"'Cause," as he
explained, "you're a new boy, and they'll play you some trick and get
our butter; but you can toast just as well as I." So Tom, in the midst
of three or four more urchins similarly employed, toasted his face and
the sausages at the same time before the huge fire, till the latter
cracked; when East from his watch-tower shouted that they were done, and
then the feast proceeded, and the festive cups of tea were filled
and emptied, and Tom imparted of the sausages in small bits to many
neighbours, and thought he had never tasted such good potatoes or seen
such jolly boys. They on their parts waived all ceremony, and pegged
away at the sausages and potatoes, and remembering Tom's performance in
goal, voted East's new crony a brick. After tea, and while the things
were being cleared away, they gathered round the fire, and the talk on
the match still went on; and those who had them to show pulled up their
trousers and showed the hacks they had received in the good cause.
They were soon, however, all turned out of the school; and East
conducted Tom up to his bedroom, that he might get on clean things, and
wash himself before singing.
"What's singing?" said Tom, taking his head out of his basin, where he
had been plunging it in cold water.
"Well, you are jolly green," answered his friend, from a neighbouring
basin. "Why, the last six Saturdays of every half we sing of course; and
this is the first of them.
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