ster was before him. Quickly he stepped down the pulpit stairs,
psalm-book in hand, and singing as he went, walked quietly to the back
door, and leaving his book on the window-sill, passed out. The singing
went calmly on, for the congregation were never surprised at anything
their minister did.

The next verse was nearly through, when the door opened, and in came
Don, followed by Aleck, looking somewhat disheveled and shaken up,
and two or three more. In a few moments the minister came in, took his
psalm-book from the window-sill, and striking up with the congregation,
"Blest is the man whose strength thou art," marched up to the pulpit
again, with only an added flash in his blue eyes and a little more
triumphant swing to his coat-tails to indicate that anything had taken
place. But Murdie looked in vain for Ranald to appear, and waited,
uncertain what to do. He had a wholesome fear of the minister, more
especially in his present mood. Instinctively he turned toward the
minister's pew, and reading the look of anxious entreaty from the pale
face there, he waited till the congregation rose for prayer and then
slipped out, and was seen no more in church that day.

On the way home not a word was said about the disturbance. But after the
evening worship, when the minister had gone to his study for a smoke,
Hughie, who had heard the whole story from Don, told it to his mother
and Maimie in his most graphic manner.

"It was not Ranald's fault, mother," he declared. "You know Peter would
not let him alone, and Ranald hit him in the nose, and served him right,
too. But they made it all up, and they were just going into the church
again, when that Aleck McRae pulled Ranald back, and Ranald did not want
to fight at all, but he called Ranald a liar, and he could not help it,
but just hit him."

"Who hit who?" said Maimie. "You're not making it very clear, Hughie."

"Why, Ranald, of course, hit Aleck, and knocked him over, too," said
Hughie, with much satisfaction; "and then Aleck--he is an awful fighter,
you know--jumped on Ranald and was pounding him just awful, the great
big brute, when out came papa. He stepped up and caught Aleck by the
neck and shook him just like a baby, saying, all the time, 'Would ye? I
will teach you to fight on the Sabbath day! Here! in with you, every
one of you!' and he threw him nearly into the door, and then they all
skedaddled into the church, I tell you, Don said. They were pretty badly
scart,