[Ill.u.s.tration: ""YOU ARE AN ILL-BRED C-CAD.""]
"He is no in condeetion to lose time wi" his lessons, a" can tell ye, Bailie; ye"re richt to bring him back as sune as ye could; was"t toothache?"
"No, it wasna toothache, but the ill-usage o" one of your scholars, the maist impudent, ill-doing, aggravating sc.o.o.ndrel in Muirtown."
"Peter McGuffie, come out here," which showed Bulldog"s practical acquaintance with affairs. "Did ye give Robert Cosh a licking?"
No answer from Speug, but a look of satisfaction that was beyond all evidence.
"Was that just yir natural iniquity, Peter, or had ye a justification?"
Dogged silence of Speug, whose code of honour had one article at least--never to tell on a fellow.
"Please, sir, may I speak?" cried Nestie, as he saw the preparations for Peter"s punishment and could not contain himself.
"Were you in this job, too, Nestie? You didn"t tell me that there were two at puir Robert, Bailie; if Nestie got his hand on your son, he"s sic a veeciously inclined character that it"s a wonder Robert"s leevin."
"Now, Bailie, we"ll conduct a judeecial investigation. Robert Cosh, what have ye to say? Speak up like a man, an" I"ll see justice done ye, be sure o" that; but mind ye, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
Robert Cosh declined to contribute even the smallest morsel of truth in any shape or form, and, in spite of strong encouragement from the magistrate, preserved an impenetrable silence.
"This," said Bulldog, with a shrewd glance, "is mair than ordinary modesty; we "ill take another witness. Ernest Molyneux, what have ye got to say?"
"Cosh called my father names, and ... I lost my t-temper, and ... and ... I said things ... the pater"s ill, sir, so I ... and Cosh stwuck me once or twice--but I don"t mind that; only Peter, you see, sir, wanted to help me. I"m afraid he h-hurt.i.t Cosh, but that was how it happened."
"Stand beside Nestie, Cosh ... so; half a head taller and much broader and four years older. Ye called his father names, and then cut his lip when he answered. Just so. There are some pretty little scratches on yir own face. That would be Peter. Well, Bailie, the case is pretty plain, and we "ill go to judgment.
"Ernest Molyneux, yir father"s a good man, and it does not matter two bra.s.s peens what Robert Cosh says about him, and ye"re no an ill-disposed laddie yersel." Ye may go to your seat.
"Peter McGuffie, ye"re aye meddlin" wi" what doesna concern ye, and ye seem to think that Providence gave Nestie into yir chairge. One day ye pull him oot o" the river, and anither ye take him oot o" the hands o"
Robert Cosh. But ye"ve done your wark sae neatly this time that I havena the heart to thrash ye. Ye may go to your seat, too; and, Peter, ma man, just one word of advice. Yir head is thick, but yir heart is richt; see that ye always use yir fists as well as ye did that day.
"Robert Cosh, ye"ve had a fair trial, and ye have been convicted of three heinous sins. First, ye miscalled a good man--for that three strokes with the cane; next, ye ill-used the quietest laddie in the whole school--for that three strokes; and, lastly, being moved of the devil, ye went home and told lies to a magistrate--for that six strokes.
Three on each hand to-day and to-morrow will just settle the count.
Right hand first."
"Mr. MacKinnon, I protest...."
"What?" and Bulldog turned on the magistrate; "would ye interfere with the course o" justice in another man"s jureesdiction, and you a magistrate?" And Bulldog"s eyes began to rotate in a fearsome manner.
The Bailie allowed it to be understood that he had changed his mind, and Robert, who had expected great things from the magistrate"s protection, abandoned himself to despair and walked humbly for many days to come.
Next day Nestie was not in his place, and Bulldog, growing uneasy, called on his way home.
"Aye, aye," and the landlady"s voice sank into the minor key of Scots sympathy, "Maister Mollynoox (for such an outlandish name was ever a trial) is far through wi"t; the doctor says he never had much to come an" go on, and noo this whup o" inflammation is the feenish.
"The doctor doesna expect him to see mornin", an" he"s verra sober (weak); but his head"s clear, an" the laddie"s wi" him. Ma hert is wae (sorry) for him, for the twa hev been that bund up thegither that a"m dootin" Nestie "ill never get ower the pairtin"."
The gentle little minister was not far from his end, and Nestie was nursing him as best he could. He sponged his father"s face--threatening to let the soap get into his eyes if he were not obedient--and dried it with a soft towel; then he brushed the soft, thin brown hair slowly and caressingly, as he had often done on Sundays when his father was weary.
Turning round, he saw Bulldog, and instead of being afraid, Nestie smiled a pathetic welcome, which showed either what a poor actor the master was, with all his canings, or that his English scholar was a very shrewd little man.
"Th-thank you f-for coming to see father, sir; he was n-naughty and got cold, and he has been so ill; but he must get better, for you know there are ... just the two of us, and ... I would be ... lonely without the pater."
