On another occasion in my second year, when I was sharing a room with one other fellow, I had a sister to tea.  On arriving in my room I found that my stablemate had been playing hockey, and was at the moment in the bathroom, having thoughtlessly left all his clothes in the room—­mostly on the floor.

On the last day of my first term the corporals and officers were all absent at a farewell dinner to the former, and we received information that the third term were going to raid our house, with a view to “toshing” us in a cold bath.  We therefore prepared for action.  Every receptacle which would hold water was taken to the upper landing, full.  Then all the chairs in the house were roped together, and placed on the stairs as an obstacle.  The defenders then took up their position at the windows and at the top of the stairs.  In due course the enemy’s forces arrived, and stormed the stairs, under a heavy fire of water.  The obstacle was at length destroyed, and a solid phalanx of wet bodies swarmed up the stairs.  We formed a similar phalanx and charged to meet them.  I happened to be first, and much to my discomfiture the enemy’s phalanx parted in the middle, and I was rapidly passed down the stairs—­a prisoner!  Fortunately at the bottom I found a relieving party from the next house, making a diversion on the enemy’s rear.  With great valour we dragged down a foe, and toshed him in the bath that had been made ready for us.  “The tosher toshed!”

The next day we surveyed the damage.  All the chairs and banisters were broken, the whitewash was rubbed off the bricks by wet shoulders and nearly all the basins were broken.  That day was the day of Lord Roberts’s half-yearly inspection!

There was not such another battle until my third term, when we were the aggressors.  This time the damage was even greater, for the defenders let down tables across the stairs as an obstacle, and we battered our way through with scaffolding poles.  There were some casualties that day, owing to an indiscriminate use of mop handles.

On the day of Lord Roberts’s inspection we had to change from parade dress to gym dress, and it was during the change that Lord Roberts inspected our quarters.  He went into one room and found a fellow just half-way through his change—­with nothing at all on!  The room was called to attention, and with great presence of mind the boy dashed into the bed curtains and stood to attention there, while Lord Roberts had an animated conversation with him!

There were jolly moments in the life at the Shop.  On Saturdays, after dinner, the unfortunates who had not got away for the week-end used to have “stodges” after dinner.  Having put away a substantial dinner, we changed into flannels, and used to crowd into some one’s room, and eat muffins and smoke cigars.  I remember one night there were eighteen of us in one small room.