d brought news of the drift to
the school, and the earlier arrivals, who had come in hope of a
snow-fight, were so mightily taken with the news that they hurried to
the Muirtown end of the bridge to look at the drift, and danced with joy
at the thought that on the other side Bulldog was standing, for once
helpless and dismayed. Speug's father, true ancestor of such a son, had
shouted across the drift invitations for Bulldog to come over, secure in
the fact that he could not be seen across its height, and in the hope
that Bulldog would not know his voice. When they were weary celebrating
the event, and after a pleasant encounter with a hastily organised
regiment of message boys, the eager scholars sauntered along to the
school, skirmishing as they went, just to be ready for the midday fight
with the "Pennies." For the pure joy of it they opened the door of the
mathematical class-room, merely to see how it looked when Bulldog was
not there, and found that estimable teacher at his desk, waiting to
receive them with bland courtesy. Some said that he had stayed in
Muirtown all night, anticipating that drift, others that he had climbed
over it in the early morning, before Muirtown was awake; but it was
found out afterwards that he had induced old Duncan Rorison, the
salmon-fisher, to ferry him across the flooded river, that it took them
an hour to reach the Muirtown side, and that they had both been nearly
drowned in the adventure.

"Come in, my boys," was all that he said. "Ye're a little late, but the
roads are heavy this morning. Come to the fire and warm yir hands before
ye begin yir work. It's a fine day for mathematics," and Mr. McGuffie
senior used to tell his son with much relish that their hands were
warmed. The school was profoundly convinced that if necessary Bulldog
would be prepared to swim the river rather than miss a day in the
mathematical class-room.

It was a pleasant spring morning, and the "marble" season had just
begun, when Howieson, after a vicious and well-directed stroke which won
him three "brownies," inquired casually whether anybody had seen Bulldog
go in; for, notwithstanding the years which came and went, his passing
in was always an occasion. Everyone then recollected that he had not
been seen, but no one for a moment suggested that he had not arrived;
and even when the school trooped into the class-room and found Bulldog's
desk empty, there was no exhilaration and no tendency to take advantage