“Hereyouare！Wanderer——thethirdfavourite！“shoutstheopener。
　　“Isay，justgivememyticket，please，“remonstratesTadpole。
　　“Hullo！don’tbeinahurry，“breaksinFlashman；“what’llyousellWandererfornow？“
　　“Idon’twanttosell，“rejoinsTadpole。
　　“Oh，don’tyou！Nowlisten，youyoungfool:youdon’tknowanythingaboutit；thehorseisnousetoyou。Hewon’twin，butIwanthimasahedge。Now，I’llgiveyouhalfacrownforhim。“Tadpoleholdsout，butbetweenthreatsandcajoleriesatlengthsellshalfforoneshillingandsixpence——aboutafifthofitsfairmarketvalue；however，heisgladtorealizeanything，and，ashewiselyremarks，“Wanderermayn’twin，andthetizzyissafeanyhow。“
　　Eastpresentlycomesupanddrawsablank。SoonaftercomesTom’sturn。Histicket，liketheothers，isseizedandopened。
　　“Hereyouarethen，“shoutstheopener，holdingitup——
　　“Harkaway！——ByJove，Flashey，youryoungfriend’sinluck。“
　　“Givemetheticket，“saysFlashman，withanoath，leaningacrossthetablewithopenhandandhisfaceblackwithrage。
　　“Wouldn’tyoulikeit？“repliestheopener，notabadfellowatthebottom，andnoadmirerofFlashman。“Here，Brown，catchhold。“AndhehandsthetickettoTom，whopocketsit。
　　WhereuponFlashmanmakesforthedooratonce，thatTomandtheticketmaynotescape，andtherekeepswatchuntilthedrawingisoverandalltheboysaregone，exceptthesportingsetoffiveorsix，whostaytocomparebooks，makebets，andsoon；
　　Tom，whodoesn’tchoosetomovewhileFlashmanisatthedoor；
　　andEast，whostaysbyhisfriend，anticipatingtrouble。ThesportingsetnowgatheredroundTom。Publicopinionwouldn’tallowthemactuallytorobhimofhisticket，butanyhumbugorintimidationbywhichhecouldbedriventosellthewholeorpartatanundervaluewaslawful。
　　“Now，youngBrown，come，what’llyousellmeHarkawayfor？I
　　hearheisn’tgoingtostart。I’llgiveyoufiveshillingsforhim，“beginstheboywhohadopenedtheticket。Tom，rememberinghisgooddeed，andmoreoverinhisforlornstatewishingtomakeafriend，isabouttoaccepttheoffer，whenanothercriesout，“I’llgiveyousevenshillings。“Tomhesitatedandlookedfromonetotheother。
　　“No，no！“saidFlashman，pushingin，“leavemetodealwithhim；
　　we’lldrawlotsforitafterwards。Nowsir，youknowme:you’llsellHarkawaytousforfiveshillings，oryou’llrepentit。“
　　“Iwon’tsellabitofhim，“answeredTomshortly。
　　“Youhearthatnow！“saidFlashman，turningtotheothers。
　　“He’sthecoxiestyoungblackguardinthehouse。Ialwaystoldyouso。We’retohaveallthetroubleandriskofgettingupthelotteriesforthebenefitofsuchfellowsashe。“
　　Flashmanforgetstoexplainwhatrisktheyran，buthespeakstowillingears。Gamblingmakesboysselfishandcruelaswellasmen。
　　“That’strue。Wealwaysdrawblanks，“criedone——“Now，sir，youshallsellhalf，atanyrate。“
　　“Iwon’t，“saidTom，flushinguptohishair，andlumpingthemallinhismindwithhisswornenemy。
　　“Verywellthen；let’sroasthim，“criedFlashman，andcatchesholdofTombythecollar。Oneortwoboyshesitate，buttherestjoinin。EastseizesTom’sarm，andtriestopullhimaway，butisknockedbackbyoneoftheboys，andTomisdraggedalongstruggling。Hisshouldersarepushedagainstthemantelpiece，andheisheldbymainforcebeforethefire，Flashmandrawinghistrouserstightbywayofextratorture。
　　PoorEast，inmorepaineventhanTom，suddenlythinksofDiggs，anddartsofftofindhim。“Willyousellnowfortenshillings？“saysoneboywhoisrelenting。
　　Tomonlyanswersbygroansandstruggles。
　　“Isay，Flashey，hehashadenough，“saysthesameboy，droppingthearmheholds。
　　“No，no；anotherturn’lldoit，“answersFlashman。ButpoorTomisdonealready，turnsdeadlypale，andhisheadfallsforwardonhisbreast，justasDiggs，infranticexcitement，rushesintothehallwithEastathisheels。
　　“Youcowardlybrutes！“isallhecansay，ashecatchesTomfromthemandsupportshimtothehalltable。“GoodGod！he’sdying。
　　Here，getsomecoldwater——runforthehousekeeper。“
　　Flashmanandoneortwoothersslinkaway；therest，ashamedandsorry，bendoverTomorrunforwater，whileEastdartsoffforthehousekeeper。Watercomes，andtheythrowitonhishandsandface，andhebeginstocometo。“Mother！“——thewordscamefeeblyandslowly——“it’sverycoldto-night。“PooroldDiggsisblubberinglikeachild。“WhereamI？“goesonTom，openinghiseyes，“Ah！Iremembernow。“Andheshuthiseyesagainandgroaned。
