flagrant injustice about this that ought to appeal to--your
temperament. And that's all! You will tell your house-master that you
have been formally caned by me."

"My word!" said McTurk, wriggling his shoulder-blades all down the
corridor. "That was business! The Prooshan Bates has an infernal
straight eye."

"Wasn't it wily of me to ask for the lickin'," said Stalky, "instead
of those impots?"

"Rot! We were in for it from the first. I knew the look of his old
eye," said Beetle. "I was within an inch of blubbing."

"Well, I didn't exactly smile," Stalky confessed.

"Let's go down to the lavatory and have a look at the damage. One of
us can hold the glass and t'others can squint."

They proceeded on these lines for some ten minutes. The wales were
very red and very level. There was not a penny to choose between any
of them for thoroughness, efficiency, and a certain clarity of
outline that stamps the work of the artist.

"What are you doing down there?" Mr. Prout was at the head of the
lavatory stairs, attracted by the noise of splashing.

"We've only been caned by the Head, sir, and we're washing off the
blood. The Head said we were to tell you. We were coming to report
ourselves in a minute, sir. (_Sotto_voce_.) That's a score for