Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century -- Fiction; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 -- Fiction
Soon afterwards the bell rang, and we returned to the schoolroom. I was
put under the tuition of another boy, and took care to learn my lesson.
Whether it was that he was tired with the exercise, for he flogged and
ferruled a dozen during that afternoon, or that he thought that my
morning dose had been sufficient, I received no more punishment on that
day.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
As soon as school was dismissed, I went straight to the rooms of Captain
Bridgeman, and told him how I had been treated. As soon as he heard it,
he exclaimed, "This is really too bad; I will go with you, and I will
consult with your aunt Amelia."
It so happened that aunt Milly was alone in the shop when we arrived,
and after a detail of what had passed, she told Captain Bridgeman that
my grandmother had put me to that school out of feelings of ill-will for
the tricks I had played, and had threatened that if I were removed she
would leave Chatham and take her away with her. My mother required
assistance in the shop, and was afraid to affront my grandmother, who
was a very dictatorial, positive old woman, and would certainly keep her
resolution; but that rather than I should be treated in such a barbarous
manner she would insist upon my mother taking me away, or would herself
leave the place.
"It would never do for you to leave us, Miss Amelia," replied Captain
Bridgeman, "there are but few attractions in this place, and we cannot
spare you; the whole corps would go into deep mourning."
"I don't want to leave the school," interrupted I; "I would not leave it
till I am revenged, for all the world. Now, I'll tell you what I want
to do--and do it I will, if he cuts me to pieces. He eats my
sandwiches, and tells me if there's not more mustard to-morrow, he'll
flog me. He shall have plenty of mustard, but he shall have something
else. What can I put into the sandwiches, so as to half kill him?"
"Not a bad idea, my little Percival," said Captain Bridgeman; "I'll just
ask the doctor how much calomel a man may take without a coroner's
inquest being required."
"Yes, that will do nicely," said my aunt; "I'll take care he shall have
mustard enough not to perceive it."
"Well, I'll go to the barracks and be back directly," said Captain
Bridgeman.
"And I'm ready for the flogging as soon as the sandwiches are down his
throat," replied I, laughing, "I don't care a fig for it."
Captain Bridgeman soon returned with forty grains of calomel, which he
delivered into aunt Milly's hands. "That is as much as we dare give the
strongest man without running great danger; we'll try the effect of that
upon him, and if he don't improve, I think I shall go up to the school
myself and threaten him."
"As for that," replied aunt Milly, "I'm sure that sister, if she hears
what's going on, as she cannot take Percival away, will order her
husband, Ben, to go up and thrash him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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