Dominie Roberts was a pedagogue, then, of this class.
All the boys were afraid of him. Harry was not. Though only eleven years of age, Harry was nearly as tall as the dominie.
There was a consultation one day as to who should steal the tawse.
No boy would venture, but at length—
“I will,” said Harry.
“Hurrah! for the Hermit!” was the shout.
The dominie went out of the schoolroom every forenoon for half an hour to smoke. A pretty hubbub and din there was then, you may be sure.
The day after the theft of the tawse was determined on, as soon as the pedagogue had stumped out of the school—he wore a wooden leg from the knee—Harry went boldly up to the desk and seized the tawse.
“What shall I do with it?” he asked a schoolboy.
“Pitch it out of the window.”