第19章
“Verywell，oldfellow，“repliedEast，evidentlypleased；“nomoreshallI。They’llbehereforusdirectly。“
Theroomwasagreatbigone，withadozenbedsinit，butnotaboythatTomcouldseeexceptEastandhimself。Eastpulledoffhiscoatandwaistcoat，andthensatonthebottomofhisbedwhistlingandpullingoffhisboots。Tomfollowedhisexample。
Anoiseandstepsareheardinthepassage，thedooropens，andinrushfourorfivegreatfifth-formboys，headedbyFlashmaninhisglory。
TomandEastsleptinthefarthercorneroftheroom，andwerenotseenatfirst。
“Gonetoground，eh？“roaredFlashman。“Push’emoutthen，boys；lookunderthebeds。“Andhepulledupthelittlewhitecurtainoftheonenearesthim。“Who-o-op！“heroared，pullingawayatthelegofasmallboy，whoheldontighttothelegofthebed，andsangoutlustilyformercy。
“Here，lendahand，oneofyou，andhelpmepulloutthisyounghowlingbrute——Holdyourtongue，sir，orI’llkillyou。“
“Oh，please，Flashman，please，Walker，don’ttossme！I’llfagforyou——I’lldoanything——onlydon’ttossme。“
“Youbehanged，“saidFlashman，luggingthewretchedboyalong；
“’twon’thurtyou，——you！——Comealong，boys；hereheis。“
“Isay，Flashey，“sangoutanotherofthebigboys；“dropthat；
youheardwhatoldPaterBrookesaidto-night。I’llbehangedifwe’lltossanyoneagainsttheirwill。Nomorebullying。
Lethimgo，Isay。“
Flashman，withanoathandakick，releasedhisprey，whorushedheadlongunderhisbedagain，forfeartheyshouldchangetheirminds，andcreptalongunderneaththeotherbeds，tillhegotunderthatofthesixth-formboy，whichheknewtheydaren’tdisturb。
“There’splentyofyoungstersdon’tcareaboutit，“saidWalker。
“Here，here’sScudEast——you’llbetossed，won’tyou，youngun？“ScudwasEast’snickname，orBlack，aswecalledit，gainedbyhisfleetnessoffoot。
“Yes，“saidEast，“ifyoulike，onlymindmyfoot。“
“Andhere’sanotherwhodidn’thide——Hullo！newboy；what’syourname，sir？“
“Brown。“
“Well，WhiteyBrown，youdon’tmindbeingtossed？“
“No，“saidTom，settinghisteeth。
“Comealongthen，boys，“sangoutWalker；andawaytheyallwent，carryingalongTomandEast，totheintensereliefoffourorfiveothersmallboys，whocreptoutfromunderthebedsandbehindthem。
“WhatatrumpScudis！“saidone。“Theywon’tcomebackherenow。“
“Andthatnewboy，too；hemustbeagood-pluckedone。“
“Ah！waittillhehasbeentossedontothefloor；seehowhe’lllikeitthen！“
MeantimetheprocessionwentdownthepassagetoNumber7，thelargestroom，andthesceneofthetossing，inthemiddleofwhichwasagreatopenspace。Heretheyjoinedotherpartiesofthebiggerboys，eachwithacaptiveortwo，somewillingtobetossed，somesullen，andsomefrightenedtodeath。AtWalker’ssuggestionallwhowereafraidwereletoff，inhonourofPaterBrooke’sspeech。
Thenadozenbigboysseizedholdofablanket，draggedfromoneofthebeds。“InwithScud；quick！there’snotimetolose。“
Eastwaschuckedintotheblanket。“Once，twice，thrice，andaway！“Uphewentlikeashuttlecock，butnotquiteuptotheceiling。
“Now，boys，withawill，“criedWalker；“once，twice，thrice，andaway！“Thistimehewentcleanup，andkepthimselffromtouchingtheceilingwithhishand，andsoagainathirdtime，whenhewasturnedout，andupwentanotherboy。AndthencameTom’sturn。Helayquitestill，byEast’sadvice，anddidn’tdislikethe“once，twice，thrice；“butthe“away“wasn’tsopleasant。Theywereingoodwindnow，andsenthimslapuptotheceilingfirsttime，againstwhichhiskneescamerathersharply。Butthemoment’spausebeforedescendingwastherub——
thefeelingofutterhelplessnessandofleavinghiswholeinsidebehindhimstickingtotheceiling。Tomwasverynearshoutingtobesetdownwhenhefoundhimselfbackintheblanket，butthoughtofEast，anddidn’t；andsotookhisthreetosseswithoutakickoracry，andwascalledayoungtrumpforhispains。
HeandEast，havingearnedit，stoodnowlookingon。Nocatastrophehappened，asallthecaptiveswerecoolhands，anddidn’tstruggle。Thisdidn’tsuitFlashman。Whatyourrealbullylikesintossingiswhentheboyskickandstruggle，orholdontoonesideoftheblanket，andsogetpitchedbodilyontothefloor；it’snofuntohimwhennooneishurtorfrightened。
“Let’stosstwoofthemtogether，Walker，“suggestedhe。
“Whatacursedbullyyouare，Flashey！“rejoinedtheother。“Upwithanotherone。“
Andsonowtwoboysweretossedtogether，thepeculiarhardshipofwhichis，thatit’stoomuchforhumannaturetoliestillthenandsharetroubles；andsothewretchedpairofsmallboysstruggleintheairwhichshallfalla-topinthedescent，tothenosmallriskofbothfallingoutoftheblanket，andthehugedelightofbruteslikeFlashman。
