heers). But it's a long way from
what I want to see it. First there's a deal of bullying going on. I know
it well. I don't pry about and interfere; that only makes it more
underhand, and encourages the small boys to come to us with their
fingers in their eyes telling tales, and so we should be worse off than
ever. It's very little kindness for the sixth to meddle generally--you
youngsters, mind that. You'll be all the better football players for
learning to stand it, and to take your own parts, and fight it through.
But depend on it, there's nothing breaks up a house like bullying.
Bullies are cowards, and one coward makes many; so good-bye to the
School-house match if bullying gets ahead here. (Loud applause from the
small boys, who look meaningly at Flashman and other boys at the
tables.) Then there's fuddling about in the public-houses, and drinking
bad spirits, and punch, and such rot-gut stuff. That won't make good
drop-kicks or chargers of you, take my word for it. You get plenty of
good beer here, and that's enough for you; and drinking isn't fine or
manly, whatever some of you may think of it.

"One other thing I must have a word about. A lot of you think and say,
for I've heard you, 'There's this new Doctor hasn't been here so long as
some of us, and he's changing all the old customs. Rugby, and the
School-house especially, are going to the dogs. Stand up for the good
old ways, and down with the Doctor!' Now I'm as fond of old Rugby
customs and ways as any of you, and I've been here longer than any of
you, and I'll give you a word of advice in time, for I shouldn't like to
see any of you getting sacked. 'Down with the Doctor!' is easier said
than done. You'll find him pretty tight on his perch, I take it, and an
awkwardish customer to handle in that line. Besides now, what customs
has he put down? There was the good old custom of taking the linch-pins
out of the farmers' and bagmen's gigs at the fairs, and a cowardly
blackguard custom it was. We all know what came of it; and no wonder the
Doctor objected to it. But, come now, any of you, name a custom that he
has put down."

"The hounds," calls out a fifth-form boy, clad in a green cutaway with
brass buttons and cord trousers, the leader of the sporting interest,
and reputed a great rider and keen hand generally.

"Well, we had six or seven mangey harriers and beagles belonging to the
house, I'll allow, and had had them for years, and that the Doctor put
the