sir"--and Robertson's face was burning red--"was to meet
Peter and take Nestie off his hands quite near the bank; he had the
danger; I ... did nothing--was too late, in fact, to be of use."

Speug might have contested this barefaced attempt at exculpation, but
Bulldog was himself again and gripped the reins of authority.

"Silence!" and his emotion found vent in thunder; "no arguing in my
presence. You're an impudent fellow, Peter McGuffie, and have been all
your days, the most troublesome, mischievous, upsetting laddie in
Muirtown School," and the culprit's whole mien was that of a dog with a
bad conscience.

"Ye've fought with your fists, and ye've fought with snowballs; ye've
played truant times without number; and as for your tricks in school,
they're beyond knowledge. And now ye must needs put the capper on the
concern wi' this business!

"There's no use denying it, Peter, for the evidence is plain"--and now
Bulldog began to speak with great deliberation. "Ye saw a little laddie
out of his depth and likely to be drowned." (Peter dared not lift his
head this time; it was going to be a bad case.)

"Ye micht have given the alarm and got the salmon-fishers, but, instead
of acting like ony quiet, decent, well-brought-up laddie, and walking
down to the school in time for the geometry" (the school believed that
the master's eye rested on William Dowbiggin), "ye jumped clothes and
all into the Tay." (There was evidently no extenuating feature, and
Peter's expression was hopeless.)

"Nor was that all. But the wicked speerit that's in ye, Peter McGuffie,
made ye swim out where the river was running strongest and an
able-bodied man wouldna care to go. And what for did ye forget yirsel
and risk yer life?" But for the first time there was no bravery left in
Peter to answer; his wickedness was beyond excuse, as he now felt.

[Illustration: "PETER DARED NOT LIFT HIS HEAD."]

"Just to save an orphan laddie frae a watery death. And ye did it,
peter; an' it ... beats a'thing ye've dune since ye came into muirtown
academy? as for you, duncan robertson, ye may say what ye like, but it's
my opinion that ye're no one grain better. Peter got in first, for he's
a perfect genius for mischief--he's aye on the spot--but ye were after
him as soon as ye could--you're art and part, baith o' ye, in the
exploit." it was clear now that dunc was in the same condemnation and
would share the same reward; whereat peter's heart was lifted, for