Butnowthere’sacrythattheprepostoroftheroomiscoming；
sothetossingstops，andallscattertotheirdifferentrooms；
andTomislefttoturnin，withthefirstday’sexperienceofapublicschooltomeditateupon。
“SaysGiles，’’Tismortalhardtogo，Butifsobe’sImustImeanstofollowarterheAsgoeshisselfthefust。’“-Ballad。
Everybody，Isuppose，knowsthedreamy，deliciousstateinwhichonelies，halfasleep，halfawake，whileconsciousnessbeginstoreturnafterasoundnight’srestinanewplacewhichwearegladtobein，followinguponadayofunwontedexcitementandexertion。Therearefewpleasanterpiecesoflife。Theworstofitisthattheylastsuchashorttime；fornursethemasyouwill，bylyingperfectlypassiveinmindandbody，youcan’tmakemorethanfiveminutesorsoofthem。Afterwhichtimethestupid，obtrusive，wakefulentitywhichwecall“I“，asimpatientasheisstiff-necked，spiteofourteethwillforcehimselfbackagain，andtakepossessionofusdowntoourverytoes。
ItwasinthisstatethatMasterTomlayathalf-pastsevenonthemorningfollowingthedayofhisarrival，andfromhiscleanlittlewhitebedwatchedthemovementsofBogle(thegenericnamebywhichthesuccessiveshoeblacksoftheSchool-housewereknown)，ashemarchedroundfrombedtobed，collectingthedirtyshoesandboots，anddepositingcleanonesintheirplaces。
Therehelay，halfdoubtfulastowhereexactlyintheuniversehewas，butconsciousthathehadmadeastepinlifewhichhehadbeenanxioustomake。Itwasonlyjustlightashelookedlazilyoutofthewidewindows，andsawthetopsofthegreatelms，andtherookscirclingaboutandcawingremonstrancestothelazyonesoftheircommonwealthbeforestartinginabodyfortheneighbouringploughedfields。Thenoiseoftheroom-
doorclosingbehindBogle，ashemadehisexitwiththeshoebasketunderhisarm，rousedhimthoroughly，andhesatupinbedandlookedroundtheroom。Whatintheworldcouldbethematterwithhisshouldersandloins？Hefeltasifhehadbeenseverelybeatenalldownhisback——thenaturalresultsofhisperformanceathisfirstmatch。Hedrewuphiskneesandrestedhischinonthem，andwentoveralltheeventsofyesterday，rejoicinginhisnewlife，whathehadseenofit，andallthatwastocome。
Presentlyoneortwooftheotherboysrousedthemselves，andbegantositupandtalktooneanotherinlowtones。ThenEast，afterarollortwo，cametoananchoralso，andnoddingtoTom，beganexamininghisankle。
“Whatapull，“saidhe，“thatit’slie-in-bed，forIshallbeaslameasatree，Ithink。“
ItwasSundaymorning，andSundaylectureshadnotyetbeenestablished；sothatnothingbutbreakfastintervenedbetweenbedandeleveno’clockchapel——agapbynomeanseasytofillup:infact，thoughreceivedwiththecorrectamountofgrumbling，thefirstlectureinstitutedbytheDoctorshortlyafterwardswasagreatboontotheSchool。Itwaslie-in-bed，andnoonewasinahurrytogetup，especiallyinroomswherethesixth-formboywasagood-temperedfellow，aswasthecaseinTom’sroom，andallowedthesmallboystotalkandlaughanddoprettymuchwhattheypleased，solongastheydidn’tdisturbhim。Hisbedwasabiggeronethantherest，standinginthecornerbythefireplace，withawashing-standandlargebasinbytheside，wherehelayinstatewithhiswhitecurtainstuckedinsoastoformaretiringplace——anawfulsubjectofcontemplationtoTom，whosleptnearlyopposite，andwatchedthegreatmanrousehimselfandtakeabookfromunderhispillow，andbeginreading，leaninghisheadonhishand，andturninghisbacktotheroom。Soon，however，anoiseofstrivingurchinsarose，andmutteredencouragementsfromtheneighbouringboysof“Goit，Tadpole！““Now，youngGreen！““Haulawayhisblanket！“
“Slipperhimonthehands！“YoungGreenandlittleHall，commonlycalledTadpole，fromhisgreatblackheadandthinlegs，sleptsidebysidefarawaybythedoor，andwereforeverplayingoneanothertricks，whichusuallyended，asonthismorning，inopenandviolentcollision；andnow，unmindfulofallorderandauthority，theretheywere，eachhaulingawayattheother’sbedclotheswithonehand，andwiththeother，armedwithaslipper，belabouringwhateverportionofthebodyofhisadversarycamewithinreach。
“Holdthatnoiseupinthecorner，“calledouttheprepostor，sittingupandlookingroundhiscurtains；andtheTadpoleandyoungGreensankdownintotheirdisorderedbeds；andthen，lookingathiswatch，added，“Hullo！pasteight。Whoseturnforhotwater？“