But “after pleasure cometh pain,” as the old round-hand copy used to preach. The period of retribution walked quietly forth. It was not yet the hour of breakfast, and the first thing the enraged Dominie did was to issue a mandate for the stoppage of the breakfast supplies, till the bold, daring, impudent, disobedient authors of the freak were discovered, and brought to condign punishment. The whole of the boys were speedily mustered, (to be soon peppered) and brought into the school-room, where they stood trembling for their fate. Fierce with rage—his pig-tail bristling with indignation—the Master, with cane under arm, and with a frown on his face, appeared at his desk. Forty boys stood before him, uncertain of their coming tortures, and Nelson foremost among them. “I demand,” said the Master, in a voice of thunder, “who it is that has dared to brave my authority; and I promise free pardon and a holiday to those who will——” “Betray their companions?” said Nelson. This was a flash of lightning on a touch-hole of powder, and immediately made the Master spring from his desk, and taking hold of Nelson by the collar, brought him into the middle of the school. “You are one of them!” said the enraged Clerical, “and unless you immediately tell me who are the guilty parties in this exploit, I will strip the skin from your shoulders.” “The skinning of an eel is a difficult job,” said Nelson—“but as to who did the deed, I can inform you at once. It was I.” “Yes, I know it was you—for you are the mover of all such harum-scarum exploits; but who were your abettors and instigators?” “I instigated myself,” said Nelson. “No doubt, no doubt—but I will know who your companions were, and I’ll warrant this cane shall bring it out of you.” “Try it,” said Nelson. Exasperated by this cool impudence, the Master applied the cane vigorously to the young hero’s shoulders, who stood the process with much about the same indifference as a gate-post. At the end of the caning, Nelson said, mildly— “Stop and take breath, Sir—you will hurt your constitution.” This was too much for human endurance, and the Master gave it to Master Nelson again, with a hearty good will, and only ceased when the cane split into two. Nelson, standing as obdurate as before, said—