have led to it; but he began to show so violent a dislike toward any of
the children who might cross his path that he would do his best to give
them a good drubbing with his stick. In the case of the more simple he
sometimes succeeded in seizing hold before the child had attempted to
escape his clutches, and in giving the unfortunate culprit a good
reason for flying home in tears to exhibit to an angry mother the marks
of "t' auld schulemaister's wand!"

Under such circumstances it became necessary to take counsel with the
Inspector of the Poor with a view to getting McConnachie placed under
restraint. Matters were easily settled and a time fixed for his
deportation to the County Asylum.

But though the old fellow was mad enough in some respects, he was sharp
enough in others! It required diplomacy to get him to leave his home
and undertake a journey even in the conveyance which the Inspector had
promised to provide to take him to the railway station some miles away.
Farquharson, on account of his office, was the only person in the
community who was on terms of cordiality with McConnachie; for the old
man had a great idea of his position in Ardmuirland, and held himself
somewhat above the common run of people. With Farquharson he could
converse as with one who was _almost_ an equal--not absolutely, for he
himself had been through some little training which the other had not.
To Farquharson, therefore, the Inspector looked for assistance. He
arranged for him to travel with the old fellow, under the pretence of
visiting a large school on the invitation of a master there whom he
knew; this supposititious friend had included McConnachie in the letter
(really written by the Inspector) which Farquharson had received on the
subject.