In point of fact the boys were altogether innocent of the deed. Pussy was a noted marauder, and having been caught the evening before in a larder, from which she had more than once stolen tit-bits, she had been attacked by an enraged cook with a broomstick, and blows had been showered upon her until the woman, believing that life was extinct, had thrown her outside into the road; but the cat was not quite dead, and had, after a time, revived sufficiently to drag her way home, only, however, to die.
"I call it a shame!" Ned repeated. "Mind, I say it's a brutal thing- to ill-treat a cat like that. If she did knock down inkstands and get fellows into rows it was not her fault. It's natural cats should run after mice, and the wainscottino- of the school-room swarmed with them. One can hear them chasing each other about and squeaking all day. If I knew any of the fellows had killed the cat I should go straight to Hathorn and tell him.
" You might call it sneaking if you like, but I would do it, for I hate such brutal cruelty. I don't see how it could have been any of the fellows, for they would have had to get out of the bed-room and into it again; besides, I don't see how they could have caught the cat if they did get out; but whether it was one of the fellows or not makes no difference. I say it's injustice to punish ivery one for the fault of one or two fellows.
" I suppose he thinks that in time we shall give up the names of the fellows who did it. As far as I am concerned, it will be just the other way. If I had known who had done it this morning, when he accused us, I should have got up and said so, because I think fellows who treat dumb animals like that are brutes that ought to be punished, but I certainly would not sneak because Hathorn punished me unjustly. I vote we all refuse to do the work he has set us."
This bold proposition was received with blank astonishment.
" But he would thrash us all fearfully," Tompkins said.
(281) E
"He daren't if we only stuck together. Why, he wouldn't have a chance with us if we showed fight. If we were to say to him, ' We won't do these extra tasks, and if you touch one of us the whole lot will pitch into you/ what could he do then?"
"I will tell you what he could do, Sankey," Tom Room, a quiet, sensible boy, replied. " If we were in a desert island it would be all well enough, he could not tyrannize over us then; but here it is different. He would just put on his hat and go into the town, and in ten minutes he would be back again with the six constables, and if that wasn't enough he could get plenty of other men, and where would our fighting be then? We should all get the most tremendous licking we have ever had, and get laughed at besides through the town for a pack of young fools."
Ned broke into a good-tempered laugh.
" Of course you are right, Room. I only thought about Hathorn himself. Still, it is horribly unfair. I will do it to-day. But if he goes on with it, as he threatens, I won't do it, let him do what he likes."
For some days this state of things continued. There was no longer any sound of shouting and laughter in the playground. The boys walked about moody and sullen, working at their lessons. They were fast becoming desperate. No clue had been obtained as to the destroyer of the cat, and the schoolmaster declared that if it took him months to break their spirits he would do it. Ned Sankey had said nothing at home as to his troubles. His father
noticed that he ran off again as soon as his dinner was over, and that he no longer said anything as to the sports in which he was engaged in playtime; also, that his lessons occupied him from tea-time until he went up to bed.
"Anything is better than this," Ned said one day to some of the boys of his own age. " In my opinion it's better to have a regular row. What Room said was quite true, we shall get the worst of it; but the story will then come out, and it will be seen what a beastly tyranny we have been undergoing. I tell you, I for one will not stand it any longer, so here goes," and he threw his book up into a tree, in whose branches it securely lodged.
His comrades followed his example, and the news that Sankey and some of the other fellows were determined to put up with it no longer soon spread, and in five minutes not a book was to be seen in the playground. The spirit of resistance became strong and general, and when the bell rang the boys walked into the school-room silent and determined, but looking far less moody and downcast than usual. Mr. Hathorn took his seat at his desk.
" The first class will come up and say their tasks."
Not a boy moved in his seat.
" The first class will come up and say their tasks," the master repeated, bringing his cane down with angry emphasis on the desk.
Still no one moved.
"What does this mean?" he shouted, rising from his seat.
" It means, sir," Ned Sankey said, rising also, " that we
are determined, all of us, that we will learn no more extra tasks. None of us, so far as we know, ever touched your cat, and we are not going to submit to be punished any longer for a fault which none of us have committed."
" No, no," rose in a general chorus through the schoolroom, " we will do no more tasks."
Mr. Hathorn stood petrified with astonishment and white with anger.
" So you are at the bottom of this, Sankey. I will make an example of you."
So saying, he took a stride forward towards Ned. In an instant a shower of books flew at him from all parts of the room. Infuriated by the attack, he rushed forward with his cane raised. Ned caught up a heavy inkstand.
" If you touch me," he shouted, " I will fling this at your head."
Mr. Hathorn hesitated. The shower of books had not affected him, but the heavy missile in Ned's hand was a serious weapon. In another moment he sprang forward and brought his cane down with all his force upon Ned's back.
Ned at once hurled the heavy inkstand at him. The schoolmaster sprang on one side, but it struck him on the shoulder, and he staggered back.
" You have broken my shoulder, you young scoundrel!" he exclaimed.
"I shouldn't care if I had broken your head," Ned retorted, white with passion; " it would have served you right if I had killed you, you tyrant."
NED HEADS A REBELLION AGAINST THE TYRANT.
"One of you go and fetch a constable," Mr. Hathorn said to the boys.
"Let him send his servant. He will find me at home. Mr. Hathorn, I am not going to run away, you need not think it. Give me in charge if you dare; I don't care what they do to me, but the whole country shall know what a tyrant you are."
So saying, he collected his books, put his cap on his head, and walked from the school-room, the boys cheering him loudly as he went. On reaching home he went at once to his father's study.
"I am sorry to say, sir, that there has been a row in the school, and Hathorn has threatened to send a constable here after me for throwing an inkstand at him."
"Throwing an inkstand!" Captain Sankey exclaimed. "Is it possible?"
"It is quite possible and quite true; he has been treating us shamefully for the last ten days; he has been always a cruel brute all along, though I never wanted to make a fuss about it, but it has been getting worse and worse. Ten days ago some one killed his cat, and I am almost sure it was none of the boys, but he chose to believe it was, and because he couldn't find out who, he has punished the whole school, and all our play hours have been taken up with lessons ever since, and he said he would keep on so till he found out who did it, if it was months.