10 THE EARLY DAYS OF 



in his introduction here. Neither of these sons of Anak took any 

 part in the revels going on, but I sidled up, hoping to hear them 

 speak. I remember every word they said, their dress, their attitude, 

 and how they moved their arms and legs. Their conversation, 

 although intensely interesting to me at the time, and listened to 

 with wrapt attention, need not be repeated here, except the last 

 sentence, which, as it is recalled, seems ringing in my ears, " I say, 

 Whiskers ! do you know if they intend to give us any tea ? " 



We had not as yet learnt each other's names, and all were known 

 by any peculiarity which seemed to attract attention. One was 

 " Paddy," because of his brogue, another was " Skinny," because he 

 was very thin, whilst a third was " Plum-Pudding," because he 

 was very fat. There were also " Bears," " Monkeys," " Sheep," 

 and " Pigs," from some unlucky supposed resemblance to those 

 animals. 



At length the school-bell rang for tea; and the boys who were still 

 at play in the "Wilderness," were ushered into a large room, which 

 forms, I believe, the College library now, overlooking the bowling- 

 green. But the sickening smell of tea, boiled in new tin cans, was 

 quite enough for me. Henceforward I became a strict abstainer, and 

 during the eight-and-a-half years I remained at school, I invariably 

 quenched my thirst at the College pump; thereby acquiring dexterity 

 in making my hand a channel of communication with my mouth, 

 which I often found useful whilst travelling in India and elsewhere. 



Nor did the beer, which subsequently was dealt out at dinner, in 

 any way alter my predilection for the pump ; not that I was fearful 

 it might make me skittish, but I failed to appreciate its stale, flat 

 look, which was far from tempting. Some of the boys, however, 

 who passed as connoisseurs, declared that it was not fit to drink, 

 and a complaint to this effect apparently was made to the Council of 

 the School. At all events a Councillor came down, and appeared 

 one day attended by due ceremony, in the Dining-hall. There he 

 stood for some moments, whilst a hum of expectation filled the air. 

 At length he rapped the table with the handle of a knife, and when 



