Being part of the queue outside the headmaster’s study helped him greatly. He was just carried along. All the boys exiting the office did so as nonchalently as possible suggesting things were, perhaps, not too bad. The second stroke landed on his backside before the first had registered properly. It was a bit of a shock when both took effect. But he survived without undue expression of distress and became one of the gang. I found him remarkably excited and pleased even before the pain had passed off.