FLASHMAN @ RUGBY

This provides a listing of quotes regarding Flashman that appear in Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes. Since different editions will contain different page layouts, page numbers are unreliable. Instead, references are by chapter and verse.

In the Midst of a Game of Rubgy

5:58 Here come Speedicut and Flashman the School-house bully, with shouts and great action. Won't you two come up to young Brooke, after locking-up, by the School-house fire, with "Old fellow, wasn't that just a splendid srummage by the three trees!" But he knows you, and so do we. You don't really want to drive that ball through that scrummage, chancing all hurt for the glory of the School-house - but to make us think that's what you want - a vastly different thing; and fellows of your kidney will never go through more than the skirts of a scrummage, where it's all push and no kicking. We respect boys who keep out of it, and don't sham going in; but you - we had rather not say what we think of you.

Brooke's Discourse Against Bullying

6:27 But depend on it, there's nothing that breaks up a house like bullying. Bullies are cowards, and one coward makes many; so good-bye to the School-house match if bullying gets ahead here. (Loud applause from the small boys, who look meaningly at Flashman and the other boys at the tables.)

Tossing

6:51 A noise and steps are heard in the passage, the door opens, and in rush four or five great fifth-form boys, headed by Flashman in his glory.

6:53 "Gone to ground, eh?" roared Flashman; "push 'em out then, boys! look under the beds:" and he pulled up the little white curtain of the one nearest him. "Who-o-op," he roared, pulling away at the leg of a small boy, who held on tight to the leg of the bed, and sung out lustily for mercy.

6:54 "Here, lend a hand, one of you, and help me pull out this young howling brute. Hold your tongue, sir, or I'll kill you."

6:55 "Oh, please, Flashman, please, Walker, don't toss me! I'll fag for you, I'll do anything, only don't toss me."

6:56 "You be hanged," said Flashman, lugging the wretched boy along, "t'won't hurt you, ----- you! Come along, boys, here he is."

6:57 "I say, Flashey," sung out another of the big boys, "drop that; you heard what old Pater Brooke said to-night. I'll be hanged if we'll toss any one against their will - no more bullying. Let him go, I say."

6:58 Flashman with an oath and a kick, released his prey, who rushed headlong under his bed again, for fear they should change their minds, and crept along underneath the other beds, till he got under that of the sixth-form boy, which he knew they daren't disturb.

6:72 He and East, having earned it, stood now looking on. No catastrophe happened, as all the captives were cool hands, and didn't struggle. This didn't suit Flashman. What your real bully likes in tossing, is when the boys kick and struggle, or hold on to one side of the blanket, and so get pitched bodily on to the floor; it's no fun to him when no one is hurt or frightened.

6:73 "Let's toss two of them together, Walker," suggested he. "What a cursed bully you are Flashey!" rejoined the other. "Up with another one."

6:74 And so no two boys were tossed together, the peculiar hardship of which is, that it's too much for human nature to lie still then and share troubles; and so the wretched pair of small boys struggle in the air which shall fall a-top in the descent, to the no small risk of both falling out of the blanket, and the huge delight of brutes like Flashman.

Flashman Moves In

8:17 ... None of the other sixth-form boys would move into their passage, and, to the disgust and indignation of Tom and East, one morning after breakfast they were seized upon by Flashman, and made to carry down his books and furniture into the unoccupied study which he had taken. From this time they began to feel the weight of the tyranny of Flashman and his friends, and, now that trouble had come home to their own doors, began to look out for sympathizers and partners amongst the rest of the fags; and meetings of the oppressed began to be held, and murmurs to arise, and plots to be laid, as to how they should free themselves and be avenged on their enemies.

The Unanswered Summons and Siege

8:31 ... But that blackguard Flashman, who never speaks to one without a kick or an oath-"

8:32 "The cowardly brute," broke in East, "how I hate him! And he knows it too, he knows that you and I think him a coward. What a bore that he's got a study in this passage! don't you hear them now at supper in his den? Brandy punch going, I'll bet. I wish the Doctor would come out and catch him. We must change our study as soon as we can."

8:33 "Change or no change, I'll never fag for him again," said Tom, thumping the table.

8:34 "Fa-a-a-ag!" sounded along the passage from Flashman's study. The two boys looked at one another in silence. It had struck nine, so the regular night-fags had left duty, and they were the nearest to the supper-prty. East sat up, and began to look comical, as he always did under difficulties.

8:35 "Fa-a-a-ag!" again. No answer.

8:36 "Here, Brown! East! you cursed young skulks," roared out Flashman, coming to his open door, "I know you're in - on shirking."

