycouldmanagetogetthroughprettyeasily，keepingagoodenoughplacetogettheirregularyearlyremove；andnothavingmuchambitionbeyondthis，theirwholesuperfluoussteamwasavailableforgamesandscrapes。Now，oneruleofthehousewhichitwasadailypleasureofallsuchboystobreakwasthataftersupperallfags，exceptthethreeondutyinthepassages，shouldremainintheirownstudiesuntilnineo’clock；andifcaughtaboutthepassagesorhall，orinoneanother’sstudies，theywereliabletopunishmentsorcaning。Therulewasstricterthanitsobservance；formostofthesixthspenttheireveningsinthefifth-formroom，wherethelibrarywas，andthelessonswerelearntincommon。Everynowandthen，however，aprepostorwouldbeseizedwithafitofdistrictvisiting，andwouldmakeatourofthepassagesandhallandthefags’
studies。Then，iftheownerwereentertainingafriendortwo，thefirstkickatthedoorandominous“Openhere“hadtheeffectoftheshadowofahawkoverachicken-yard:everyonecuttocover——onesmallboydivingunderthesofa，anotherunderthetable，whiletheownerwouldhastilypulldownabookortwoandopenthem，andcryoutinameekvoice，“Hullo，who’sthere？“castingananxiouseyeroundtoseethatnoprotrudinglegorelbowcouldbetraythehiddenboys。“Open，sir，directly；it’sSnooks。““Oh，I’mverysorry；Ididn’tknowitwasyou，Snooks。“Andthenwithwell-feignedzealthedoorwouldbeopened，younghopefulprayingthatthatbeastSnooksmightn’thaveheardthescufflecausedbyhiscoming。Ifastudywasempty，Snooksproceededtodrawthepassagesandhalltofindthetruants。
Well，oneevening，inforbiddenhours，TomandEastwereinthehall。Theyoccupiedtheseatsbeforethefirenearestthedoor，whileDiggssprawledasusualbeforethefartherfire。Hewasbusywithacopyofverses，andEastandTomwerechattingtogetherinwhispersbythelightofthefire，andsplicingafavouriteoldfivesbatwhichhadsprung。Presentlyastepcamedownthebottompassage。Theylistenedamoment，assuredthemselvesthatitwasn’taprepostor，andthenwentonwiththeirwork，andthedoorswungopen，andinwalkedFlashman。Hedidn’tseeDiggs，andthoughtitagoodchancetokeephishandin；andastheboysdidn’tmoveforhim，struckoneofthem，tomakethemgetoutofhisway。
“What’sthatfor？“growledtheassaultedone。
“BecauseIchoose。You’venobusinesshere。Gotoyourstudy。“
“Youcan’tsendus。“
“Can’tI？ThenI’llthrashyouifyoustay，“saidFlashmansavagely。
“Isay，youtwo，“saidDiggs，fromtheendofthehall，rousingupandrestinghimselfonhiselbow——“you’llnevergetridofthatfellowtillyoulickhim。Goinathim，bothofyou。I’llseefairplay。“
Flashmanwastakenaback，andretreatedtwosteps。EastlookedatTom。“Shallwetry！“saidhe。“Yes，“saidTomdesperately。
SothetwoadvancedonFlashman，withclenchedfistsandbeatinghearts。Theywereaboutuptohisshoulder，buttoughboysoftheirage，andinperfecttraining；whilehe，thoughstrongandbig，wasinpoorconditionfromhismonstroushabitofstuffingandwantofexercise。Cowardashewas，however，Flashmancouldn’tswallowsuchaninsultasthis；besides，hewasconfidentofhavingeasywork，andsofacedtheboys，saying，“Youimpudentyoungblackguards！“Beforehecouldfinishhisabuse，theyrushedinonhim，andbeganpummellingatallofhimwhichtheycouldreach。Hehitoutwildlyandsavagely；butthefullforceofhisblowsdidn’ttell——theyweretooneartohim。
Itwaslongodds，though，inpointofstrength；andinanotherminuteTomwentspinningbackwardsoveraform，andFlashmanturnedtodemolishEastwithasavagegrin。ButnowDiggsjumpeddownfromthetableonwhichhehadseatedhimself。
