Hitting in the face was a felony punishable with flogging, other hitting only a misdemeanour--a distinction not altogether clear in principle.

Tom, however, escaped the penalty by pleading primum tempus; and having written a second letter to his mother, inclosing some forget-me-nots, which he picked on their first half-holiday walk, felt quite happy again, and began to enjoy vastly a good deal of his new life.
These half-holiday walks were the great events of the week.

The whole fifty boys started after dinner with one of the ushers for Hazeldown, which was distant some mile or so from the school.

Hazeldown measured some three miles round, and in the neighbourhood were several woods full of all manner of birds and butterflies.

The usher walked slowly round the down with such boys as liked to accompany him; the rest scattered in all directions, being only bound to appear again when the usher had completed his round, and accompany him home.