8:37 Tom stole to their door, and drew the bolts as noiselessly as he could; East blew out the candle. "Barricade the first," whispered he. "Now, Tom, mind, no surrender."

8:38 "Trust me for that," said Tom between his teeth.

8:39 In another minute they heard the supper-party turn out and come down the passge to their door. they held their breaths, and heard whispering, of which they only made out Flashman's words, "I know the young brutes are in."

8:40 Then came summonses to open, which being unanswered, the assault commenced: luckily the door was a good strong oak one, and resisted the united weight of Flashman's party. A pause followed, and they heard a besieger remark, "They're in safe enough - don't you see how the door holds at top and bottom? so the bolts must be drawn. We should have forced the lock gone ago." East gave Tom a nudge, to call attention to this scientific remark.

8:41 Then came attacks on particular panels, one of which at last gave way to the repeated kicks; but it broke inwards, and the broken pieces got jammed across, the door being lined with green-baize, and couldn't easily be removed from outside; and the besieged, scorning further concealment, strengthed their defences by pressing the end of their sofa against the door. So, after one or two more ineffectual efforts, Flashman & Co. retired, vowing vengence in no mild terms.

8:42 The first danger over, it only remained for the besieged to effect a safe retreat, as it was now near bed-time. They listened intently, and heard the supper party resettle themselves and then gently drew back first one bolt and then the other. Presently the convivial noises began again steadily. "Now then, stand by for a run," said East, throwing the door wide open and rushing into the passage, closely followed by Tom. They were too quick to be caught, but Flashman was on the look-out, and sent an empty pickle-jar wizzing after them, which narrowly missed Tom's head, and broke into twenty pieces at the end of the passage. "He wouldn't mind killing one, if he wasn't caught," said East as they turned the corner.

8:43 There was no pursuit, so the two turned into the hall, where they found a knot of small boys round the fire. Their story was told - the war of independence had broken out - who would join the revoluntionary forces?

Diggs Discusses Flashman as an Underclassman

8:49 "Was Flashman here then?"

8:50 "Yes! and a dirty little snivelling, sneaking fellow he was too. He never dared join us, and used to toady the bullies by offering to fag for them, and peaching against the rest of us."

8:51 "Why wasn't he cut then?" said East.

8:52 "Oh, toadies never get cut, they're too useful. Besides, he has no end of great hampers from home, with wine and game in them; so he toadied and fed himself into favour."

8:53 He [Diggs] wasn't on terms with Flashman's set, who sneered at his dress and ways behind his back, which he knew, and revenged himself by asking Flashman the most disagreeable questions, and treating him with familiarity whenever a crowd of boys were round him.

The War Rages

8:54 Flashman laid in wait, and caught Tom before second lesson, and receiving a blank point, "No," when told to fetch his hat, seized him and twisted his arm, and went through the other methods of torture in use: - "He couldn't make me cry tho'," as Tom said triumphantly to the rest of the rebels, "and I kicked his shins well, I know." And soon it crept out that a lot of the fags were in league, and Flashman excited his associates to join him in bringing the young vagabonds to their senses; and the house was filled with constant chasings, and sieges, and lickings of all sorts; and in return, the bullies' beds were pulled to pieces, and drenched with water, and their names written up on the walls with every insulting epithet which the fag invention could furnish. The war in short raged fiercely; but soon, as Diggs had told them, all the better fellows in the fifth gave up trying to fag them, and public feelings began to set against Flashman and his two or three intimates, and they were obliged to keep their doings more secret, but being thorough bad fellows, missed no opportunity of torturing in private. Flashman was adept in all ways, but above all in the power of saying cutting and cruel things, and could often bring tears to the eyes of boys in this way, which all the thrashings in the world wouldn't have wrung from them.

8:55 And as his operations were being cut short in other directions, he now devoted himself chiefly to Tom and East, who lived at his own door, and would force himself into their study whenever he found a chance, and sit there, sometimes alone, and sometimes with a companion, interrupting all their work, and exulting in the evident pain which every now and then he could see he was inflicting on one or the other.

8:56 The storm had cleared the air for the rest of the house, and better state of things now began than there had been since Old Brooke had left; but an angry dark spot of thundercloud still hung over the end of the passage; where Flashman's study and that of East and Tom lay.

