The Ingram-Lewis Chronicles Pt. 04

Tomlinson howled and howled as the cane rose and fell on his backside and the pain grew steadily worse until Patrick placed the final twelfth stroke diagonally across the rest. "Up you get Tomlinson," he said to the tearful boy. "Let that be a lesson to you never ever again to run in the corridors. Now, get your clothes back on and cut along to class otherwise you will be late and find yourself the unfortunate recipient of a punishment slip."

Tomlinson, whose arse was truly on fire, hobbled along the corridor, went into the lavatory and attempted to look at his damaged anatomy, before a few minutes later, creeping gingerly into the class. Mr Cass, the classics master, a dried up, unpopular and unsympathetic figure who and been at Rigby almost as long as the Headmaster himself said: "Nice of you to join us, Tomlinson. Do I gather from your limping gate that you have already had your backside beaten? That must surely be a record as we are only half way through the first day of the new term. Well boy, go and sit down and let's get on with the lesson."

"Please sir, do you think I might stand at the back of the class for the moment?"

"Certainly not, Tomlinson. You have been beaten for a reason and your backside is no doubt aching, but that is no excuse whatsoever for not sitting at your desk in the normal manner. The fact that sitting down has now become painful is, my dear Tomlinson, a problem of your own making."

"But sir, it's just so very painful when I sit down; I'm in agony, sir. Please sir, couldn't I just remain standing?"

"Sit down, Tomlinson. You, young man, are now reaping what you have sown. You clearly broke some rule and merited a thrashing and you must now live with the consequences. So, boy, for the last time sit down and pay attention before I feel myself obliged to issue you with a punishment slip."

Tomlinson, by now completely demoralised, did finally sit down and had a very uncomfortable afternoon.

CHAPTER 3

That evening, the Court of Prefects met for the first time. Patrick presided over the meeting and explained to his co prefects exactly how the changes, announced by the Headmaster that morning, affected them. As of now, the prefects, under the direction of Patrick himself, were more or less responsible for the entire discipline of the school. The previous rule, which had limited them to no more than six cuts of the cane to any miscreant still applied. The senior prefects could administer punishment to any of the boys with either the junior or senior canes, but the newly appointed junior prefects were limited to the junior cane and could beat only boys in the first and second forms.

But then came the great change; as Head Boy in loco domini, Patrick had now the authority to beat and birch any of the boys as he wished. There was no limit on the severity of the punishment, other than that imposed by the school regulations, which limited the maximum number of strokes of the cane to twenty-four on any one occasion and eighteen for the birch. But, as Patrick now pointed out, the court of Prefects, under his presidency and in his presence, could administer the cane as he directed. His co-prefects were of course delighted to hear that they would have the chance to carry out more severe beatings.

But it got even better, for the Court of Prefects would now be responsible for beating boys who had received punishment slips from the teaching staff; punishment which had previously been administered exclusively by the Headmaster himself. Patrick now informed the Court of the changed situation: "As you will now appreciate, the Court will convene every weekday evening after supper, when we will jointly have the pleasure of beating the boys who are on that day's punishment list. Boys will be punished the evening of the day after their offence, to enable the school secretary to prepare and post the list of those boys who are expected to attend the Court that evening. The actual number of strokes to be given is a matter for the Court itself to decide. However, I can tell you that the Headmaster himself has just today told me that he considers twelve cuts are needed to beat a boy's backside adequately and that often more can be justified. So gentlemen I sugest we align orusleves to the Headmaster's wishes and consider twelve cuts as the starting tariff? I am sure you all agree with that suggestion." (As if anyone would object!)

"And so, gentlemen, as you can now see, we the prefects, under my direction, will more or less administer all corporal punishment at Rigby. We have it in our power to make sure that the miscreants with whom we deal are adequately punished and I suggest that we make the concept of Rigby Rigour mean something. It is up to us, to make sure that each boy leaving the Court does so with an arse which has been well and truly roasted. I want no half measures here; beatings have got to hurt and boys should leave us in the knowledge that they will have a very painful arse for several days. Of course, gentlemen, as ever, all canings will be given "bare bum" as the boys call it. And any of you who individually wish to punish a boy for some misdemeanour or other and feel limited by the statutory six cuts, then just refer him to the Court."

