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The three had at first intended to smear the beds of the Rovers with it, but had gotten no chance. "Give them a good dose!" said Dudd Flockley. He had joined in the blanket-tossing with vigor. Sam, Songbird and Stanley were being led to the river when Max came rushing up to Tom and Dick, who happened to be in the library, looking over some works of travel.

Instantly the cadets holding the blankets straightened up, jerking it taut. Up into the air a couple of feet bounded Jack. As his body came down the cadets holding the blanket gave it a still harder jerk. This time Jack shot up into the air at least four feet. It was the same old blanket-tossing, long popular both in the Army and Navy.

Under the latter head came in performances of blanket-tossing and elephant parades tricks which most of us had never seen before, but which we learned were well known among old soldiers.

As regular as drumbeats the cadets ripped out the syllables of the refrain. At each word Jack Benson’s body shot higher and higher. These young men were experts in the gentle art of blanket-tossing. Ere long the submarine boy was going up into the air some eight or nine feet at every tautening of the blanket. As for escape, that was out of the question.

And now the cadets broke into a low, monotonous chant, in time to their movements. It ran: Sir, sir, surcingle! Sir, sir, circle! Sir, sir, with a shingle Sir, sir, sir! As regular as drumbeats the cadets ripped out the syllables of the refrain. At each word Jack Benson's body shot higher and higher. These young men were experts in the gentle art of blanket-tossing.

More simpleton you, then!” Hal shot back at him in warning. “What chance do you think you stand against a crowd like this?” Just as suddenly as it had begun the blanket-tossing stopped. Yet, hardly had Jack been allowed to step out than Hal Hastings was unceremoniously dropped athwart the blanket. The tossing began again, to the chant of: Sir, sir, surcingle! Sir, sir, circle!

In the daytime they swam their horses in the river. A jolly form of amusement there was the blanket-tossing of intruding natives, who were rather prone to contract those things which did not belong to them; and no method of discouragement was so efficacious. The "Gyppies" were fleet of foot, but so were the troopers, and to see a lanky southerner pursuing a victim was good entertainment.

But it was Sunday night before active persecution began. Boys' schools, be they in what country they may, are as much alike as boy nature is alike and unalterable the world over, from age to age. Only the details differ. At Rugby, new boys undergo blanket-tossing. In France there is a custom less vigorous though physically more painful.

As his body came down the cadets holding the blanket gave it a still harder jerk. This time Jack shot up into the air at least four feet. It was the same old blanket-tossing, long popular both in the Army and Navy. Every time Jack landed the blanket was given a harder jerk by those holding it. Benson began to go higher and higher.