“What a beautiful night for a ramble,” said little Eugene Harris, the schoolmaster’s nephew.
“What a beautiful night for ‘plunder’ for a bonfire,” rejoined Nelson; and thereupon all the boys leaped out of bed, and ran to the windows.
“’Tis too soon yet,” said Nelson; “it is but nine o’clock: let us wait till twelve and then sally out, and get as much fire-wood into the play-ground as will reach to the level of the old Clock-house, and set fire to it in the morning, and begin our day as we are wont to end it,” cried Nelson. “In the meantime put on your clothes, and get ready for a start.”
The boys did as they were told; for, although Nelson was smaller than many, and younger than most, he had obtained such an influence over his schoolfellows, that every one seemed quite ready to do his bidding. They knew that they could depend upon him; that, if he got them into a scrape, he would, somehow or other, contrive to bring them off again with honor, although he suffered in their stead. Thus, the boys made themselves ready for the enterprise; and Nelson began by tying the sheets and blankets together, by which the boys were to descend from the bed-room to the ground; and long before midnight all was ready for the exploit.
The moon, which had been shining brilliantly, had, however, now become obscured by darkened, dismal clouds, and the wind began to howl fearfully. Some of the boys were disturbed at this state of the elements, and ventured to suggest a postponement of the enterprise.
“The more the danger the greater the fun,” cried Nelson; “besides which, the less likely are we to be seen or heard—
‘So, let the wind blow;
Our ship rocks so.’
The wilder the night, the frisker we will be.“ He then opened the window, and let down the first knotted set of blankets; and, calling on all those who had got any spirit for a good thing to follow him, he descended by the said blankets into the shrubbery underneath.
Most of the boys followed; but a portion of the younger branches were too timid to descend, and kept a good look-out at the windows. In the meantime, Nelson mustered his followers in three divisions—ten in each—placing a captain to each “corps.” He then directed them to proceed in three several directions, and to capture all that was burnable, and bring it to a grand rendezvous, underneath the great clump of trees at the further end of the shrubbery contiguous to the play-ground.