"Well, gentlemen, unless there are any questions, I suggest that we get down to this evening's business" At this, the prefects were all more or less agog, wondering what Patrick meant, for none of them were aware that he had, by chance, found some twelve boys, the chalk fighters, who were now waiting in the corridor outside the Court and who would be the first boys to be punished as a group by the new Court of Prefects. "Awaiting our ministrations in the corridor are twelve first year boys, who entered Rigby this very day and already, in the lunch hour, were creating mayhem. I therefore propose that we come down on them like a ton of bricks and give each of them a beating to remember. Firstly it will teach them a lesson and secondly, by word of mouth on the grape vine, the whole school will soon know that we the prefects mean business. I think it is good that our power should be known and exercised when necessary, We need to be feared by all: new boys and our contemporaries in the lower and upper sixths."

"Now to this evening's inaugural beating session; Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you the bath-brush." And Patrick pulled from under his desk two long handled wooden brushes of the type used earlier in the century by people to scrub their backs whilst in the bath. But these brushes with their large flat wooden heads and long handles, made an excellent implement with which to administer a hard spanking, I use the word spanking here in the English sense, which is less than a caning and was a light punishment often applied by a father to the naked bottom of his errant child whilst pulled across his knee. Patrick continued: "What I propose is that the six junior prefects give each of these boys a little "warm up"; let us say three good hard whacks with this brush on each of their cheeks."

"Then, gentlemen, we will proceed to some serious caning. The Head Master has given to me several of his his favourite old canes and I can tell you that after a brief examination that we have in our hands some superb instruments with which to beat these boys. So, after a warm up session with the brush, I will personally give each boy three strokes of the cane, leaving the nine remaining strokes to complete their punishment to be applied by you, the senior prefects. I propose that we deal with the boys two at a time; across two chairs and that we coordinate our strokes to add a touch of drama to the occasion. I want these boys to experience true Rigby Rigour, and to go away wondering what they are going to do to calm down their arses. Believe me, gentlemen, these twelve miscreants will rue the day they ever started the chalk fight. They are all in for a very uncomfortable night in bed, I can tell you"

"Now, before we begin, there is one other thing which has to be cleared up: why was the classroom door left unlocked at lunchtime? There is a rota of junior prefects whose job it is to ensure that all the junior form rooms are locked over the lunch hour. Now, all three first year rooms were, in fact, left unlocked. I checked the other two; and so, I would like the the prefect whose job it was to lock the rooms this week, to see me in my study immediately after we have finished dispensing justice here. Now, gentlemen, might I suggest that we begin our arduous task?" There was a titter of laughter at this remark as the prefects were relishing roasting a dozen virgin arses. What luck and on the very first day of term to boot! This was to be a metaphorical bloodbath.

The twelve first formers filed nervously into the room and were told to line themselves up against the wall. Patrick gave them a brief lecture about the error of their ways and told them that they were going to be punished here and now; moreover, severely punished as an example of what happened to boys who broke the rules. By this time the boys were all trembling with fear without really knowing exactly what was to happen to them. "Right, drop your gym shorts, all of you step out of them, fold them neatly and place them on the floor behind you; then stand to attention with your hands on your heads," said Patrick. This was for most of them their first acquaintance of the utter brutality of public school life: everyone was allowed to see everything; there were no secrets.

Reading from the list of names prepared by Tomlinson Minor, Patrick ordered the first two boys to step forward and bend across a chair. "Come on you two; look lively; get your arses well up in the air so that we can see what we are doing. Don't worry, you will not catch cold, for we are going to warm you up right now." Then motioning to the two junior prefects who were to form the first relay and were to administer the first strokes with the brushes, he stood back and said: "Now, gentlemen, on my count and together, let us show these two miscreants how now we do things here at Rigby."