8:57 He felt that they had been the first rebels, and that the rebellion had been to a great extent successful; but what above all stirred the hatred and bitterness of his heart against them was that, in the frequent collisions which there had been of late, they had openly called him coward and sneak, - the taunts were too true to be forgiven. While he was in the act of thrashing them, they would roar out instances of his funking at football, or shirking some encounter with a lout of half his own size. These things were all well enough known in the house, but to have his own disgrace shouted out by small boys, to feel that they despised him, to be unable to silence them by any amount of torture, and to see the open laugh and sneer of his own associates (who were looking on, and took no trouble to hide their scorn from him, though they neither interfered with his bullying or lived a bit the less intimately with him), made him beside himself. Come that might, he would make those boys' lives miserable. So the strife settled down into a personal affair between Flashman and our youngsters; a war to the knife, to be fought out in the little cockpit at the end of the bottom passage.

8:58 Flashman, be it said, was about seventeen years old, and big and strong of his age. He played well at all games where pluck wasn't much wanted, and managed generally to keep appearances where it was; and having a bluff off-hand manner, which passed for heartiness, and considerable powers of being pleasant when he liked, went down with the school in general for a good fellow enough. Even in the School-house, by dint of his command of money, the constant supply of good things which he kept up, and his adroit toadyism, he had managed to make himself not only tolerated but rather popular amongst his own comtemporaries; although Young Brooke scarcely spoke to him, and one or two others of the right sort showed their opinions of him whenever a chance offered. But the wrong sort happened to be in the ascendant just now, and so Flashman was a formidable enemy for small boys. This soon became plain enough. Flashman left no slander unspoken, and no deed undone, which could in any way hurt his victims, or isolate them from the rest of the house. One by one most of the other rebels fell away from them, while Flashman's cause prospered, and several other fifth-form boys began to look black at them and ill-treat them as they passed about the house. By keeping out of bounds, or at all events out of the house and quadrangle, all day, and carefully barring themselves in at night, East and Tom managed to hold on without feeling very miserable; but it was as much as they could do. Greatly were they drawn then towards old Diggs, who, in an uncouth way, began to take a good deal of notice of them, and once or twice came to their study when Flashman was there, who immediately decamped in consequence. The boys thought that Diggs must have been watching.

The Derby Lottery

8:61 So, now as each small boy came up and drew his ticket, it was siezed and opened by Flashman, or some other of the standers-by. But no great favourite is drawn until it comes to the Tadpole's turn, and he shuffles up, and draws, and tries to make off, but is caught, and his ticket is opened like the rest.

8:62 "Here you are! Wanderer! the third favourite," shouts the opener.

8:63 "I say, just give me my ticket, please," remonstrates Tadpole.

8:64 "Hullo, don't be in a hurry," breaks in Flashman, "what'll you sell Wanderer for, now?"

8:65 "I don't want to sell," rejoins Tadpole.

8:66 "Oh, don't you! Now listen, you young fool - you don't know anything about it; the horse is no use to you. He won't win, but I want a hedge. Now I'll give you half-a-crown for him." Tadpole holds out, but between threats and cajoleries at length sells half for one-shilling-and-sixpence, about a fifth of its fair market value; however, he is glad to realize anything, and as he wisely remarks, "Wanderer mayn't win, and the tizzy is safe anyhow."

8:67 East presently comes up, and draws a blank. Soon after comes Tom's turn; his ticket, like the others, is siezed and opened. "Here you are then," shouts the opener, holding it up: "Harkaway! By Jove, Flashey, your young friend's in luck.

8:68 "Give me the ticket," says Flashman with an oath, leaning across the table with open hand, and his face black with rage.

8:69 "Wouldn't you like it?" replies the opener, not a bad fellow at the bottom, and no admirer of Flashman. "Here, Brown, catch hold," and he hands the ticket to Tom, who pockets it; whereupon Flashman makes for the door at once, that Tom and the ticket may not escape, and there keeps watch until the drawing is over, and all the boys are gone, except the sporting set of five or six, who stay to compare books, make bets, and so on; Tom, who doesn't choose to move while Flashman is at the door, and East, who stays by his friend, anticipating trouble.

8:70 The sporting set now gathered round Tom. Public opinion wouldn't allow them actually to rob him of his ticket, but any humbug or intimidation by which he could be driven to sell the whole or part at an under value was lawful.

8:71 "Now, young Brown, come, what'll you sell me Harkaway for? I hear he isn't going to start. I'll give you five shillings for him," begins the boy who had opened the ticket. Tom, remembering his good deed, and moreover in his forlorn state wishing to make a friend, is about to accept the offer, when another cries out, "I'll give you seven shillings." Tom hesitated, and looked from one to the other.

