Lisgar Collegiate Institute - Vox Lycei Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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58 VOX LYCEI XYhen a comparative silence was restored-Qcomparative, I say, for the donkey was still airing his grievanceb,-the Countess observed cheerfully. I must say, Etienne. that you have a very poor taste in desperadoes. Let us take these villians home and feed them, They may prove interesting. Really, Jeanne , the Count was annoyed but had no desire to ruftie the feelings of his bride, you do pick up the most impossible people. No , as she started to speak. I will not hear another word. As for you , he turned on the three menacingly, you scoundrels, I will see that you are soundly beaten. The highwaymen gave themselves up for lost, and their knees knocked to- gether like castanets. But the Countess was a woman of resource. Really, Etienne . she said reproachfully, you are rather horrid, parti- cularly as our servants have resigned. That , replied the Count, thoughtfully , is another thing. If you will take care of our carriage you will escape punishment this time. But , he added grimly, I will make sure that you do not attempt to cut our throats on the way home. The Countess winked quite distinctly at the three friends with the eye remote from her husband, and. acting on a common impulse, they flung them- selves yapping at her feet. IYhen the eloquence of their gratitude was some- what abated they leaped onto the carriage, Anthony on the coachman's box, and Paul and Rudy behind. They moved off at a brisk pace. lVhen they had disappeared from sight. there peeped out from the prickly hedge which ran along the ditch, the mud-spattered faces, pale to the nose-tips. of the Count's late retinue. The donkey, not seeing them and therefore assuming that he had lost his audience, ceased his lamentations and lay down to rest. IIE.-XTRICE QRKIN, IVA. , Carson s ueer Revenge A letter for you, sir , said Sorrel the school postmaster. handing Simmons a dainty pink envelope. XVhat on earth is this? No stamp or anything. Some stupid joke I sup- pose. Have you got one, Carson? he asked his room-mate. No, I haven't. but don't you think you'd like to know what's in it P sug- gested Carson who was rather curious to know the contents of the letter. Simmons tore open the envelope. Inside there was written a note on pink paper. Simmons read it aloud. Messrs Firth, Parson and Price request the honour of your company at a supper to be given in studies IJ, E, X F, on Thursday evening at eight o'cIock. The invitation had evidently been compiled from an At Home card. The boys had introduced Chicken and Beans , in one corner in place of Music and Dancing. In the other corner were the mystic letters, 'R.S.V.P.'. Oh boy! study supper! But' how is it you aren't going Carson? I always thought you and Firth great chums , asked Simmons. Yes, we were. And I was in good with Price also. Can't see why they haven't asked me , said Carson mournfully. f'XVe're going to have some time , remarked Simmons. Chicken and beans, nothing I like better. And what's 'R.S.V.P.'?

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VOX LYCEI 57 VVe must have firearms , he said. And swords , added Paul. And masks , this from Rudy. For lack of more formidable weapons, Anthony fashioned them muskets and rapiers from broomsticks purloined en route. Then, muffiing their faces in their tattered cloaks, in lieu of masks, they took up a position on one of the many roads leading from Paris, and thus equipped. awaited a victim. Rudy, being the most agile, was on sentry duty in a tree. The artist, below, began to grumble that he was still hungry. Your wonderful project , he growled to Paul, not hlling our stomachs yet. Be patient , urged the poet. llc shall have money ..... . At which point, Rudy, crying out that a carriage was approaching, promptly fell out of the tree. However, as his friends were directly below him, he landed on them, breaking his fall and very nearly their necks. Get ready! cried Anthony nervously. when the natural confusion was over. They moved forward. gripping their broomstick weapons gallantly. and waited. Thus it was that Etienne Charles Henri Leonard de La Pre d'Or, fifth Comte de la Montaigne, driving Parisward with Jeanne. his bride. after a wedding-journey in Normandy. was suddenly confronted by three pallid youths in amazingly patched garments, clutching at muskets with sweating fingers, and evidently suffering from an ague which seemed to have affected only their knees. Stand and deliver! cried Paul. unconvincingly. Your money or your lives ! Anthony's voice cracked, giving it an almost pleading note. Rudy appeared to be working himself up. Finally. in a terrible voice, which sought to cover his quaking heart. he thundered. Potzblitzmillionendonnerwetter l l After this there seemed no more to be said on the subject. It remained with the Count's attendants, who numbered a coachman and two footmen, to make the first move. They made it. They Hed summarily, the coachman alone pausing to fire a solitary shot at the highwaymen, Fortunately. as according