arnt to swim like fishes, were to be found there
as regular as the clock through the summer always twice, and often
three times a day.

[20] #Small jack#: young pike.

[21] #Reaches#: straight pieces of water.

[22] #Brownsover#: a neighboring village.

[23] #Spring-board#: a long board projecting over the water,
used by divers.

[24] #Affected#: preferred.

DISPUTED RIGHTS OF FISHING.

Now the boys either had, or fancied they had, a right also to fish at
their pleasure over the whole of this part of the river, and would not
understand that the right (if any) only extended to the Rugby side. As
ill-luck would have it, the gentleman who owned the opposite bank,
after allowing it for some time without interference, had ordered his
keepers[25] not to let the boys fish on his side; the consequence of
which had been, that there had been first wranglings and then fights
between the keepers and boys; and so keen had the quarrel become, that
the landlord and his keepers, after a ducking had been inflicted on
one of the latter, and a fierce fight ensued thereon, had been up to
the Great School at calling-over to identify the delinquents, and it
was all the Doctor himself and five or six masters could do to keep
the peace. Not even his authority could prevent the hissing, and so
strong was the feeling, that the four praepostors of the week walked up
the school with their canes, shouting s-s-s-s-i-lenc-c-c-c-e at the
top of their voices. However, the chief offenders for the time were
flogged and kept in bounds, but the victorious party had brought a
nice hornet's nest about their ears. The landlord was hissed at the
School-gates as he rode past, and when he charged his horse at the mob
of boys, and tried to thrash them with his whip, was driven back by
cricket-bats and wickets, and pursued with pebbles and fives'-balls;
while the wretched keepers' lives were a burden to them, from having
to watch the water so closely.

[25] #Keepers#: gamekeepers employed on all great estates to
protect the game and fish. In England, game and fish, except
in navigable waters, are the private property of the
land-owners.

The School-house boys of Tom's standing, one and all as a protest
against this tyranny and cutting short of their lawful amusements,
took to fishing in all ways, and especially by means of night-lines.
The little tackle-maker[26] at the bottom of the town would soon have
made