, and for a very good
reason. For only the evening before Number Nine had for once
miscalculated their ruler's condition, and a flagrant act of
disobedience had been perpetrated. McAllister had commanded that all
fighting cease, and in the face of his interdict the MacDonalds and the
Murphys, according to the established custom of the country, had
manfully striven to exterminate each other. For between the Oa and the
Flats there was an undying feud; partly hereditary, and partly owing to
the fact that Pat Murphy considered it an impertinence on the part of
anyone to come from the north when he chose to approach from the
opposite direction.

During school-hours a truce was preserved, all factions being united
against a common foe; but as soon as school was dismissed the lines of
demarcation became too obvious to be overlooked. The outlandish Gaelic
the MacDonalds spoke when among their brethren, their irritating way of
gathering clan-like for the journey home, always aroused resentment in
the breasts of the assembling Murphys. So, five o'clock fights had
long ago become one of the institutions of the school, and in the
winter when the big boys were present the encounters were frequent and
sanguinary.

The schoolmaster objected to all strife in which he had no part, and
since the opening of the winter term he had set his face like adamant
against this international warfare. But his opposition served only to
increase the ardour of the combatants. In vain he scolded and
thrashed. In vain he imprisoned the Scots until the Hibernians had had
a reasonable time to make an honourable retreat. The liberated party
only waited behind stumps and fallen logs, with the faithfulness of a
lover to his tryst.

So at last McAllister arose in his might and announced that the next
time such an affair occurred he would thrash the leaders of each party
within an inch of their lives. On such occasions the schoolmaster was
not to be trifled with, and for a few days even the Murphys were cowed.

But as time passed there grew up between the belligerents a tacit
understanding that just as soon as the master entered upon a less rigid
frame of mind they would settle the fast accumulating scores.

So the night succeeding Scotty's first day at school they felt the time
was ripe. Roarin' Sandy's Archie assured all that a fight would be
perfectly safe. The master's tropical season was already overdue some
days, and on the morrow he was