But we had not heard the end of it, for the Doctor was so much annoyed
that he sent Mr Hasnip on a private diplomatic visit to his brother
schoolmaster at Hastings, to speak of the trouble we were in, and to ask
if it were possible that the watch had been taken by mistake.
Mr Hasnip's mission was as useless as the search made by the boys, who
all stood round while the men took down the tent, so as to make sure
that no strangers should be more successful than we were.
But the tent was carted away, poles, flags, and all, and then we resumed
our search over the space where the erection had stood, even up to the
hedge, and boys were sent over it to peer about in the ditch beyond.
Every minute out of school hours was devoted to the search for Burr
major's watch, but there was no result; and when Mr Hasnip returned,
soon after the boys had again given up the hunt, and told the Doctor
what he had done, he came away, and saw Mr Rebble, who told Burr major,
and Burr major told Hodson who was the medium that conveyed to the boys
generally the fact that the Doctor had shaken his head.
The next day came, and the next, and another day passed, with the
memories of the cricket match growing more faint. Burr major's watch
was not found, and, after the first two days, the boys had ceased to
look suspiciously at one another, and charge a school-fellow with having
hid the watch "for a game." Lessons went on as usual, and my riding was
kept up, but the cob was only brought over once a week.
I had a pretty good time at the drilling though, but that was only in
company with the other boys.
Then the days grew to weeks, and we had our trip to Hastings; that is to
say, our eleven; and, being free from headache this time, both Mercer
and I played, all coming back in triumph, and nearly sending the private
omnibus horses off at a wild gallop as we neared the school: for we came
back to announce that we had beaten our adversaries in one innings, they
having scored so badly that they had to follow on.
This trip revived the talk about Burr major's watch, but only for a day
or two, and then once more the topic died out, though I heard
incidentally from Mr Hasnip that the Doctor was bitterly grieved at
such a loss taking place in his school.
I worked hard in those days, and made rapid progress, I afterwards
found, though I did not grasp it at the time, and I had now grown to
like my school life intensely.
Now and then a letter came from the General, asking leave for Mercer and
me to go over to early dinner, the old gentleman welcoming us warmly,
and making me give proofs of my progress in all parts of my education
that had a military bearing. Then we were sent back in the dog-cart,
generally with a crown a piece, and a big basket of fruit--a present,
this latter, which made us very popular with the other boys, who envied
our luck, as they called it, greatly, particularly our expeditions to
the General's ponds, from which we brought creels full of trophies in
triumph. But only to have our pride lowered by the cook, to whom we
took our prizes, that lady declaring them all to be rubbish except the
eels, and those, she said, were too muddy to be worth the trouble of
taking off their skins.
Then, too, we had natural history excursions to make additions to the
museum in the bin.
I thoroughly enjoyed these trips, and became the most enthusiastic of
collectors, but I regret to say that with possession my interest ceased.
Mercer bullied me sharply, but it was of no good. If lizards were to be
plunged in spirits and suspended by a silken thread or fine wire to the
cork of the bottle, he had to do it; and though he showed me how, at
least a dozen times, to skin a snake through its mouth, so as to strip
off the covering whole and ready to fill up with sand, so as to preserve
its shape, he never could get me to undertake the task.
Certainly I began to pin out a few butterflies on cork, but I never
ended them, nor became an adept at skinning and mounting quadrupeds and
birds.
"It's all sheer laziness," Mercer used to say pettishly.
"Not it," I said. "I like the birds and things best unstuffed. They
look a hundred times better than when you've done them your way."
"But they won't keep, stupid," he cried.
"Good thing too. I'd rather look at them for two days as they are, than
for two years at your guys of things."
"What!" he cried indignantly. "Guys!"
"Well, so they are," I said. "Look at that owl; look at the squirrel,
with one hind leg fat and the other lean, and his body so full that he
seems to have eaten too many nuts."
"But those were some of the first stuffings," he pleaded.
"But the last are worse," I cried, laughing. "Then look at the rabbit.
Who'd ever know that was a rabbit, if it wasn't for his ears and the
colour of his skin? He looks more like a bladder made of fur."
"But he isn't finished yet."
"Nor never will be," I cried merrily.
"Ah, you're getting tired of natural history," said Mercer, seating
himself on the edge of the bin, and looking lovingly down at its
contents, for this conversation took place up in the loft.
"Wrong!" I cried. "I get fonder of it every day; but I'm not going to
skin and stuff things to please anybody, not even you."
"I'm sorry for you," said Mercer. "You're going to be a soldier. My
father says I'm to be a doctor. You're going to destroy, and I'm going
to preserve."