Page:Adventures of Roderick Random.pdf/12

 At length the hour arrived, when our auxiliary seized the opportunity of the usher's absence, bolted and secured the door and immediately laid hold of the pedant by his collar, who bawled out, 'murder. thieves!' with the voice of a StenterStentor [sic]. Tho' I trembled all over, I knew there was no time to be lost, and accordingly got up and summoned our associates to my assistance: Strap without any hesitation, obeyed the signal, and seeing me leap upon the master’s back, ran immediately to one of his legs, which pulling with all his force, this dreadful adversary was soon humbled to the ground: upon which Gawky, who had hitherto remained in his place, hastened to the scene of action and insulted the fallen tyrant with a loud huzza, in which the whole school joined. We soon dragged the criminal to a post, to which Bowling tied him with a rope he had provided on purpose; after having fastened his hands behind his back, pulled down his breeches, and tucked up his garments and shirt, as far as they would go, my uncle, having upbraided this arbitrary wretch with his inhumanity to me, told him that he proposed to give him a little discipline for the good of his soul, which he immediately put in practice with great vigour and dexterity. This smart application to the pedant's withered posteriors, gave him such exquisite pain, that he roared like a mad bull, danced, cursed, and blasphemed. This