CHAPTER V. 



UT the short first Christmas holidays of Marlborough 

 College soon came to an end, and knowing what was 

 before me I returned with a heavy heart to school, 

 where I found things had by no means improved 

 since I was there before. My master eyed me when 

 I went up to class with no look of love, and soon 

 proceeded to apply his cane to my back, which had 

 hardly healed from the bruises it had received before. I would 

 have run away had there been any hope of keeping away, but several 

 boys had made the attempt, and after wandering about the country 

 for some time, were caught, brought back and flogged. I had not 

 the faintest idea what the Latin grammar was all about, and as no 

 one made the faintest attempt to explain anything, I gave up all 

 hope of understanding it, and passed my time during school hours 

 in other ways than acquiring classical knowledge. 



The Spring was coming on, and I turned my earnest attention to 

 that branch of natural science, which treats of the nests and eggs of 

 British birds. We were fortunate in having the run of Savernake 

 Forest, and my happiest time at school was passed in the forest, or 

 by the banks of the Kennet, though our play-hours were so short we 