"Nestie does not wish to part with me, Mr. MacKinnon, for we h-have been ... dear friends, that"s how it was, and we loved ... mother; but he is a ... brave little man, as you know, and mother and I will not forget him ... you came to ask for Nestie, and it was G.o.d"s will, for I h-have a f-favour to ask of you."
Bulldog went over and sat down by the bed, but said nothing. Only he took the minister"s hand in his and waited. He also put his other arm round Nestie, and never did he look fiercer.
"I have no relatives, and his m-mother"s family are all dead; there is n.o.body to be g-guardian to Nestie, and he cannot live alone. C-could you get some family who would be ... where he might be at ... h-home?
"You know we are not rich, but we"ve s-saved a little, for Nestie is a famous little house-k-keeper; and maybe there"s enough to keep him ...
till he grows big; and I"ll give you the receipt at the bank, and you"ll ... manage for him, won"t you?"
Bulldog cleared his throat to speak, but could not find his voice--for a wonder, but his hand tightened on the minister"s, and he drew Nestie nearer to him.
"Of course, Mr. MacKinnon, I know that we have no c-claim on you, for we are strangers in Muirtown, and you ... have many boys. But you"ve been kind to Nestie, and he ... loves you."
The minister stopped, breathless, and closed his eyes.
"Mr. Molyneux," began Bulldog in a stern voice, "I"m willing to manage Nestie"s estate, big or small, and I"ll give an account of all intromissions to the Court, but I must decline to look out a home for Nestie.
"Nestie and me" (bad grammar has its uses, and some of them are very comforting) "are good freends. My house has just an auld schoolmaster and an housekeeper in it, and whiles we would like to hear a young voice."
Bulldog paused and then went on, his voice sterner than ever--in sound.
"Now Bell"s bark is worse than her bite, and maybe so is mine (Nestie nodded), so if the wee man wouldna be feared to live wi" ...
Bulldog--oh, I know fine what the rascals call me--he "ill have a heart welcome, and ... I"ll answer to ye baith, father and mother, for yir laddie at the Day o" Judgment."
""What shall I render ... unto the Lord ... for all His benefits?" I cannot thank you ... (the minister was now very weak); but you will not ... miss your reward. May the G.o.d of the orphan.... Kiss me, Nestie."
For a short while he slept, and they watched for any sign of consciousness.
"It was too soon"--he was speaking, but not to them--"for Nestie ... to come, Maud; he must stay ... at school. He is a good boy, and ... his master will ... take care of him ... Nestie will grow to be a man, dear."
The minister was nearing the other side, and seeing the face he loved and had lost awhile.
"It"s mother," whispered Nestie, and a minute later he was weeping bitterly and clinging with all his might to the schoolmaster, who came perilously near to tears himself.
"They"re together now, and ... I"ll be father and mother to ye, Nestie,"
said Mr. Dugald MacKinnon, master of mathematics in Muirtown Seminary, and known as Bulldog to three generations of Muirtown lads.
A FAMOUS VICTORY
IV
The Seminary perfectly understood that, besides our two chief enemies, the "Pennies" and McIntyres, there were, in the holes and corners of the town, obscure schools where little companies of boys got some kind of education and were not quite devoid of proper spirit. During a really respectable snow-storm--which lasted for a month and gave us an opportunity of bringing affairs to a temporary settlement with our rivals, so that the town of Muirtown was our own for the next seven days--a scouting party from the Seminary in search of adventures had an encounter with a Free Kirk school, which was much enjoyed and spoken about for weeks beside the big fire. Speug began, indeed, to lay out a permanent campaign by which the boys going home southwards could look in from time to time on the Free Kirkers, and he indicated his willingness to take charge of the operation. It was also said that an Episcopal or Papist school--we made no subtile direct distinctions at the Seminary--in the northern district might afford some sport, and the leadership in this case was to be left to Duncan Robertson, the other captain of the commonwealth. Snow did not last the whole year round even in a Scots town; but it was wonderful what could be done in summer by the use of book-bags, well stuffed out with Caesar and Lennie"s English Grammar, and at the worst there always remained our fists. The pleasure of planning these forays is still a grateful recollection, for it seemed to us that by spreading our forces we might have perpetual warfare from January to December and over the length and breadth of the town, so that no one would be compelled to return to his home of an evening without the hope of a battle, and every street of the town would be distinguished by conflict. Nothing came, however, of those spirited enterprises that year, because our two rivals, laying aside their mutual quarrels, which, we understood, were very bitter, and entering into a covenant of falsehood--their lying filled us with holy indignation--attacked us front and rear while we were having an innocent game of Russians and English on the North Meadow. Although taken unawares and poorly provided with weapons we made a good fight; but in the end we were scattered so completely that Speug never reached the school again that day, for which he was thrashed by Bulldog next morning, and Dunc came in with a front tooth gone and one black eye, for which he was soundly thrashed at once.