tatiously working at a mathematical problem. There are men living
who look back on that day with modest, thankful hearts, finding in its
remembrance a solace in old age for the cares of life; and the scene on
which they dwell most fondly is Nestie, whose face had been whitened for
his abominable trick, standing on the top of Bulldog's desk, and singing
a school song with the manner of the Count and the accent of Moossy,
while Speug with a cane in his hand compelled Dowbiggin to join in the
chorus, and Byles could be heard bleating from the closet. Ah, me! how
soon we are spoiled by this sinful world, and lose the sweet innocence
of our first years! how poor are the rewards of ambition compared with
the simple pleasures of childhood!

It could not be expected that we should ever have another day as good
again, but everyone had a firm confidence in the originality of Speug
when it was a question of mischief. We gathered hopefully round the
Russian guns next morning--for, as I have said, the guns were our forum
and place of public address--and, while affecting an attitude of studied
indifference, we waited with desire to hear the plan of campaign from
our leader's lips. But Speug, like all great generals, was full of
surprises, and that morning he was silent and unapproachable. Various
suggestions were made for brightening the mathematical labours and
cheering up Mr. Byles, till at last Howieson, weary of their futility,
proposed that the whole class should go up to the top of the North
Meadow and bathe in the river, and then Speug broke silence.

"Ye may go to bathe if ye like, Jock, and Cosh may go with ye, and if
he's drowned it'll be no loss, nor, for that matter, if the half of ye
are carried down the river. For myself, I'm going to the mathematical
class, and if onybody meddles wi' Byles I'll fight him in the back yard
in the dinner-hour for half a dozen stone-gingers."

"Is there onything wrang with your head, Speug?" For the thought of
Peter busy with a triangle under the care and pastoral oversight of Mr.
Byles could only be explained in one way.

"No," replied Speug savagely, "nor with my fists, either. The fact
is----" And then Speug hesitated, realising amid his many excellences a
certain deficiency of speech for a delicate situation. "Nestie, what are
ye glowering at? Get up on the gun and tell them aboot--what ye told me
this meenut." And the school gathered in amazement round our pulpit, on
which Nestie s