vial dog, was in the middle of his roaring game. A
big red bullock, the coat of which made a rich colour in the ring, came
bounding in, scared at its surroundings--staring one moment and the next
careering.

"There's meat for you," said he of the hammer; "see how it runs! How
much am I offered for _this_ fine bullock?" He sing-songed, always
saying "_this_ fine bullock" in exactly the same tone of voice.
"Thirteen pounds for _this_ fine bullock; thirteen-five; thirteen-ten;
thirteen-ten for _this_ fine bullock; thirteen-ten; any further bids on
thirteen-ten? why, it's worth that for the colour o't; thank ye,
sir--thirteen-fifteen; fourteen pounds; fourteen pounds for _this_ fine
bullock; see how the stot stots[7] about the ring; that joke should
raise him another half-sovereign; ah, I knew it would--fourteen-five;
fourteen-five for _this_ fine bullock; fourteen-ten; no more than
fourteen-ten for _this_ fine bullock; going at fourteen-ten;
gone--Irrendavie."

Now that he was in the circle, however, the mad, big, handsome beast
refused to go out again. When the cattlemen would drive him to the yard,
he snorted and galloped round, till he had to be driven from the ring
with blows. When at last he bounded through the door, he flung up his
heels with a bellow, and sent the sand of his arena showering on the
people round.

"I seh!" roared Brodie in his coarsest voice, from the side of the ring
opposite to Gourlay. "I seh, owctioner! That maun be a College-bred
stot, from the way he behaves. He flung dirt at his masters, and had to
be expelled."

"Put Brodie in the ring and rowp him!" cried Irrendavie. "He roars like
a bill, at ony rate."

There was a laugh at Brodie, true; but it was at Gourlay that a hundred
big red faces turned to look. He did not look at them, though. He sent
his eyes across the ring at Brodie.

"Lord!" said Irrendavie, "it's weel for Brodie that the ring's acqueesh
them! Gourlay'll murder somebody yet. Red hell lap out o' his e'en when
he looked at Brodie."

Gourlay's suspicion that his son's disgrace was a matter of common
knowledge had now become a certainty. Brodie's taunt showed that
everybody knew it. He walked out of the building very quietly, pale but
resolute; no meanness in his carriage, no cowering. He was an arresting
figure of a man as he stood for a moment in the door and looked round
for the man whom he was seeking. "Weel, weel," he was thinking, "I maun
thole, I suppose. They were