“Stopthere，“shoutedhe；“theround’sover——half-minutetimeallowed。“
“Whatthe——isittoyou？“falteredFlashman，whobegantoloseheart。
“I’mgoingtoseefair，Itellyou，“saidDiggs，withagrin，andsnappinghisgreatredfingers；“’taintfairforyoutobefightingoneofthematatime——Areyouready，Brown？Time’sup。“
Thesmallboysrushedinagain。Closing，theysaw，wastheirbestchance，andFlashmanwaswilderandmoreflurriedthanever:hecaughtEastbythethroat，andtriedtoforcehimbackontheiron-boundtable。Tomgraspedhiswaist，andrememberingtheoldthrowhehadlearnedintheValefromHarryWinburn，crookedhisleginsideFlashman’s，andthrewhiswholeweightforward。Thethreetotteredforamoment，andthenovertheywentontothefloor，Flashmanstrikinghisheadagainstaforminthehall。
Thetwoyoungsterssprangtotheirlegs，buthelaytherestill。
Theybegantobefrightened。Tomstoopeddown，andthencriedout，scaredoutofhiswits，“He’sbleedingawfully。Comehere，East！Diggs，he’sdying！“
“Nothe，“saidDiggs，gettingleisurelyoffthetable；“it’sallsham；he’sonlyafraidtofightitout。“
EastwasasfrightenedasTom。DiggsliftedFlashman’shead，andhegroaned。
“What’sthematter？“shoutedDiggs。
“Myskull’sfractured，“sobbedFlashman。
“Oh，letmerunforthehousekeeper！“criedTom。“Whatshallwedo？“
“Fiddlesticks！It’snothingbuttheskinbroken，“saidtherelentlessDiggs，feelinghishead。“Coldwaterandabitofrag’sallhe’llwant。“
“Letmego，“saidFlashmansurlily，sittingup；“Idon’twantyourhelp。“
“We’rereallyverysorry——“beganEast。
“Hangyoursorrow！“answeredFlashman，holdinghishandkerchieftotheplace；“youshallpayforthis，Icantellyou，bothofyou。“Andhewalkedoutofthehall。
“Hecan’tbeverybad，“saidTom，withadeepsigh，muchrelievedtoseehisenemymarchsowell。
“Nothe，“saidDiggs；“andyou’llseeyouwon’tbetroubledwithhimanymore。But，Isay，yourhead’sbrokentoo；yourcollariscoveredwithblood。“
“Isitthough？“saidTom，puttinguphishand；“Ididn’tknowit。“
“Well，mopitup，oryou’llhaveyourjacketspoilt。Andyouhavegotanastyeye，Scud。You’dbettergoandbatheitwellincoldwater。“
“Cheapenoughtoo，ifwe’redonewithouroldfriendFlashey，“
saidEast，astheymadeoffupstairstobathetheirwounds。
TheyhaddonewithFlashmaninonesense，forheneverlaidfingeroneitherofthemagain；butwhateverharmaspitefulheartandvenomoustonguecoulddothem，hetookcareshouldbedone。Onlythrowdirtenough，andsomeofitissuretostick；
andsoitwaswiththefifthformandthebiggerboysingeneral，withwhomheassociatedmoreorless，andtheynotatall。FlashmanmanagedtogetTomandEastintodisfavour，whichdidnotwearoffforsometimeaftertheauthorofithaddisappearedfromtheSchoolworld。Thisevent，muchprayedforbythesmallfryingeneral，tookplaceafewmonthsaftertheaboveencounter。OnefinesummereveningFlashmanhadbeenregalinghimselfongin-punch，atBrownsover；and，havingexceededhisusuallimits，startedhomeuproarious。Hefellinwithafriendortwocomingbackfrombathing，proposedaglassofbeer，towhichtheyassented，theweatherbeinghot，andtheythirstysouls，andunawareofthequantityofdrinkwhichFlashmanhadalreadyonboard。Theshortresultwas，thatFlasheybecamebeastlydrunk。Theytriedtogethimalong，butcouldn’t；sotheycharteredahurdleandtwomentocarryhim。
