“I didn't; it did itself.”
On the whole, the opening day had not been a success. As a matter of fact, it was almost too much to expect that it should be anything but a failure. There was a kind of settled if unspoken opinion among the children that no master could ever fill Archibald Munro's place in the school. Indeed, it was felt to be a kind of impertinence for any man to attempt such a thing. And further, there was a secret sentiment among the boys that loyalty to the old master's memory demanded an attitude of unsympathetic opposition to the one who came to take his place. It did not help the situation that the new master was unaware of this state of mind. He was buoyed up by the sentiments of enthusiastic admiration and approval that he carried with him in the testimonials from his last board of trustees in town, with which sentiments he fully agreed, and hence he greeted the pupils of the little backwoods school with an airy condescension that reduced the school to a condition of speechless and indignant astonishment. The school was prepared to tolerate the man who should presume to succeed their former master, if sufficiently humble, but certainly not to accept airy condescension from him.
“Does he think we're babies?” asked Don, indignantly.
“And did you see him trying to chop at recess?” (REE'cis, Hughie called it.) “He couldn't hit twice in the same place.”
“And he asked me if that beech there was a maple,” said Bob Fraser, in deep disgust.
“Oh, shut up your gab!” said Ranald, suddenly. “Give the man a chance, anyway.”
“Will YOU bring an excuse when you're absent, Ranald?” asked Hughie.
“And where would I be getting it?” asked Ranald, grimly, and all the boys realized the absurdity of expecting a written excuse for Ranald's absence from his father. Macdonald Dubh was not a man to be bothered with such trifles.
“You might get it from your Aunt Kirsty, Ranald,” said Don, slyly. The boys shouted at the suggestion.
“And she could do it well enough if it would be necessary,” said Ranald, facing square round on Don, and throwing up his head after his manner when battle was in the air, while the red blood showed in his dark cheek and his eyes lit up with a fierce gleam. Don read the danger signal.