Page:Martha Spreull by Zachary Fleming.pdf/90

78 asunder, and the next instant the heavy-fingert tawse labbit wi’ a stingin’ clash on Tammas’ jaw-blade. The callant loupit richt up in the air; and nae wonner. He got a mortal fricht, forby bein’ hurt in his feelin’s. We were a’ vext for him. Like maist generous natures, Tammas wis unco quick i’ the temper.

“ Come here wi’ thae tawse,” the maister roared. Tammas seized them tightly in his han’, and, takin’ a race into the middle o’ the fluir, gart them play flee at the maister’s head strikin’ him on the face, and carrying aff' his wig.

“Noo,” said Tammas, “hoo div ye like that yersel’, ye auld draigon?”

Then he gaed coolly back for his books and his bonnet, and bade us a’ good-bye and left the schule. The thing filled us wi’ mortal terror. Such a darin’ deed had never been heard tell o’. It seemed to me that chaos had come. Efter sic anarky and defiance o’ constitutit authority, the end o’ a’ things must be near. The storm, hooever, blew by. To oor great surprise and delight there wis neither imprisonment nor shedding o’ bluid; but Tammas Taigle never drew an elephant, nor liftit a pen, in Shuttle Street schule again.

I manna forget to mention that aboot this time my edication wis for a time suspendet in consequence o’ a hack in my heel. At first it wis thocht to be a simple and natural enough thing ; but as it wis dour o’ healin’, Peter Spale gaed doon to ane Mrs. Wark in the Gallowgate, wha wis famous for the sale o’ hive water, and ither kosmetics for the skin, and brocht back wi’ him a wee box o’ her patint healin’ saw. The effect o’ this eyntment wis to be mirawclas, and sae it turned oot to be, for in less than a week’s time my fit and leg were fearfu’ to see, havin’ hoved up abune a’ natural bounds, insomuch that I couldna put my fit below me, and- had to sit a’ day wi’t prappit