Sotheyreconnoitredthewallscarefully，borrowedacoal-hammerfromoldStumps，boughtsomebignails，andafteroneortwoattempts，scaledtheSchools，andpossessedthemselvesofhugequantitiesoffivesballs。Theplacepleasedthemsomuchthattheyspentalltheirsparetimethere，scratchingandcuttingtheirnamesonthetopofeverytower；andatlast，havingexhaustedallotherplaces，finishedupwithinscribingH。EAST，T。BROWN，ontheminute-handofthegreatclock；inthedoingofwhichtheyheldtheminute-hand，anddisturbedtheclock’seconomy。Sonextmorning，whenmastersandboyscametroopingdowntoprayers，andenteredthequadrangle，theinjuredminute-
handwasindicatingthreeminutestothehour。Theyallpulledup，andtooktheirtime。Whenthehourstruck，doorswereclosed，andhalftheschoollate。Thomasbeingsettomakeinquiry，discoverstheirnamesontheminute-hand，andreportsaccordingly；andtheyaresentfor，aknotoftheirfriendsmakingderisiveandpantomimicallusionstowhattheirfatewillbeastheywalkoff。
ButtheDoctor，afterhearingtheirstory，doesn’tmakemuchofit，andonlygivesthemthirtylinesofHomertolearnbyheart，andalectureonthelikelihoodofsuchexploitsendinginbrokenbones。
Alas！almostthenextdaywasoneofthegreatfairsinthetown；andasseveralrowsandotherdisagreeableaccidentshadoflatetakenplaceontheseoccasions，theDoctorgivesout，afterprayersinthemorning，thatnoboyistogodownintothetown。WhereforeEastandTom，fornoearthlypleasureexceptthatofdoingwhattheyaretoldnottodo，startaway，aftersecondlesson，andmakingashortcircuitthroughthefields，strikeabacklanewhichleadsintothetown，godownit，andrunplumpupononeofthemastersastheyemergeintotheHighStreet。Themasterinquestion，thoughaveryclever，isnotarighteousman。Hehasalreadycaughtseveralofhisownpupils，andgivesthemlinestolearn，whilehesendsEastandTom，whoarenothispupils，uptotheDoctor，who，onlearningthattheyhadbeenatprayersinthemorning，flogsthemsoundly。
Thefloggingdidthemnogoodatthetime，fortheinjusticeoftheircaptorwasranklingintheirminds；butitwasjusttheendofthehalf，andonthenexteveningbutoneThomasknocksattheirdoor，andsaystheDoctorwantstoseethem。Theylookatoneanotherinsilentdismay。Whatcanitbenow？Whichoftheircountlesswrong-doingscanhehaveheardofofficially？