‘Ye—­yes, sir,’ piped a dubious voice here and there.

’To be sure.  Had they remained they would have been caned; as they have run away, they will receive a double dose and certain extra pains and penalties, and meanwhile they suffer the poignant pangs of anticipation.  Anticipation, Jacker, my boy, the smart of future punishments, is the true hell-flame.’

Jacker replied with a grunt of derisive and implacable bitterness, but the schoolmaster seemed much comforted by his apophthegm, and stood for several minutes surveying the back of McKnight’s head, and wearing a benignant and thoughtful smile.

CHAPTER III.

Waddy was soon possessed of the facts of the shameful acts of insubordination at the school and the escape of Dick Haddon and Ted McKnight, and nobody—­according to everybody’s wise assurances—­was the least bit surprised.  The fathers of the township (and the mothers, too) had long since given Dick up as an irresponsible and irreclaimable imp.  One large section declared the boy to be ‘a bit gone,’ which was generally Waddy’s simple and satisfactory method of accounting for any attribute of man, woman, or child not in conformity with the dull rule of conduct prevailing at Waddy.  Another section persisted in its belief that ‘the boy Haddon’ was possessed with several peculiar devils of lawlessness and unrest, which could only be exorcised by means of daily ‘hidings,’ long abstinence from any diet more inflammatory than bread and water, and the continuous acquisition of great quantities of Scripture.

An extraordinary meeting of the School Committee was held at the Drovers’ Arms that evening to confer with Joel Ham, B.A., and consider what was best to be done under the circumstances.  The men of the township recognised that it was their bounden duty to support the master in an affair of this kind.  When occasion arose they assisted in the capture of vagrant youths, and when Joel imagined a display of force advisable they attended at the punishment and rendered such assistance as was needful in the due enforcement of discipline.  It was understood by all that the school would lose prestige and efficiency if Haddon and McKnight were not taken and at once subjected to the rules of the establishment and the rod of the master.

The meeting was quite informal.  It was held in the bar, and the discussion of the vital matter in hand was concurrent with the absorption of McMahon’s beer.  Mr. Ham’s best attention was given to the latter object.

‘Bring the boys to me, gentlemen,’ he said, ’and I will undertake to induce in them a wholesome contrition and a proper respect for letters—­temporarily, at least.’

Neither of the lads had yet returned to his home; but the paternal McKnight promised, like a good citizen, that immediately his son was available he would be reduced to subjection with a length of belting, and then handed over to the will of the scholastic authority without any reservation.  Mr. McKnight was commended for his public spirit; and it was then agreed that a member of the Committee should wait upon Widow Haddon to invite her co-operation, and point out the extent to which her son’s mental and moral development would be retarded by a display of weakness on her part at a crisis of this kind?