32 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



his spirited mare into the very kitchen, and placed her with 

 heels towards the door. By irritating the creature, he made 

 her fling so fiercely in the face of the officers in pursuit of 

 him, that they beat a retreat from the enraged pair of beasts, 

 scared by the hoofs of the one and the fists of the other. 



At home, though he could be and often was kindly in 

 milder moments, he ruled every one with a rod of iron, 

 including his amiable and intelligent wife, who had 

 frequently to bear much from his fury. The house was 

 comfortable, for the man was fairly prosperous ; and food, 

 which was in Mrs. Pirie's keeping, was good and abundant. 

 But he was tyrannical and exacting with his apprentices, of 

 whom he had a succession, and his treatment of the quiet, 

 shrinking lad now come to his house, who was cowed by 

 his strength and passion, was harsh, if not cruel. He often 

 struck him severely, as he did every one who came within 

 his reach when under anger, which was easily kindled into 

 fierceness. In poor John's case, the very weakness and 

 unresisting timidity of the victim, natural to the boy and 

 increased by repeated blows, only fanned the rising flame, 

 as it always does with 'such bullies. Occasionally the 

 crushed worm did turn in appeal and anger, for the boy 

 had a firm independent spirit beneath his quietness ; but 

 that only increased the stamp of the iron heel. 



So notorious did his cruelty become, that it was the 

 talk of the village ; and people said that Pirie must surely 

 be his father to take the liberty of using him so badly ! 

 Like the conscious tyrant he was, he even prohibited John 

 from visiting his neighbours, for fear he should talk to them 

 of his treatment. Those that would have befriended the 

 lad in many ways were afraid to do so, not to increase the 



