CHAP. IT. EXPELLED FROM HIS THIRD SCHOOL. 37 



then," said the master, "did you not bring that 

 venomous beast here ? " "I did not, sir ! " The whole 

 school was now appealed to. "Did any of you see 

 Edward with that beast, or any other beast, to-day or 

 yesterday ? " No answer. " Did any of you see 

 Edward with anything last week or the week before ? " 

 Still no answer. Then, after a considerable pause, 

 turning to Edward, he said, "Get your slate. Go home, 

 and tell your father to get you put on board a man-of- 

 war, as that is the best school for all irreclaimables 

 such as you/' So saying, he pointed to the door. Tom 

 got his slate and his books, and hurried down stairs. 

 And thus Edward was expelled from his third and 

 last school. 



On reaching home, he told his parents the circum- 

 stances connected with his expulsion. He also added 

 that he wouldn't go to school any more ; at all events, 

 he wouldn't go back to " yon school." He would rather 

 go to work. He was told that he was too young to 

 work ; for he was scarcely six years old. His father 

 proposed to take him to the Lancaster school on the 

 following day, for the purpose of inducing the master 

 to take back the boy. 



The next day arrived. His father came home from 

 his work for the purpose of taking the boy to school ; 

 but Tom had disappeared. He would not go back. 

 He went first to the fish-market, where he spent the 

 greater part of the day. Then he went down to the 

 Inches. From thence he went towards the logs, and 



