The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-19
RUDYARD KlPLlNG AT SCHOOL.
HOW WIT AND LUCK TWICE SAVED
HIM FROM PUNISHMENT.


Youngsters at His Heels That He
mad Checked" Into a Fury-New
stories From Westward HO.
New York. March 1.-THE increasing in
,srest which is evinced in the adventures
If stajkv. McTurk and Beetle, will prob
sbly not be Iessened by a knowledge that
the three juvenile heroes OF Kiphng's
school boy story are undoubtedly drawn
from the lives of Kipling himself and his
TWO inseparable chums at the United
Service College, Westward Ho, Dunster-
vile aud Beresford-Kipling it is under
stood, being Beetle, though his sobriquet
among his schoolfellows was always
Gigs" OF Gigs my first recollection
was Of a small boy with an unusually
large head, crowned by thick mass of
dark hair, flying down a long corridor with
troop of irritated youngsters at his
heels. Kipling had Checked" them so it
seemed from their shouts, d pastime in
which he fearlessly INDUCED his poignant
tongue to the end of his days a Westward
Ho, and which in reality was a proof of
she pluck that lay in a body not at all
remarkable for physical strength.
/ Nothing seems to stand out more clear
" regarding those days of Kipling's boy
hood than the fact that he was thorough
boy, full of humorous pranks, played upon
masters as well as his schoolfellows.
Staky. McTurk and Beetle were in truth,
4 ever in some esca pade, the honest fun of
which must have saved them from many
4 punishment
That Kipling was then. however, quick
/ 10 perceive the weakness of human ma
4 ture is illustrated in the case of one of
/ the masters, nicknamed "Hoofer," on ac-
/ count of the huge size of his feet and
/ concerning which the master in question
/ appeared TO be painfully conscious.
Staring HOOfer Into Submission.
The ordinary retiring hour at the United
4 Service College was O'Clock, but boys
Engaged In any special work, preparing
i Tor examinations, and so forth. were per-
mtted to sit up later. This permission
one Of the Kipling trio, not Gigs, had
obtained, and on a certain occasion the
other two decided to plan for him a little
surprise on coming upstairs. On the top
Of the dOrmitory door they piled a mis-
4 ceilaneous collection of articles, so that
when their chum pushed it open he would
receive them all on his head.
Then they went to bed and awaited re-
/ suits. Now it CHANGED that instead of the
4 chun, Hoofer the master. came up on an
| Unexpected nocturnal visit, and to his dis
/ may received an avalanche of wet towels,
/ pieces of soap, shoes and candle ends
Shortly discovering the names of The
/ cuiDrits. they were sternly ordered to APP
pear and explain their conduct after roll
call next morning, bringing with them the
/ innocent cause of the trouble, who, on ac-
/ count of his suspicious connections was
4 presumed to be an accessory before the
4 fact
4 Undoubtedly the matter looked serious,
ioF IN an English school no boy can hail
soap and candle ends on a masters head
/ with impunity. Then bright idea oc-
| Cured TO Gigs. II say, you fellows"
he whispered, I'm tell you what. Wen
all stare at old Hooters feet, when hen
die with confusion. He cannot stand that"
The next morning, therefore, when the
three youths appeared for sentence before
the tribunal of justice, with humble mein,
they fixed a downcast concentrated gaze
upon the masters boots.
AT first, not divining their intent, he
proceeded to reprmand them for their
action of the previous night, but on be-
coming suddenly conscious of his feet
4
On the spot.
hipIing as an Acrobat.
When Kipling was quite a small boy he
once performed an untimely acrobratlc
feat from the consequences OF which he
did not escape so easily.
/ The evening hour from TO was passed
by the lower form boys in long suite of
class rooms, preparing work for the fol-
rowing day, master being on duty who
passed back and forth between the various
rooms
On the particular night it so happened
mat master had charge of the prep"
VINO was regarded as demon incarnate
by the boys.
Never did a man more firmly believe
IN the old maxim about "sparing the rod
ana spelling the child" than this instruc-
,of OF youthful minds. He had a drawer
N ms study escritoire lined with baize, in
"hich he Kept rows of beautiful canes
tNat ne took a special delight in showing
10 niue new boys. He was not exactly the
sort OF man for even a Gigs to trifie with.
gigs presumably having finished his
"oFA and believing that the master had
i'ssed on into a further room, thought
II would be a little diversion to swing on
,e gdspipe; but 1t unfortunately happen
~ lhat the master had only gone a few
PAGES beyond the threshold and re-
u'.ed Just in time to see Gigs, with his
D'N 20 the door, commencing his acrobat
Ieat Horror was at once depicted on the
a.es OF those who beheld the awe-in-
sp"lng spectacle for the master had drawn
oitA a cane from the sleeve Of his gown
u "ith an ihboding smile on his face
vas advancing to tip-toe toward the un-
luscious performer, when down came
ss gaspipe and all and the room was
0Eeloped in total darkness.
H., Gt nose days, the subsequent saying Of
lung that IAN inkpot having been emp
/ ort mo ms veins 1t was bound to come
yu' through his fingers might wen have
changed TO the pores of his skin. for
"a ,p' aS eyer greatly smudged and smear
s WIN that fluid while pencils and pens
On n 0ut OF his pockets like the quilts
me back Of a pbrcupine.
W. sne iast day Of the term the boys
r,na. urIVen to the railroad terminus. three
'''''' away where compartments were re-