"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 robertson's treachery cried to heaven for judgment.
"Boys of Muirtown, do you see those tablets?"--and Bulldog pointed to the lists in gold of the former pupils who had distinguished themselves over the world--prizemen, soldiers, travellers, writers, preachers, lawyers, doctors. "It's a grand roll, and an honour to have a place in it, and there are two new names to be added.