otent; Carter hammered out
false notes on a long-suffering piano. Ferguson beat time at the top of
the dais, with a pen gently waving between his fingers, as gracefully as
the pierrots of Aubrey Beardsley play with feathers. Down below heavy
feet pretended to dance to an impossible tune. Someone began a song,
others followed suit, and before long the austere sanctity of the room
was violated by the flat melodies of _Hitchy-Koo_. It was indeed an act
of vandalism. But the rioters had forgotten that they were distinctly
audible from without. In the Chief's absence they had thought a row out
of the question.

Unfortunately, however, "the Bull's" class-room was only a few yards
off. When first he heard the strains of revelling borne upwards he
thought it must be the choir practising for the Christmas concert. But
it did not take long for him to appreciate that such a supposition was
out of the question. The noise was deafening. He could hardly hear
himself talk; investigation must be made. He got up and walked out into
the courts, made his way to the big school, and opening the door
revealed the scene that has just been described. For a second or so he
stood speechless. He felt much as Moses might have felt, if he had seen
a tribe of Gentiles invading the Holy of Holies. Then his voice rang
out:

"What is the meaning of this unseemly disturbance?"

A sudden silence fell over the revellers, as in Poe's story of the red
death when the stranger entered the room.

Buller looked around.

"My form, the Army class, will follow me."

Disconsolately his form found their books and moved out of the room,
fully aware that they would shortly have to pay full price for their
pleasure. Over the remainder there fell a chill feeling of uncertainty.
A few spasmodic efforts were made to carry on, but the light-heartedness
was gone. The laughter was forced. Finally noise subsided into
whispering, and whispering into silence and the scratching of pens.

There loomed before the Sixth Form visions of a very unpleasant
interview with the Chief, and their expectations were not disappointed.
The whole form had to stay back on the last day and write out a Georgic.
Only the Fifth got off scot-free. Macdonald was told to deal with them,
but he saw the humour of the affair too strongly to do anything but
laugh.

"These Cambridge men--can't keep order. No good at all. Can't think why
the Chief took him." And then, after a pause; "I wish I had b