Had any of the boys in the lower forms of Eton in the year 1808, been
asked who were the most popular boys of their own age, they would have
been almost sure to have answered, without the slightest hesitation,
Tom and Peter Scudamore, and yet it is probable that no two boys
were more often in disgrace. It was not that they were idle, upon the
contrary, both were fairly up in their respective forms, but they were
constantly getting into mischief of one sort or another; yet even
with the masters they were favorites, there was never anything low,
disgraceful, or ungentlemanly in their escapades, and they could be
trusted never to attempt to screen themselves from the consequences
by prevarication, much less by lying. If the masters heard that a
party of youngsters had been seen far out of bounds, they were pretty
sure that the Scudamores were among them; a farmer came in from a
distance to complain that his favorite tree had been stripped of
its apples--for in those days apples were looked upon by boys as
fair objects of sport,--if the head-master's favorite white poodle
appeared dyed a deep blue, if Mr. Jones, the most unpopular master
in the school, upon coming out of his door trod upon a quantity of
tallow smeared all over the doorstep, and was laid up for a week in
consequence, there was generally a strong suspicion that Tom and Peter
Scudamore were concerned in the matter. One of their tricks actually
came to the ears of the Provost himself, and caused quite a sensation
in the place, but in this case, fortunately for them, they escaped
undetected.

One fine summer afternoon they were out on the water with two or three
other boys of their own age, when a barge was seen ahead at some short
distance from the shore. She was apparently floating down with the
stream, and the fact that a horse was proceeding along the towing-path
a little way ahead was not noticed, as the rope was slack and was