"I'll be Peter McDuff," he said with a stately air, "an' I'll loss a
pig."

"I--I don't think it's here," faltered Helen, dismayed at a visit from
the notorious McDuff. "You might ask some other place," she suggested
hopefully.

"I'll be wantin' the bairns to be lookin' for it," he said, making
another bow. He turned to the children, now sitting, for the first
time since their teacher had set eyes on them, absolutely still and
attentive.

"If you see a pig wis a curly tail," he announced, "that's me!"

The whole school burst into a shout of laughter, and the man's face
flamed with anger. He shook his fist at them again, moving a step into
the room. "Ye impident young upstarts!" he shouted. "I'll be Peter
McDuff!" he cried proudly. "And I'll be having you know they will not
be laughing at the McDuff whatefer!"

"I--I'm sure they didn't mean to be rude, Mr. McDuff," ventured the
frightened teacher.

"My name'll be Peter McDuff," he insisted, coming further into the room
while she stepped back in terror. "I'll be sixty years of old, and
I'll neffer be casting a tory vote! An' if you'll be gifing me a man
my own beeg and my own heavy--" he brandished his fists fiercely.

"Peter!"

The McDuff turned. Behind him stood Angus McRae, his gentle face
distressed. He laid his hand on Peter's shoulder with an air of quiet
power. "Come away home with me, Peter man," he said soothingly.
"We'll be finding the pig on the road."

Peter stumbled out grumbling, and Angus McRae, pausing a moment to
deliver an apology to Helen, followed. Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby came
along the hall rocking with laughter.

"You poor child!" she cried. "I heard him, and was coming to the
rescue when I saw old Angus. I knew you'd be scared. But Peter
wouldn't hurt a hair of a woman's head."

"That Mr. McRae seemed to have some strange power over him," whispered
Helen, watching, with some apprehension, the two climb into an old
wagon.

"So he has. And he's the only one that has. He keeps Peter in order
when he's drunk and keeps him sober, when he can. Ah, dear me! dear
me! There's a clever man all gone wrong. Angus McRae's been working
with him for years. He lives out there past what they call Willow
Lane. Ever been down there?"

"No, but I've heard of it often."

"It's that bit of street that runs from the end of the town where that
old hotel is. I'm going down there after school to see about Minnie
Perkins. Come al