instrument of his revenge with great skill and expedition; after
which, he ordered our baggage to be packed up and sent off, a day
before our attempt, and got horses ready to be mounted, as soon as
the affair should be over. At length the hour arrived, when our
auxiliary, seizing the opportunity of the usher's absence, bolted
in, secured the door, and immediately laid hold of the pedant by
his collar who bawled out, "Murder, Thieves." with the voice of
a Stentor. Though I trembled all over like an aspen leaf, I knew
there was no time to be lost, and accordingly got up, and summoned
our associates to our assistance. Strap, without any hesitation,
obeyed the signal, and seeing me leap upon the master's back, ran
immediately to one of his legs, which pulling with all his force,
this dreadful adversary was humbled to the ground; upon which Gawky,
who had hitherto remained in his place, under the influence of a
universal trepidation, hastened to the scene of action, and insulted
the fallen tyrant with a loud huzza, in which the whole school
joined. The noise alarmed the usher, who, finding himself shut
out, endeavoured, partly by threats and partly by entreaties, to
procure admission. My uncle bade him have a little patience, and he
would let him in presently; but if he pretended to stir from that
place, it should fare the worse with the son of a bitch his superior,
on whom he intended only to bestow a little wholesome chastisement,
for his barbarous usage of Rory, "to which," said he, "you are
no stranger." By this time we had dragged the criminal to a post,
to which Bowling tied him with a rope he had provided on purpose;
after having secured his hands and stripped his back. In this
ludicrous posture he stood (to the no small entertainment of the
boys, who crowded about him, and shouted with great exultation
at the novelty of the sight), venting bitter imprecations against
the lieutenant, and reproaching his scholars with treachery and