8:72 "No, no!" said Flashman, pushing in, "leave me to deak with him; we'll draw lots for it afterwards. Now, sir, you know me - you'll sell Harkaway to us for five shillings, or you'll repent."

8:73 "I won't sell a bit of him," answered Tom, shortly.

8:74 "Your hear that now!" said Flashman, turning to the others. "He's he coxiest toung blackguard in the house - I always told you so. We're to a have all the trouble and risk of getting up the lotteries for the benefit of such fellows as he."

8:75 Flashman forgets to explain what risk they ran, but he speaks to willing ears. Gambling makes boys selfish and cruel as well as men.

8:76 "That's true, - we always draw blanks," cried one. "Now, sir, you shall sell half, at any rate."

8:77 "I won't," said Tom, flushing up to his hair, and lumping them all in his mind with his sworn enemy.

The Roasting

8:78 "Very well then, let's roast him," cried Flashman, and catches hold of Tom by the collar: one or two boys hesitate, but the rest join in. East siezes Tom's arm and tries to pull him away, but is knocked back by one of the boys, and Tom is dragged along struggling. His shoulders are pushed against the mantlepiece, and he is held by main force before the fire, Flashman drawing his trousers tight by way of extra torture. Poor East, in more pain even than Tom, suddenly thinks of Diggs, and darts off to find him. "Will you sell now for ten shillings?" says one boy who is relenting.

8:79 Tom only answers by groans and struggles.

8:80 "I say, Flashey, he has had enough," says the same boy, dropping the arm he holds.

8:81 "No, no, another turn'll do it," answers Flashman. But poor Tom is done already, turns deadly pale, and his head falls forward on his breast, just as Diggs, in frantic excitement, rushes into the Hall with East at his heels.

8:82 "You crowardly brutes!" is all he can say, as he catches Tom from them and supports him to the Hall table. "Good God! he's dying. Here, get some cold water - run for the housekeeper.

8:83 Flashman and one or two others slink away; the rest, ashamed and sorry, bend over Tom or run for water, while East darts off for the housekeeper. Water comes, and they throw it on his hands and face, and he begins to come to. "Mother!" - the words came feebly and slowly - "it's very cold to-night." Poor old Diggs is blubbering like a child. "Where am I?" goes on Tom, opening his eyes. "Ah! I remember now," and he shut his eyes and groaned.

8:84 "I say," is whispered, "we can't do any good, and he housekeeper will be here in a minute," and all but one steal away; he stays with Diggs, silent and sorrowful, and fans Tom's face.

8:85 The housekeeper comes in with strong salts, and Tom soon recovers enough to sit up. There is a smell of burning; she examines his clothes, and looks up inquiringly. The boys are silent.

8:86 "How did he come so?" No answer.

8:87 "There's been some bad work here," she adds, looking very serious, "and I shall speak to the Doctor about it." Still no answer.

8:88 "Hadn't we better carry him to the sick-room?" suggests Diggs.

8:89 "Oh, I can walk now," says Tom; and supported by East and the housekeeper, goes to the sick-room. The boy who held his ground is soon amongst the reest, who are all in fear of their lives. "Did he peach?" "Does show know about it?'

8:90 "Not a word - he's a staunch little fellow." And pausing a moment, he adds, "I'm sick of this work: what brutes we've been!"

8:92 "Are you hurt, dear old boy?" whispers East.

8:93 "Only the back of my legs," answers Tom. They are indeed badly scorched, and part of his trousers burnt through.

8:94 But after a sound night's rest, the old boy-spirit comes back again. East comes in reporting that the whole House is with him, and he forgets everything except their old resolve, never to be beaten by that bully Flashman.

9:1 Flashman's brutality had disgusted most even of his intimate friends, and his cowardice had once more been made plain to the House; for Diggs had encountered him on the morning after the lottery, and after high words on both sides had struck him, and the blow was not returned. However, Flashey was not unused to this sort of thing, and had lived through as awkward affairs before, and as Diggs had said, fed and toadied himself back into favour again.

9:2 The embers of Flashman's wrath, however, were still smouldering, and burst out every now and then in sly blows and taunts, and they both felt that they hadn't quite done with him yet.

The Brusied Worn Turns

9:3 Well, one evening, in forbidden hours, Tom and East were in the Hall. They occupied the seats before the fire nearest the door, while Diggs sprawled as usual before the further fire. He was busy with a copy of verses, and East and Tom were chatting together in whispers by the light ... and in walked Flashman. He didn't see Diggs, and thought it a good chance to keep his hand in; and as the boys didn't move for him, he struck one of them, to make them get out of his way.

