The chastisement generally lasted about five minutes. Old Bob never inflicted more than half-a-dozen stripes, but he waited a considerable time between them, partly that each might have its full effect, partly that he might improve the occasion for the edification of the other delinquent. ‘You’ll be the next, Sir,’ he would tell the latter: ‘You’ll be the next!’ A prediction usually soon fulfilled. Old Bob had a very high idea of the force of example. Incredible as it may appear, it is a fact that he would send a troublesome pupil to see an execution. I once witnessed his doing this. The boy in question, was incorrigibly mischievous, and given to roguish pranks. Addressing him by name, Old Bob said, ‘There is a man to be hanged this morning. Go and see him, my boy. Thou art a bad boy, and it will do thee good. You,’—turning to an elder boy,—‘you go with him and take charge of him.’ Truly this was carrying out the principle of the ‘good old school.’ For high crimes and misdemeanours the penalty was flogging in public. Swearing and profanity were the chief of these. At prayers we used to kneel along the two forms in the middle of the school. The ‘candle-custodes’ alone remained at their desks during evening-prayer time. One of these young gentlemen, once upon a night, got a copper cap, and employed his devotional leisure in fixing it on the head of a nail. The moment the final ‘Amen’ was uttered, before we could rise, he exploded the cap. The report was terrific in the silence of the large schoolroom. Old Bob insisted on the name of the transgressor being surrendered, and flogged him instantly on the spot. His rage on this occasion was extreme, and was mingled with a strange agitation. The next day this was explained. ‘What was it thou didst let off last night?’ demanded Old Bob of the irreverent youth, who was one of his particularly bad boys. ‘A percussion cap,’ was the answer. ‘Per-per-what?’ ‘Percussion cap, Sir.’ ‘Hum!’ said Old Bob, musingly, ‘I won’t expel thee _this_ time, Sir,—I won’t _expel_ thee.’ He evidently did not know what a percussion cap was, whilst, dimly understanding that it was not exactly a firearm, he seemed relieved from the suspicion that his scholar had attempted his life.