“Fun!” I said; “it’s dreadful!”
“It was capital fun till they all came and spoiled it for us. I wouldn’t care about being expelled—at least not so much, only my father will be so disappointed.”
This made me think of my mother, and of what my uncle would say if I were dismissed from the school in disgrace; and I shivered, for this was the most terrible part of all.
“I tell you what,” said Mercer, “we’re in for it, and no mistake; and we didn’t do it to steal. We only wanted a bit of sport and some rabbits to stuff. Let’s tell the doctor we’re very sorry, and ask him to flog us. It would be too bad to expel us in disgrace. What do you say?”
“They may flog me,” I said sadly; “but I couldn’t go home again in disgrace like that.”
“Of course not; and it’s too bad to call it poaching. I’m sorry we went, though, now.”
“Yes,” I said, “I’m sorry enough;” and we sat there, miserable enough, waiting till the other boys came up, and it was time to go to bed.
We had not begun to undress, when the door was opened, and three heads were thrust in, and to our disgust, as we looked up, we saw that they belonged to our three principal tormentors, who began at us in a jeering way.
“Hallo, poachers!” said Burr major; “where are the rabbits?”
“I say,” cried Hodson, “you fellows are going to be expelled. Leave us the stuffed guys, Senna.”