to his custom he turned away his head and closed his eyes at the moment of firing. The ball passed through the window of the carriage at right angles to the direction in which it was fired and did no more harm than to sting a donkey in a field nearby. The rest of this scene must be pictured as punctuated by the resentful braying of the astonished beast. Then Paul, slighly emboldened by this unexpected success, called loudly. Come out of the carriage, or you are dead men. The Count and the bride, the former poker-stiff with rage descended into the dust of the road. At sight of the latter, the eyes of the three friends bulged. The mere tracing of ink on paper cannot hope to describe her charm, her grace, her utterly devastating loveliness. Suffice it to say. that the only impulse of the gallant fbut hungryj trio was to crawl into the ditch and pull it in after them. There wa-s a long silence, during which the donkey emitted a few hollow moans. Then Rudy, realizing that someone had to begin, gave Anthony a sug- gestive shove. The artist was hurled against Paul, whose mock weapon flew from his hand, while he himself was precipitated into the dust at the feet of the Countess. After that pandemonium reigned for at least ten minutes, during which the Count told them just exactly what he thought of them, and Paul, recognizing the advantages of his location, told the amused Countess his tale of woe.

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VOX LYCEI 59 That's a good one , laughed Carson. I bet you thought that it was somthing good to eat. lt means 'Reply si vous play'. That day ,the study supper was the talk of the school. Going to the supper, Carson? he would be asked time and time again. No, I don't think so , was usually Carson's reply uttered in lordly manner. XVhy, you've been asked, haven't you? would naturally be the next ques- tion, the boys not understanding how anybody could refuse such an attractive invitation. Then Carson would have to make the humiliating confession that he had not even been asked. When boys on far less intimate terms with the givers of the supper expressed their intention of having 'a jolly good time', Carson's blood rose to the boiling point. 'Revenge is sweet'-and he determined that the trio of hosts should feel the full weight of his anger. lt is easier to determine than to do. But at last, he devised a plan by means of which not only enter- tainers but also entertained would suffer. His first act was to procure a large medicine bottle. Concealing this under his coat, he stealthily made his way to the inhrmary immediately after dinner when he knew Mrs. Simmers would be dining. Mrs. Simmers was the 'needle woman' of the school but also acted as 'medicine man'. She kept her doses and cures in a cabinet in the infirmary. The door creaked noisily as Carson entered the room. From the cabinet he took out several bottles, the contents of which he knew had an exceedingly vile taste. He poured a little from each into the bottle which he carried. XYhile doing this he was musing. XVhat should he say if he were caught extracting some of the contents of the cupboard? The sweet tooth with which most boys are blessed might prove suflicient excuse for purloining jam, but who would think that any boy would steal medicine for the mere pleasure of taking it? XYhen he had finished obtaining the desired mix- ture, he retraced his steps just in time to avoid Mrs. Simmers. So far so good-or so bad. Carson felt very uncomfortable and very guilty and almost decided to give up his plan . But as he was walking through the schoolroom on the way to his desk, he encountered Firth, formerly his great- est companion. XVith a refinement of cruelty, as Carson thought, Firth greeted him as if nothing had happened to mar their friendship. Carson's temper once more arose. He thirsted more than ever for revenge, and a minute later behind his desk, he gloated over the smell, as he thought of the punishment in store for the hosts and their guests. Carson spent most of his time that evening shaking the bottle and found to his satisfaction and intense delight that the compound became nastier and nastier, as the ingredients were mixed together. Next morning when he came downstairs, his first act was to apply the cork to his tongue. The taste almost made him ill. He flattered himself that no more odious mixture had ever been brewed. The opportunity for the completion of his design came after school in the afternoon. So great was the interest in the supper that every detail of the preparations leaked out. At last, Carson received the welcome news that Firth and his colleagues were cooking the provisions in the studies. Carson took up his station at the foot of the study staircase. with the medicine bottle next to his beating heart, and awaited developments. Up above, he could hear the preparations for the feast busily going on. Every burst of laughter, every rattle of the tin saucepans made him clutch the bottle more tightly and swear revenge more deeply, Finally, it was evident that the chickens, beans and other dainties were safely deposited on the fires in the