The two young lads howled with pain as they each took six resounding strokes across their arses, three on each of their virgin buns. By the time this warm up bout was finished, tears were streaming down the faces of both boys, neither of whom had any idea of what was still awaiting them. They were followed successively by pairs of their class-mates, each of whom received a similar treatment. Those who had been punished first and sent back to stand and watch their classmates receiving the same treatment probably thought that the punishment was over. Alas they were sadly mistaken

"Now boys that you have had a warming prelude to to what is in store for you, the first two of you kindly step up and bend over the chairs again when we shall proceed to make you wish that you could peel off your arses and hang them out to dry." The poor lads looked at each other in horror and fear. What was going to happen to them now? Patrick now took the cane and gave each of the two now rosy red backsides three hard well placed cuts of the cane. He gave the strokes one at a time and moved between the boys. Having completed his task, two senior prefects took over, this time each armed with a cane and to Patrick's count, gave each boy another nine resounding cuts. The boys cried out in agony, as stroke followed stroke. The rest of the class looked on, hands on heads, in utter fear as they now knew what was in store for them.

When the last pair had been beaten Patrick ordered all of them to get dressed and go to bed, but it was a very sad parade of twelve first formers who trooped woefully back to their dormitory. The punishment had been very severe; their backsides felt as if they were on fire. They felt as if they had taken a series of cuts from a knife. But closer examination would have shown that no skin had been broken and no permanent damage done to the boys' anatomies. It was as if a boy's buttocks had been designed specially to take the cane: a sort of combination made in heaven! It had been an exemplary lesson for the twelve lads who had had the misfortune to be caught out on their very first day at school. It had truly been an initiation by fire into the the rigours of Rigby.

But as the Headmaster had said, his view was that at least one third of the new intake ought to have had their arses beaten by the end of the first month and two thirds by the end of the term. What had just taken place would be a shining example to the entire school of the way in which the new disciplinary regime under Patrick Ingram-Lewis in loco domini would function. That the new regime meant business; well, everyone had better believe it! Patrick, recalling the Headmaster's remarks, felt that he had made a good start to say that it was only the end of the first day of term. Already thirteen arses had been thoroughly thrashed and the question of the unlocked doors remained to be answered. Who was responsible? Its solution would almost certainly involve a further beating of some delinquent's arse; but whose?

Patrick passed the time in his study waiting for the as yet unknown junior prefect who had forgotten to lock the form room doors that lunch time. He examined the selection of old canes which the Headmaster had given him the previous day and after much thought, selected a particularly gnarled looking one with several prominent knots along its length. He saw no reason to deprive the arse of the errant boy who was about to enter from the very severest of treatments. After all, his negligence could have led to a serious accident. So, having fitted the chosen implement into its handle - a brilliant idea of the Headmaster's - Patrick waited with eager anticipation to see which of the newly appointed junior prefects would appear. It was one of them who had been delinquent in his duty and that was cause enough to give him a really good thrashing. And administering a really good thrashing to an older boy's naked arse, was an act Patrick savoured; it was just so much more satisfying to thrash the well muscled arse of an older boy than to beat the stuffing out of some first or second former.

A knock came at the door. Patrick opened it to find a highly embarrassed lower sixth former called David Stevens awaiting his invitation to enter. Stevens was big lad, one of the biggest of his year. He was a keen rugby player and had the physique to go with it. In particular he had well rounded, muscular arse, which was the part of his anatomy on which Patrick's eye immediately alighted. "An eminently beatable arse," thought Patrick to himself. "What luck! Stevens is going to go to bed feeling very, very sorry for himself by the time he leaves here."

"Ingram-Lewis, you said at the Court this evening that you wished to see the prefect who had inadvertently left the form rooms unlocked over the lunch hour today. Well, "mea culpa" old man, I am sorry to say it was me and I am most awfully, awfully sorry. I don't know how I came to forget to lock the doors. It was just one of those things which could have happened to anyone (already moving from himself into a wider circle of potential "forgetters"): a moment of inexplicable forgetfulness and as I say I am truly awfully sorry and it will most certainly not happen again. So now that you know, Ingram -Lewis, and have heard my apology, perhaps I could cut off and go to bed now."

