r of themselves for having been out of their depths. Below the Planks
came larger and deeper holes, the first of which was Wratislaw's, and
the last Swift's, a famous hole, ten or twelve feet deep in parts, and
thirty yards across, from which there was a fine swimming reach right
down to the Mill. Swift's was reserved for the sixth and fifth forms,
and had a spring board and two sets of steps: the others had one set of
steps each, and were used indifferently by all the lower boys, though
each house addicted itself more to one hole than to another. The
School-house at this time affected Wratislaw's hole, and Tom and East,
who had learnt 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.

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
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 hornets' 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
burthen to them, from having to watch the waters so closely.

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