"No, sir, Nestie's safe, and some women have taken him home; but he was very nearly gone," and Dunc was plainly shaken. "He's a good ween man, and--and it would have been terrible to see him die before our eyes."
"Who saved Nestie?" Bulldog's face was white, and Jock swore afterwards the tears were in his eyes--but that we did not believe.
"It was one of the boys, sir"--Robertson's voice was very proud--"and it was a gallant deed; but I can't give his name, because he made me promise not to tell."
The master looked round the school, and there was a flush on his cheek.
"John Howieson," with a voice that knew no refusal, and Jock stood in his place.
"Give me the laddie's name who savit Nestie."
"It was Speug, sir, an'--it wes michty; but a' wudna hae telt had ye no askit, an'--it's no my blame," and Jock cast a deprecatory glance where Peter was striving to hide himself behind a slate.
"Peter McGuffie, come out this moment," and Peter, who had obeyed this order in other circumstances with an immovable countenance, now presented the face of one who had broken a till.
"Tell the story, Duncan Robertson, every word of it, that each laddie in this room may remember it as lang as he lives."
"We had nearly all dressed, and some of us had started for school ... and when I got back McGuffie had jumped and was out in the current waiting for Nestie to come up. We saw his face at last, white on the water, and shouted to Peter, and ... he had him in a minute, and ... made for shore; big swimming, sir; not one of us could have done it except himself. A salmon-fisher showed us how to rub Nestie till he came round, and ... he smiled to us, and said, 'I'm all right; sorry to trouble you chaps.' Then we ran down as hard as we could lick, and ... that's all, sir."
"Ye're a leear, Duncan Robertson," suddenly broke out Speug, goaded beyond endurance; "ye helpit oot Nestie yirself, an' ye're ... as muckle tae blame as me."
"All I did, 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.