Oneofthemasterscameuponthem，andtheynaturallyenoughfled。Theflightoftherestraisedthemaster’ssuspicions，andthegoodangelofthefagsincitedhimtoexaminethefreight，and，afterexamination，toconvoythehurdlehimselfuptotheSchool-house；andtheDoctor，whohadlonghadhiseyeonFlashman，arrangedforhiswithdrawalnextmorning。
Theevilthatmenandboystoodolivesafterthem:Flashmanwasgone，butourboys，ashintedabove，stillfelttheeffectsofhishate。Besides，theyhadbeenthemoversofthestrikeagainstunlawfulfagging。Thecausewasrighteous——theresulthadbeentriumphanttoagreatextent；butthebestofthefifth-eventhosewhohadneverfaggedthesmallboys，orhadgivenupthepracticecheerfully——couldn’thelpfeelingasmallgrudgeagainstthefirstrebels。Afterall，theirformhadbeendefied，onjustgrounds，nodoubt——sojust，indeed，thattheyhadatonceacknowledgedthewrong，andremainedpassiveinthestrife。HadtheysidedwithFlashmanandhisset，therebelsmusthavegivenwayatonce。Theycouldn’thelp，onthewhole，beinggladthattheyhadsoacted，andthattheresistancehadbeensuccessfulagainstsuchoftheirownformashadshownfight；theyfeltthatlawandorderhadgainedthereby，buttheringleaderstheycouldn’tquitepardonatonce。“Confoundedlycoxythoseyoungrascalswillget，ifwedon’tmind，“wasthegeneralfeeling。
Soitis，andmustbealways，mydearboys。IftheangelGabrielweretocomedownfromheaven，andheadasuccessfulriseagainstthemostabominableandunrighteousvestedinterestwhichthispooroldworldgroansunder，hewouldmostcertainlylosehischaracterformanyyears，probablyforcenturies，notonlywiththeupholdersofsaidvestedinterest，butwiththerespectablemassofthepeoplewhomhehaddelivered。Theywouldn’taskhimtodinner，orlettheirnamesappearwithhisinthepapers；theywouldbeverycarefulhowtheyspokeofhiminthePalaver，orattheirclubs。Whatcanweexpect，then，whenwehaveonlypoorgallantblunderingmenlikeKossuth，Garibaldi，Mazzini，andrighteouscauseswhichdonottriumphintheirhands——menwhohaveholesenoughintheirarmour，Godknows，easytobehitbyrespectabilitiessittingintheirloungingchairs，andhavinglargebalancesattheirbankers’？
Butyouarebrave，gallantboys，whohateeasy-chairs，andhavenobalancesorbankers。Youonlywanttohaveyourheadssetstraight，totaketherightside；sobearinmindthatmajorities，especiallyrespectableones，areninetimesoutofteninthewrong；andthatifyouseeamanorboystrivingearnestlyontheweakside，howeverwrong-headedorblunderinghemaybe，youarenottogoandjointhecryagainsthim。Ifyoucan’tjoinhimandhelphim，andmakehimwiser，atanyraterememberthathehasfoundsomethingintheworldwhichhewillfightandsufferfor，whichisjustwhatyouhavegottodoforyourselves；andsothinkandspeakofhimtenderly。
SoEastandTom，theTadpole，andoneortwomore，becameasortofyoungIshmaelites，theirhandsagainsteveryone，andeveryone’shandagainstthem。Ithasbeenalreadytoldhowtheygottowarwiththemastersandthefifthform，andwiththesixthitwasmuchthesame。Theysawtheprepostorscowedbyorjoiningwiththefifthandshirkingtheirownduties；sotheydidn’trespectthem，andrenderednowillingobedience。IthadbeenonethingtocleanoutstudiesforsonsofheroeslikeoldBrooke，butwasquiteanothertodothelikeforSnooksandGreen，whohadneverfacedagoodscrummageatfootball，andcouldn’tkeepthepassagesinorderatnight。Sotheyonlyslurredthroughtheirfaggingjustwellenoughtoescapealicking，andnotalwaysthat，andgotthecharacterofsulky，unwillingfags。Inthefifth-formroom，aftersupper，whensuchmatterswereoftendiscussedandarranged，theirnameswereforevercomingup。
