“I was asked by Mr. Green to forward a case to the Ledger Branch, and when I asked P—— to go he after being absent from his bench for a considerable time gave me a blank refusal. I prevailed upon him to go after threatening more than once to report him. On arriving back he on each occasion when going past my desk passed sarcastic and insulting remarks, such as 'fool' and 'swanker.' “Later he actually asked me to go down to the basement and fight him though he is barely one-third my size, and for the second time threatened to blacken my eyes. He also deliberately gave me a blow in the pit of the stomach and several kicks upon the shins, _upon which I again cautioned him_. Taking no heed, he rushed at me with hands raised, and in the struggle which ensued he imagined he was badly hurt. Regretting having been in any way connected with this disturbance, I trust this explanation will be considered sufficient.” The italics are mine: we cannot fail to admire the way in which, in most trying circumstances, the boy clerk maintained his dignity. The fighting instincts of the average boy are indeed the chief difficulties of his Superintendent. “I was coming out of sorting-room ground floor when Messenger B—— and I knock up against one another. So I tapped him on the head and he tapped me back and one thing brought on another and it ended wrestling.” A very pretty and reasonable story, which does not, however, prevent us forming a tolerably correct picture of the savage fight which actually took place. Here are a few more explanations:— “I had a pain in my leg which came on me all of a sudden, but I am sorry for this offence.” “We were all whistling at the time but we made no noise.” “I was watching an accident and had no idea what time it was, but I will watch that I stand and talk at no other accident.” Another in rather an aggrieved mood says: “If you knew what it is to take half-an-hour to eat half-a-slice of bread you would know what it was to have a gumboil.” We think we understand. Yet another: “He was telling me a story and I called him a liar, only I used stronger language.” “I was taking a moonlight walk with my fiasco,” was the explanation of one boy. And one boy asks for a day's leave. “I beg to apply for a holiday to attend my grandfather's funeral. He died of senile decay.” Another boy's explanation of his delay in delivering a telegram was: “I went there and back as quick as I could and I will never let it occur again.”