"Young gentlemen of the Dickinson House, I don't think you have any doubt as to why I have called you here. A very serious breach of discipline has taken place--one that cannot be overlooked. The sooner we meet the situation in the right spirit, gravely, with seriousness, the sooner will we meet each other in that spirit of harmony and friendly understanding that should exist between pupil and master. I am willing to make some allowance for the spirit of mischief, but none for an exhibition of untruthfulness. I warn you that I know, that I _know_ who were the ringleaders in last night's outrage." Here he stopped and glanced in succession at each individual boy. Then suddenly turning, he said: "Hicks, were you concerned in this?" "Mr. Tapping," said Hickey, with the air of a martyr, "I refuse to answer." "On what ground?" "On the ground that I will not furnish any clue whatsoever." "I shall deal with your case later." "Very well, sir." "Macnooder," continued Mr. Tapping, "what do you know about this?" "I refuse to answer, sir." At each demand, the same refusal. Tapping, repulsed in his first attempt, hesitated and reflected. Above all things he did not wish to perpetuate last night's humiliation, and to continue the combat meant an accusation _en bloc_ against the Dickinson House before the head master. "Hicks, Macnooder and Reiter, wait here," he said suddenly; "the rest may go." He walked up and down before the three a moment, and then said: "Reiter, you may go; you, too, Macnooder." Hickey, thus deprived of all support, remained defiant. "May I ask," he said indignantly, "why I am picked out?" "Hicks," said Mr. Tapping sternly, without replying to the question, "I know pretty well who was the ringleader in this, and other things that have been going on in the past. I warn you, my boy, I shall keep my eye on you from this time forth. That's all I want to say to you. Look out for yourself!" Hickey could hardly restrain the tears. He went out with deadly wrath boiling in his heart. The idea of singling him out from the whole house in that way! So then every hand was against him; he had no security; he was marked for suspicion, his downfall determined upon! For one brief moment his spirit, the spirit of indomitable, battling boyhood, failed him, and he felt the grey impossibility of contending against tyrants. But only a moment, and then with a return of the old fighting spirit he suddenly conceived the idea of single-handedly defying the whole organised hereditary and intrenched tyranny that sought to crush him, of matching his wits against the hydra despotism, perhaps, going down gloriously like Spartacus, for the cause, but leaving behind a name that should roll down the generations of future boys. [Illustration: chapter title decoration] THE GREAT PANCAKE RECORD