Rob turned abruptly away and grinned discreetly at the Indian's head over the fireplace. Those guests made the case doubly hard for the rioters. Dr. Mann could not allow his colleagues to suppose that he was accustomed to put up with such disorder. The ill-starred Pecks were evidently up against it!
"There's the rat, sir," said Duncan.—Page [127].
"We're very sorry, sir, that you were disturbed," Donald was saying, "but it really wasn't our fault. Some one threw a live rat in at the door and we've been hunting it. We didn't mean to make any disturbance."
"Incredible!" exclaimed Dr. Mann.
"There's the rat, sir," said Duncan, holding up by the tail the unfortunate cause of all the trouble. "You can see it yourself."
Dr. Mann could see it. There was unquestionably a dead rat; and the ink spilled on the floor, the jar knocked from the mantel, the disordered furniture, scattered books, and the excited faces of the boys attested the fact that the poor animal had not been an expected guest.
"Who could have played such a contemptible trick!" exclaimed the teacher, in disgust. "Did you see who threw it in?"
"No, we were studying at the desk, and some one opened the door so quietly we didn't notice it, and chucked the thing right at us."