A Day of Punishment 



" So they have told of me, have they ? " 

 I thought ; "and just to disgrace me before 

 all the boys." My heart beat thick with 

 anger and shame, and I think all the blood 

 in my body rushed up into my hot little 

 face. 



" Master Hyde, come here." 



I wriggled myself out between the long 

 desk and the purposely thrust out knees of 

 the grinning boys and went up and stood 

 before the master. 



Mr. Blocker always made a great point 

 of cross - examining his victims before 

 punishing them. In extracting the whole 

 dreary story, down to its most inconsider- 

 able detail, from the lips of the small and 

 quaking wretch before him, I think he 

 believed he was satisfying all reasonable 

 demands of justice ; but to us boys the 

 advantage of this painful process was not 

 apparent, for whether we pleaded " guilty" 

 or " not guilty," we were Invariably chas- 

 tised. 



'' Now, sir," said Mr. Blocker, settling 

 himself comfortably in his chair, as was his 

 custom when about to listen to a recita- 

 tion, " have the kindness to tell me what 

 it was that you said or did, and In what 

 precise manner you offended." 



I looked him full in the eyes, and closed 

 144 



