Fire was the cause of Martin's getting into disgrace at school for thefirst time; and this is how it happened.
"Go and poke the fire, Martin Rattler," said the school-master, "and puton a bit of coal, and see that you don't send the sparks flying aboutthe floor."
Martin sprang with alacrity to obey; for he was standing up with theclass at the time, and was glad of the temporary relaxation. He stirredthe fire with great care, and put on several pieces of coal very slowly,and rearranged them two or three times; after which he stirred the fire alittle more, and examined it carefully to see that it was all right; buthe did not seem quite satisfied, and was proceeding to re-adjust thecoals when Bob Croaker, one of the big boys, who was a bullying,ill-tempered fellow, and had a spite against Martin, called out,--
"Please, sir, Rattler's playin' at the fire."
"Come back to your place, sir!" cried the master, sternly.
Martin returned in haste, and resumed his position in the class. As hedid so he observed that his fore-finger was covered with soot.Immediately a smile of glee overspread his features; and, while themaster was busy with one of the boys, he drew his black finger gentlydown the forehead and nose of the boy next to him.
"What part of the earth was peopled by the descendants of Ham?" cried themaster, pointing to the dux.
"Shem!" shrieked a small boy near the foot of the class.
"Silence!" thundered the master, with a frown that caused the small boyto quake down to the points of his toes.
"Asia!" answered dux.
"Next?"
"Turkey!"
"Next, next, next? Hallo! John Ward," cried the master, starting up inanger from his seat, "what do you mean by that, sir?"
"What, sir?" said John Ward, tremulously, while a suppressed titter ranround the class.
"Your face, sir! Who blacked your face, eh?"
"I--I--don't know," said the boy, drawing his sleeve across his face,which had the effect of covering it with sooty streaks.
An uncontrollable shout of laughter burst from the whole school, whichwas instantly followed by a silence so awful and profound that a pinmight have been heard to fall.
"Martin Rattler, you did that! I know you did,--I see the marks on yourfingers. Come here, sir! Now tell me; _did_ you do it?"
Martin Rattler never told falsehoods. His old aunt had laboured toimpress upon him from infancy that to lie was to commit a sin which isabhorred by God and scorned by man; and her teaching had not been invain. The child would have suffered any punishment rather than have tolda deliberate lie. He looked straight in the master's face and said, "Yes,sir, I did it."
"Very well, go to your seat, and remain in school during the play-hour."
With a heavy heart Martin obeyed; and soon after the school wasdismissed.
"I say, Rattler," whispered Bob Croaker, as he passed, "I'm going toteach your white kitten to swim just now. Won't you come and see it?"
The malicious laugh with which the boy accompanied this remark convincedMartin that he intended to put his threat in execution. For a moment hethought of rushing out after him to protect his pet kitten; but a glanceat the stern brow of the master, as he sat at his desk reading,restrained him; so, crushing down his feelings of mingled fear and anger,he endeavoured to while away the time by watching the boys as they playedin the fields before the windows of the school.