o
administering unmerited cuts even when his black bottle was empty and his
thirst most virulent.

In spite of his eccentricities and his weaknesses, and the fact that he
was neither respected nor dreaded, Ham brought his scholars on remarkably
well. There were three big classes in the room--first, third, and
fifth--and a higher and lower branch of each; he managed all, with the
assistance of occasional monitors selected from the best pupils. Good
order prevailed in the school, for little that went on there escaped the
master's alert eye. Even when he drowsed at his desk, as he sometimes did
on warm afternoons, the work was not delayed, for he was known to have a
trick of awakening with a jerk, and smartly nailing a culprit or a
dawdler.

The school to-day was in a tense and excitable condition, now heightened
to fever by the two cobwebbed mysteries standing against the wall, but
the imperative rattle of Joel's cane on the desk quickly induced a
specious show of industry.

'Gable!'

The individual addressed, a big scholar in the Lower Third, was so
absorbed in the spectacle provided by Haddon and McKnight that he failed
to hear the master's voice, and continued staring stupidly with all his
eyes.

'Gable! This way, my dear child.'

Gable started guiltily, and then fell into confusion. He climbed
awkwardly, out of his seat, and advanced hesitatingly with shuffling feet
towards the master. It was now evident that Gable was not a large boy,
but a little old man, slightly built, with a round ruddy clean-shaven
face and thick white hair. But his manner was that of a boy of eight.

'Hold out, my young friend!' Joel commanded, with an expressive flourish
of his cane.

Gable held out his hand; his toothless mouth formed itself into a dark
oval, his eyes distended with painful expectancy, and he assumed the
shrinking attitude of the very small boy who expects the fall of the
cane. The situation was absurd, but no one smiled. Ham raised the
extended hand a little with the end of the dreaded weapon.

'You are going the right way to come to a dishonoured old age, Gable,' he
said, and the cane went up, but the cut was not delivered. 'There,'
continued the master, 'I forgive you in consideration of your extreme
youth. Go to your place, and try to set a better example to the older
boys.'

The old man trotted back to his seat, grinning all over his face, and set
to work at his book with an appearance of intense zeal; and