So they reconnoitred the walls carefully, borrowed a coal-hammer from old Stumps, bought some big nails, and after one or two attempts, scaled the Schools, and possessed themselves of huge quantities of fives balls.  The place pleased them so much that they spent all their spare time there, scratching and cutting their names on the top of every tower; and at last, having exhausted all other places, finished up with inscribing H.East, T.Brown, on the minute-hand of the great clock; in the doing of which they held the minute-hand, and disturbed the clock’s economy.  So next morning, when masters and boys came trooping down to prayers, and entered the quadrangle, the injured minute-hand was indicating three minutes to the hour.  They all pulled up, and took their time.  When the hour struck, doors were closed, and half the school late.  Thomas being set to make inquiry, discovers their names on the minute-hand, and reports accordingly; and they are sent for, a knot of their friends making derisive and pantomimic allusions to what their fate will be as they walk off.

But the Doctor, after hearing their story, doesn’t make much of it, and only gives them thirty lines of Homer to learn by heart, and a lecture on the likelihood of such exploits ending in broken bones.

Alas! almost the next day was one of the great fairs in the town; and as several rows and other disagreeable accidents had of late taken place on these occasions, the Doctor gives out, after prayers in the morning, that no boy is to go down into the town.  Wherefore East and Tom, for no earthly pleasure except that of doing what they are told not to do, start away, after second lesson, and making a short circuit through the fields, strike a back lane which leads into the town, go down it, and run plump upon one of the masters as they emerge into the High Street.  The master in question, though a very clever, is not a righteous man.  He has already caught several of his own pupils, and gives them lines to learn, while he sends East and Tom, who are not his pupils, up to the Doctor, who, on learning that they had been at prayers in the morning, flogs them soundly.

The flogging did them no good at the time, for the injustice of their captor was rankling in their minds; but it was just the end of the half, and on the next evening but one Thomas knocks at their door, and says the Doctor wants to see them.  They look at one another in silent dismay.  What can it be now?  Which of their countless wrong-doings can he have heard of officially?  However, it’s no use delaying, so up they go to the study.  There they find the Doctor, not angry, but very graver.  “He has sent for them to speak to very seriously before they go home.  They have each been flogged several times in the half-year for direct and wilful breaches of rules.  This cannot go on.  They are doing no good to themselves or others, and now they are getting up in the School, and have influence.