WHEN I WAS YOUNG 5 



that I had been merely a spectator, and in no way 

 connected with the death of the hen. After giving 

 me a lecture, the "Head" "swished" Viper and 

 acquitted me. Not so my House Master, who made 

 me come in every afternoon of the half-holidays 

 during the whole of the summer term and write out 

 Milton's " Paradise Lost " twice over. Seeing that 

 the Head Master had absolved me from blame, I 

 thought it was a most unfair and even inhuman 

 punishment, and ever afterwards I bore a grudge 

 against " Jick " and loathed Milton and all his 

 works. 



I had many adventures in the course of my 

 wanderings in the forest of Savernake and " out of 

 bounds " up and down the River Kennet. The 

 following incident is one that always remains in my 

 mind, as it afforded myself and many other boys 

 much amusement. 



At all public schools there is always a master 

 who does not play games, and is chiefly concerned 

 in doing police work in the neighbouring country, 

 accompanied by boys who act as his toadies and 

 spies. His object is to arrest marauders like myself, 

 who are ever breaking out of bounds and perform- 

 ing illegal acts contrary to school discipline. Though 

 all my time was spent within his sphere of influence, 

 I had always managed to outwit " Pat " Drury 

 and his satellites, and, though arrested by others, 

 he had so far failed to catch me flagrante delicto. 



One summer afternoon I was busily pursuing a 

 flock of Longtailed Tits in the forest of Savernake, 

 being then about two hundred yards from the edge 

 of the forest, and was in the act of shooting, when, 

 happening to glance around, I saw " Pat " ad vane- 



