, explaining that his idea would be announced to the
assembled school by himself next Wednesday, and that it had nothing to
do, as Speug had hinted in turn, with rats, or rabbits, or fencing, or
the sword dance. With their permission he would say one word which would
be enough for persons of so distinguished an imagination, and that word
was "Tournament;" and then he would speak of nothing else except the
beauty of the evening light upon the river, which he declared to be
"ravishing," and the excellence of a certain kind of chocolate which he
carried in his pocket, and shared generously with his "dogs." As he
parted with his friends the Count tapped his nose and winked at
them--"Tournament--great, magnificent, you will see, ha, ha! you will
see;" and Speug went home in a state of utter confusion, coming finally
to the conclusion that the Count intended to introduce some French game,
and in that case it would be his painful duty to oppose the Count tooth
and nail, for everybody knew that French games were only for girls, and
would bring endless disgrace upon Muirtown Seminary. During Sunday
Nestie had turned the matter over in his mind, and being full of Scott's
novels he was able on Monday to give the astonished school a full
programme with the most minute particulars. The tournament was to be
held in the North Meadow; the judge was to be the Commander of the
cavalry at the barracks; John Chalmers, the town's bellman, was to be
herald; the Fair Maid of Perth was to be the Queen of Beauty; and the
combatants were to be such knights as Robertson, Howieson, and of course
Speug. Each knight was to be in armour, and Nestie freely suggested
dish-covers would be useful as breastplates, broom-handles would come in
conveniently for lances, and as ponies were now forbidden, sturdy boys
of the lower forms would be used instead. The two knights who challenged
one another would rush from opposite ends of the lists, meet in the
centre, lance upon breastplate, horse to horse, and man to man, and the
one that overthrew the other would receive the prize; and at the thought
of such a meeting between Speug and Dunc Robertson, each in full armour,
the delighted school smacked their lips.

"Muirtown Races 'ill be nothing to it," said Ritchie. "I'll lay anybody
a shilling that Speug coups (capsizes) Dunc the first meeting;
but"--feeling as if it were almost too good to be true--"I dinna
believe a word o't. Nestie is a fearsome liar." And afte