The two boys watched for an opportunity, and when the master's head was turned on one side, slipped silently and un.o.bserved from the room, and without detection made their way to the playground.

"Where are you going?" inquired Lynch.

"Into the town," replied Ross.

"But that is against rules, and if discovered we shall be punished."

"Oh, we shan't be found out; but don't come if you are afraid."

"I am not afraid, but I don't see we are doing exactly right."

"But it will be no end of a lark."

"Then I'm all with you."

"Run beneath the shadow of the hedge, so that we are not seen," said Leslie.

"All right; go a-head."

Away the boys ran, Leslie informing Lynch of his plan as they went, which seemed to meet with Lynch's entire approbation. The outskirts of the town were speedily reached, when, stopping before the first cottage was gained, Leslie pulled two long pieces of round hollow tin from his pocket,--which are known by the name of pea-shooters,--and a handful of peas.

Giving one of the pea-shooters and some of the peas to Lynch, Leslie whispered, "Do you take the right hand side, and I the left; mind and aim straight at the face of the clocks: don't laugh, or the peas will get into your throat and choke you."

"We had better begin a little higher up, so that the road may be clear for a run," said Lynch.

Very silently the boys each approached a cottage, and inserting their pea-shooter in the keyhole, fired a whole mouthful of peas at the gla.s.s face of the old-fashioned eight-day clock, with which each cottage was furnished.

There was a start, and a sudden cry of, "Lor-a-mercy, what's that?"

from the cottage, which highly amused the boys, who glided on to the next, and then to the next, producing a similar sensation and exclamation in each, until they reached the last on their list, which they favoured with an extra number of shot.

"Run for it, Leslie," said Lynch, "I hear some one coming."

Neither of them could run with their usual speed, their suppressed laughter was so great; but this soon gave way to alarm as they heard the steps of their pursuer drawing nearer and nearer.

"We shall be caught, Leslie, let us turn into the field and cut straight across to the school."

They soon clambered through the hedge; Leslie catching his foot in a bramble, pitched head foremost into the gra.s.s, but before he could recover himself Lynch was lying by his side whispering, "Lie still, he's now pa.s.sing."

As soon as they thought their pursuer had got to a safe distance, they scrambled on to their feet and darted across the meadow, straight as the crow flies, and in a few minutes gained the school-house without any farther adventure.

"I fancy I must have broken some of those gla.s.ses," said Leslie, "I fired so hard; but what a lark! how they all cried 'Lor-a-mercy!'" and the two boys burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Come, Leslie," said Lynch, who was the first to recover himself, "let us go in, or Wilson will find we are absent."

No one, however, appeared to have noticed their absence, and the two adventurers gained the school-room and resumed their seats un.o.bserved.

The next morning, as Dr Price was in the act of seating himself at his desk, preparatory to the commencement of school work, a servant entered and informed him that he was wanted on particular business for a few minutes. The doctor was absent for a short time, and then returned accompanied by a man and a boy dressed in the smock-frock of farm labourers. The doctor commanded silence. Leslie's heart gave a quick throb, and he felt a tremor run through his whole frame as his eye alighted upon the group at the princ.i.p.al's desk.

"Boys," began the doctor, in a clear but stern voice, looking round upon his scholars, "boys, I have been informed that some two or three of my pupils perpetrated a very annoying trick at several of the cottages at the entrance of the town last evening. I am unwilling to believe that any of my scholars are guilty, as the hour when the trick was accomplished, was one when no boy has leave to absent himself from the school grounds, or even house; but my informant is so confident it was some of you, that I am compelled for the sake of arriving at the truth to ask whether it is so; are any of you boys guilty of this trick?"

There was a dead silence.

Leslie whispered to Lynch, "I think we had better tell."

"You are sure the boys ran in the direction of the school?" inquired the doctor, turning to the man and boy.

"Ees, I'm sure and certain," replied the boy, "for I chased 'em, I did, most 'alf the way; so I bee's sure like."

"You hear, boys," said the doctor; "if any of you are guilty you had better confess it at once."

For a minute or two a complete silence again reigned, at the end of which Leslie rose from his seat, and with a face quite scarlet in colour, said, "If you please, I am the guilty one!" and then sat down again.

"And who was your companion, Ross?"

"If you please, sir, I would rather not tell."

"I was, sir!" said Lynch.

"Lynch; and who else?"

"There was no one else, sir."

"And may I ask what motive induced you to play such a trick, as shooting peas at eight-day clocks."

"It was only a lark, sir," said Leslie.

"A lark! and do you know what your 'lark' has done?"

"No, sir."

"Besides the annoyance you have caused these good people and their families, you have broken three of the clock-gla.s.ses."

"Aye, and cracked neighbour Hodge's, and neighbour Smith's as well, 'ee have," interrupted the man, "besides frightening Master Sparrow's good 'ooman, who has been that ill for a month as nothing was like afore."

"I am sorry, sir," said the doctor, addressing the man, "that any of my pupils should have been guilty of such a thoughtless action; tell your friends from me that they shall be amply compensated, while the boys themselves shall be duly punished."

When the visitors had departed, the doctor said, "Ross, and Lynch, do you know why rules are made? Do you think they are made to be broken or kept? Your conduct last evening fully answers the question; and as you have thought proper to break one, that of being absent from school after the proper hours, you must also bear the consequences; recollect no wrong can be done without punishment following it; you will, therefore, each of you confine yourself to the school grounds for one month, and bring me twenty lines each day; besides which, you will have to make good the damage you committed. Boys, to your lessons."

"This is more than I bargained for," said Lynch, making a wry face to Leslie.

"Or I either," replied Leslie, returning the grimace.

"Fancy a whole month!"

"Bad as being in prison."

"I wish we had kept in, now," sighed Lynch.

"Yes, so do I, but it can't be helped."