9:4 "What's that for?" growled.

9:5 "Because I choose. You've got no business here; go to your study."

9:6 "You can't send us."

9:7 "Can't I? Then I'll thrash you if you stay," said Flashman, savagely.

9:8 "I say, you two," said Diggs, from the end of the Hall, rousing up and resting himself on his elbow, "you'll never get rid of that fellow till you lick him. Go in at him, both of you - I'll see fair play."

9:9 Flashman was taken aback, and retreated two steps. East looked at Tom. "Shall we try?" said he. "Yes," said Tom, desperately. So the two advanced on Flashman, with clenched fists and beating hearts. They were about up to his shoulder, but tough boys of their age, and in perfect training; while he, though strong and big, was in poor condition from his monstrous habit of stuffing and want of exercise. Coward as he was, however, Flashman couldn't swallow such an insult as this; besides, he was confident of having easy work, and so faced the boys, saying, "You impudent young blackguards!" - Before he could finish his abuse, they rushed in on him, and began pummelling at all of him which they could reach. He hit out wildly and savagely, but the full force of his blows didn't tell, they were too near him. It was long odds, though, in point of strength, and in another minute Tom went spinning backwards over a form, and Flashman turned to demolish East, with a savage grin. But now Diggs jumped down from the table on which he had seated himself. "Stop there," shouted he, "the round's over - half a minute time allowed."

9:10 "What the ----- is it to you?" faltered Flashman, who began to lose heart.

9:11 "I'm going to see fair, I tell you," said Diggs with a grin, and snapping his great red fingers; "'tain't fair for you to be fighting one of them at a time. Are you ready, Brown? Time's up."

9:12 The small boys rushed in again. Closing they saw was their best chance, and Flashman was wilder and more flurried than ever: he caught East by the throat, and tried to force him back on the iron-bound table; Tom grasped his waist, and, remembering the old throw he had learned in the Vale from Harry Winburn, crooked his leg inside Flashman's, and threw his whole weight forward. The three tottered for a moment, and then over they went on to the floor, Flashman striking his head against a form in the Hall.

9:13 The two youngsters sprang to their legs, but he lay there still. They began to be frightened. Tom stooped down and then cried out, scared out of his wits, "He's bleeding awfully; come here East, Diggs, - he's dying!"

9:14 "Not he," said Diggs, getting leisurely off the table; "it's all sham - he's only afraid to fight it out."

9:15 East was as frightened as Tom. Diggs lifted Flashman's head, and he groaned.

9:16 "What's the matter?" shouted Diggs.

9:17 "My skull's fractured," sobbed Flashman.

9:18 "Oh, let me run for the housekeeper," cried Tom. "What shall we do?"

9:19 "Fiddlesticks! it's nothing but the skin broken," said the relentless Diggs, feeling his head. "Cold water and a bit of rag's all he'll want."

9:20 "Let me go," said Flashman, surlily, sitting up; "I don't want your help."

9:21 "We're really very sorry," began East.

9:22 "Hang your sorrow," answered Flashman, holding his handkerchief to the place; "you shall pay for this, I can tell you, both of yoy." And he walked out of the Hall.

9:23 "He can't be very bad," said Tom with a deep sigh, much relieved to see his enemy march so well.

9:24 "Not he," said Diggs, "and you'll see you won't be troubled with him any more."

Flashman Gets Expelled

9:28 They had done with Flashman in one sense, for he never laid a finger on either of them again; but whatever harm a spiteful heart and venomous tongue could do them, he took care should be done. Only throw dirt enough, and some of it is sure to stick; and so it was with the fifth form and the bigger boys in general, with whom he associated more or less,and they not at all. Flashman managed to get Tom and East into disfavour, which did not wear off for some time after the author of it had disappeared from the School world. This event, much prayed for by the small fry in general, took place a few months after the above encounter. One fine summer evening Flashman had been regaling himself on gin-punch, at Brownsover; and, having exceeded his usual limits, started home uproarious. He fell in with a friend or two coming back from bathing, proposed a glass of beer, to which they assented, the weather being hot, and they thirsty souls, and unaware of the quantity of drink which Flashman had already on board. The short result was, that Flashey became beastly drunk; they tried to get him along, but couldn't; so they chartered a hurdle and two men to carry him. One of the masters came upon them, and they naturally enough fled. The flight of the rest raised the master's suspicions, and the good angel of the fags incited them to examine the freight, and, after examination, to convoy the hurdle himself up to the School-house; and the Doctor, who has long has his eye on Flashman, arranged for his withdrawal next morning.