ohibited, where huge
bulls'-eyes[45] and unctuous toffee[46] might be procured in exchange
for coin of the realm.

[45] #Bulls'-eyes and toffee#: the former are hard balls of
sugar, the latter a kind of candy made of brown sugar and
butter.

[46] #Bulls'-eyes and toffee#: the former are hard balls of
sugar, the latter a kind of candy made of brown sugar and
butter.

THE AMUSEMENTS.

Various were the amusements to which the boys then betook themselves.
At the entrance of the down there was a steep hillock, like the
barrows of Tom's own downs. This mound was the weekly scene of
terrific combats, at a game called by the queer name of "mud-patties."
The boys who played divided into sides under different leaders, and
one side occupied the mound. Then all parties, having provided
themselves with many sods of turf, cut with their bread-and-cheese
knives, the side which remained at the bottom proceeded to assault the
mound, advancing upon all sides under cover of a heavy fire of turfs,
and then struggling for victory with the occupants, which was theirs
as soon as they could, even for a moment, clear the summit, when they
in turn became the besieged. It was a good, rough, dirty game, and of
great use in counteracting the sneaking tendencies of the school. Then
others of the boys spread over the downs, looking for the holes of
humble bees[47] and mice, which they dug up without mercy, often (I
regret to say) killing and skinning the unlucky mice, and (I do not
regret to say) getting well stung by the humble bees. Others went
after butterflies and birds'-eggs in their seasons; and Tom found on
Hazeldown, for the first time, the beautiful little blue butterfly
with golden spots on his wings, which he had never seen on his own
downs, and dug out his first sand-martin's nest. This latter
achievement resulted in a flogging, for the sand-martins build in a
high bank close to the village, consequently out of bounds;[48] but
one of the bolder spirits of the school, who never could be happy
unless he was doing something to which risk attached, easily persuaded
Tom to break bounds and visit the martin's bank. From whence, it being
only a step to the toffee shop, what could be more simple than to go
on there and fill their pockets? or what more certain than that on
their return, a distribution of treasure having been made, the usher
should shortly detect the forbidden smell of bulls'-eyes, and, a
search ens