might have been certain that Jock did not intend
to lose his ball and his game also, and the maddest thing the magistrate
could do was to make that ball a cause of war. It was easy enough to go
to Bulldog's class-room and lodge a complaint, but as he could not
identify the culprit, and no one would tell on Jock, the Bailie departed
worsted, and the address which he gave the boys was received with
derision. When he turned from the boys to the master, he fared no
better, for Bulldog who hated tell-tales and had no particular respect
for Bailies, told the great man plainly that his (Bulldog's)
jurisdiction ceased at the outer door of the Seminary, and that it was
not his business to keep order in the Terrace. Even the sergeant, when
the Bailie commanded him to herd the boys in the courtyard, forgot the
respect due to a magistrate, and refused point-blank, besides adding a
gratuitous warning, which the Bailie deeply resented, to let the matter
drop, or else he'd repent the day when he interfered with the laddies.

"I was a sergeant in the Black Watch, Bailie, and I was through the
Crimean War--ye can see my medals; but it takes me all my time to keep
the pack in hand within my ain jurisdiction; and if ye meddle wi' them
outside yir jurisdiction, I tell ye, Bailie, they'll mak' a fool o' ye
afore they're done w' ye in face o' all Muirtown. There's a way o'
managin' them, but peety ye if ye counter them. Noo, when they broke the
glass in the Count's windows, if he didna pretend that he couldna
identify them and paid the cost himself! He may be French, but he's
long-headed, for him and the laddies are that friendly there's naething
they woudna do for him. As ye value yir peace o' mind, Bailie, and yir
poseetion in Muirtown, dinna quarrel wi' the Seminary. They're fine
laddies as laddies go; but for mischief, they're juist born deevils."

There is a foolish streak in every man, and the Bailie went on to his
doom. As the authorities of the Seminary refused to do their duty--for
which he would remember them in the Council when questions of salary and
holidays came up--the Bailie fell back on the police, who had their own
thoughts of his policy, but dared not argue with a magistrate; and one
morning an able-bodied constable appeared on the scene and informed the
amazed school that he was there to prevent them playing on the Terrace.
No doubt he did his duty according to his light, but neither he nor six
constables could have quel