A patrolling prefect found us there, presumed that we were smoking, and sent us to the headmaster. He beat us. He hit us each three times. I seem to think that he hit me especially hard but it did not hurt much; I was older and much less frightened than the first time; and I did not care a lot. When I stood up, I took a letter from my pocket and gave it to the headmaster. The letter was from my father. It said that I would be leaving the school forthwith. I went from the headmaster study to the bicycle sheds and rode away from that horrible school and that was that.
The Cane in UK Schools81
