Page:Tom Brown's School Days (6th ed).djvu/20

 hard to break. Though Doctor Arnold brushed away many objectionable things in his time, yet even to-day there still remain traces of the old order of things.

The most interesting is that of the school bounds with which every boy soon becomes familiar. In the early days Rugby town (except in the main streets) was ill-protected and poorly lighted, consequently the boys were molested and enticed into undesirable places. Fights were frequent with the town boys, or, as East dubs them, the louts. Out-of-bound maps were placed in the school and other houses to show in what streets the boys could go. In the early days to be caught out of bounds meant a "birching" or five hundred lines of Virgil.

It will be observed that all boys keep on the east side of High Street; or, if cross they must, they cross to their destination at right angles, and so back again. As they go back to the house, each keeps on the side of the road where his own house stands. However muddy the road, none but a "swell" is supposed to turn up his trousers at the bottom.

If a boy is in his first term he must keep his hands out of his pockets. If you see a boy with one hand in, he will, perhaps, be in the second term; after that both may be put in the pockets. The duties of fags are less irksome than once they were, but (such as they are) strictly exacted. They may be called to run errands and make themselves generally useful. The house fags have to "fag out" the "dens" of their superiors, to light their fires, to make toast for them at tea, and so forth. Is any errand to be done, the "Sixth Form" potentate has but to issue forth from his den and shout, "Fag!" Immediately, like the rats of Hamelin City, out rush all the fags of the first term; or, if the word be twice shouted, all those of the first two terms, and so forth. The last fag in gets the job, so their speed may be imagined.

The old "tuck shops" have been replaced by expensive pastry and fruit stores which are crowded with eager buyers during the day and especially after football practice, however