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There were no lessons on Saturday morning but that did
not make the day one to look forward to, because instead
there was the weekly school inspection. Friday evening
was devoted to an extensive cleaning and tidying
program, supervised by the prefects, and this was
continued after breakfast on Saturday. The inspection,
by the Master of Discipline, started at eleven lasted
roughly for an hour and a half. He took with him an
entourage of prefects, who noted down the names of
offenders against his rules, for later punishment. On the first Saturday inspection, Rob had been checked
for an untidy bed but let off, as a new arrival, with a
warning to do better in future. The three sections of
the mattress had to be stacked, one above the other and
perfectly aligned, at the head of the bed, and various
items of clothing and belongings -- best jacket, spare
shoes, toilet articles, sports kit and so on- had to be
set out on top of them in a particular order. On the
lower part of the bed blankets were placed, folded to
certain size, with the following week's sheets and
pillow slip. All other belongings had to be disposed of
neatly in the locker beside the bed.
The second week he was kept busy on Friday in the work
gang that was detailed to scrub the dormitory floor and
polish the taps and other fillings in the washroom. In
the morning, immediately after breakfast, he was
detailed to a party picking up scraps of paper all round
G-House. He was not released until ten-thirty and
sprinted along with the others to get on with the job of
tidying his own bed space. But he was caught on the way
upstairs by a senior boy and made to help in laying out
his things. He did it badly and was made to do it again.
It was eleven o'clock before he was dismissed.
Everyone else's bed was ready. There was still time,
though, he thought as he feverishly set about his task.
On the previous Saturday the inspecting party had not
reached them until after twelve. He folded the blankets,
saw they would not do, and tried again. The second
effort was worse than the first. His fingers by this
time were thumbs. He did it once more; better, but the
edges were not exactly in line. He was forced to start
all over again.
The other boys were playing dice and talking. Then one
who had been posted as a look-out at the top of the
stairs called: "Stand by your beds! They're here and
coming up." Rob somehow managed to finish putting the
specified articles on show. Some of his other things
were on the shelf which ran along the wall above the
beds. This had to be clear for Saturday inspection. He
grabbed everything and bundled it into the locker,
closed and latched it, and stood to attention by his bed
as the Master of Discipline and the prefects came into
the dormitory at the far end. Only one boy was checked,
for a missing toothbrush, as they made their way along
the line. There was an encouraging atmosphere of good humor : the Master cracked a joke and all the prefects
laughed at it. Two beds from Rob, the Master paused to
offer a word of commendation. "Very good. A neat
effort." He passed the next bed with a cursory glance
and Rob somehow managed to finish putting the specified
articles on show. Some of his other things stood in
front of Rob's.
He was a small man, shorter than any of the prefects,
meticulous in appearance with a strong closely trimmed
black beard. He stood with hands folded behind his back,
head thrust forward. He gave a small nod, which Rob
thought meant his bed had passed muster. Then he said
quietly:
"You are the new boy. I saw you last week. I remember
telling you your blankets were not properly squared."
"Yes, sir." |