　　“Isay，“iswhispered，“wecan’tdoanygood，andthehousekeeperwillbehereinaminute。“Andallbutonestealaway。HestayswithDiggs，silentandsorrowful，andfansTom’sface。
　　Thehousekeepercomesinwithstrongsalts，andTomsoonrecoversenoughtositup。Thereisasmellofburning。Sheexamineshisclothes，andlooksupinquiringly。Theboysaresilent。
　　“Howdidhecomeso？“Noanswer。“There’sbeensomebadworkhere，“sheadds，lookingveryserious，“andIshallspeaktotheDoctoraboutit。“Stillnoanswer。
　　“Hadn’twebettercarryhimtothesick-room？“suggestsDiggs。
　　“Oh，Icanwalknow，“saysTom；and，supportedbyEastandthehousekeeper，goestothesick-room。Theboywhoheldhisgroundissoonamongsttherest，whoareallinfearoftheirlives。
　　“Didhepeach？““Doessheknowaboutit？“
　　“Notaword；he’sastanchlittlefellow。“Andpausingamoment，headds，“I’msickofthiswork；whatbruteswe’vebeen！“
　　MeantimeTomisstretchedonthesofainthehousekeeper’sroom，withEastbyhisside，whileshegetswineandwaterandotherrestoratives。
　　“Areyoumuchhurt，dearoldboy？“whispersEast。
　　“Onlythebackofmylegs，“answersTom。Theyareindeedbadlyscorched，andpartofhistrousersburntthrough。Butsoonheisinbedwithcoldbandages。Atfirsthefeelsbroken，andthinksofwritinghomeandgettingtakenaway；andtheverseofahymnhehadlearnedyearsagosingsthroughhishead，andhegoestosleep，murmuring，-
　　“Wherethewickedceasefromtroubling，Andthewearyareatrest。“
　　Butafterasoundnight’srest，theoldboy-spiritcomesbackagain。Eastcomesin，reportingthatthewholehouseiswithhim；andheforgetseverything，excepttheiroldresolvenevertobebeatenbythatbullyFlashman。
　　Notawordcouldthehousekeeperextractfromeitherofthem，andthoughtheDoctorknewallthatsheknewthatmorning，heneverknewanymore。
　　Itrustandbelievethatsuchscenesarenotpossiblenowatschool，andthatlotteriesandbetting-bookshavegoneout；butIamwritingofschoolsastheywereinourtime，andmustgivetheevilwiththegood。
　　“WhereinI[speak]ofmostdisastrouschances，Ofmovingaccidentsbyfloodandfield，Ofhair-breadth’scapes。“-SHAKESPEARE。
　　WhenTomcamebackintoschoolafteracoupleofdaysinthesick-room，hefoundmattersmuchchangedforthebetter，asEasthadledhimtoexpect。Flashman’sbrutalityhaddisgustedmostevenofhisintimatefriends，andhiscowardicehadoncemorebeenmadeplaintothehouse；forDiggshadencounteredhimonthemorningafterthelottery，andafterhighwordsonbothsides，hadstruckhim，andtheblowwasnotreturned。However，Flasheywasnotunusedtothissortofthing，andhadlivedthroughasawkwardaffairsbefore，and，asDiggshadsaid，fedandtoadiedhimselfbackintofavouragain。TwoorthreeoftheboyswhohadhelpedtoroastTomcameupandbeggedhispardon，andthankedhimfornottellinganything。Morgansentforhim，andwasinclinedtotakethematterupwarmly，butTombeggedhimnottodoit；towhichheagreed，onTom’spromisingtocometohimatonceinfuture——apromisewhich，Iregrettosay，hedidn’tkeep。TomkeptHarkawayalltohimself，andwonthesecondprizeinthelottery，somethirtyshillings，whichheandEastcontrivedtospendinaboutthreedaysinthepurchaseofpicturesfortheirstudy，twonewbatsandacricket-ball——allthebestthatcouldbegot——andasupperofsausages，kidneys，andbeef-steakpiestoalltherebels。Lightcome，lightgo；
　　theywouldn’thavebeencomfortablewithmoneyintheirpocketsinthemiddleofthehalf。
　　TheembersofFlashman’swrath，however，werestillsmouldering，andburstouteverynowandtheninslyblowsandtaunts，andtheybothfeltthattheyhadn’tquitedonewithhimyet。Itwasn’tlong，however，beforethelastactofthatdramacame，andwithittheendofbullyingforTomandEastatRugby。Theynowoftenstoleoutintothehallatnights，incitedtheretopartlybythehopeoffindingDiggsthereandhavingatalkwithhim，partlybytheexcitementofdoingsomethingwhichwasagainstrules；for，sadtosay，bothofouryoungsters，sincetheirlossofcharacterforsteadinessintheirform，hadgotintothehabitofdoingthingswhichwereforbidden，asamatterofadventure，——justinthesameway，Ishouldfancy，asmenfallintosmuggling，andforthesamesortofreasons