Stevens's eye now came to rest on the beating chair which Patrick had already placed in the centre of the room, his chosen can resting across its arms . He also looked nervously at the large selection of canes which stood in an old oriental pot near the door. The chair was known to many of the pupils of Rigby for it had stood for years in the Head Boy's study and had seen countless lads bend across its back and offer their arses for punishment.

"Stevens, I have to remind you that today was your very first day as a junior prefect, a position of trust and responsibility, I repeat, responsibility, which the Headmaster placed in you when he elevated you to the rank of prefect. Now you come here and tell me that you forgot to do the very job for which you were responsible this week, and this on your very first day. How can this be? You must have been asleep. Well Stevens I simply cannot let such dereliction of duty pass without some form of sanction and I propose to send you away tonight wide awake."

Patrick could see that Stevens was getting more and more nervous as he listened to him. His his gaze was fixed on the horribly foreboding chair and cane, which he had now fully understood were destined for him that evening. "So, Stevens, I am afraid that you have to be punished, to do penance, for your, shall we call it, forgetfulness. As you must realise it could have led to some very unpleasant consequences. Just image what might have happened if one of those first year boys, whom we have just thrashed, had been hit in the eye by a piece of chalk. Your delinquency would have contributed directly to such an event, which could have had dire consequences," concluded Patrick laying on the drama with spades.

"Yes I agree, Ingram-Lewis, there could have been an accident, but in the event, there was not, so, don't you think that you are blowing this business out of all proportion? After all, it was not done intentionally, with malice aforethought; it was just a simple piece of forgetfulness on my part." Stevens was already beginning to try to present arguments to escape from what he must have known was the inevitable beating. Alas he was wasting is breath!

"Stevens, we the prefects, of which you are one, are a privileged group in this school. We are appointed to keep order and have the power to punish boys who break the rules. If you escape your present delinquency unscathed, what are the boys going to think. Well, I will tell you. They are going to say, "Look at him; he is supposed to be in charge, but he makes his own rules and escapes uncensored when things go wrong." The same with your fellow prefects; if you are not punished for your dereliction of duty, the others are going to say that things don't really matter and well, if we forget something, who cares? Well Stevens, I'll tell you who cares; I care as Head Boy; I have to. I have been given exceptional powers, in loco domini: powers designed to enable me, aided by you the prefects, to maintain order and the standards long associated with this school. It is my job to see that things are done according to the rules, which I intend to do. And so, Stevens, much to my regret, you have to be punished; I cannot let it pass. You failed in your duty on the very first day of term and for that you have to answer to me. Sorry, but that is that."

"Oh, come on, Ingram-Lewis, you are making a mountain out of a molehill. You are surely not suggesting that you are going to beat me, a co-prefect and a sixth-former. Come on, Ingram-Lewis, be reasonable; prefects and sixth formers do not get beaten."

"There I am afraid you are sadly mistaken, Stevens. Everyone at this school is subject the same rules and the same punishments. That goes from the first form right through to the upper sixth, prefects and myself as Head Boy included. So there are no exceptions."

"Oh come on, Ingram-Lewis, you really are not going to beat me, just because I made on slip up."

"Stevens, I am afraid that I am, so I suggest that you stop arguing with me and accept what is coming to you, which frankly you do truly deserve."

At this stage, Stevens became quite abusive and started to dig himself more deeply into the hole in which he already found himself. "You are a fucking pompous prick, Ingram -Lewis. I see now that in your new position you think you can lord it over all and sundry. Well you are not going to boss me around the way you think you can. I am a prefect and I have certain rights. I think you have blown this out of all proportion and you just fancy showing me that you are the boss. Well some boss you turn out to be, threatening to beat me on your first day as Head Boy. You really are the bloody limit." And so the invective continued until Stevens finally ran out of steam and insults to hurl at Patrick, who had listened to all this in complete silence.