'-Shanter, and wiping his brow with the worsted tuft on the top;
then, turning with a smile to Max, "I'm thenking ye find it a verra
beautiful place, sir?"

"Oh yes, very," replied Max.

"And the Chiefs a gran' man. Don't ye often wonder he ever had such a
laddie as this for a son?"

"Do you want me to punch your head, Shon?" said Kenneth.

Shon chuckled.

"As hard as hard, sir; never gives a puir fellow a taste o' whusky."

"Look here, have you broken up the deer?"

"Broke up the deer, indeed? Why, she wass just finished packing them up
in ta boxes."

"Come and see, Max," cried Kenneth, leading the way into a long, low
building, badly lit by one small window, through which the sun shone
upon a man seated crouched together upon a wooden block, with one elbow
upon his bare knee, and a pipe held between his lips.

"Hallo, Tavish, you here?" cried Kenneth. "Here, Max, this is our
forester. Stand up, Tavish, and let him see how tall you are."

Max had stopped by the doorway, for the smell and appearance of the
ill-ventilated place were too suggestive of a butcher's business to make
it inviting; but he had taken in at a glance a pile of deal cases, a
block with knives, chopper, and saw, and the heads, antlers, and skins
of a couple of red deer.

The smoker smiled, at least his eyes indicated that he smiled, for the
whole of the lower part of his face was hidden by the huge beard which
swept down over his chest, and hid his grey flannel shirt, to mingle
with the hairy sporran fastened to his waist.

Then the pipe was lowered, two great brown hairy hands were placed upon
his knees, and, as the muscular arms straightened, the man slowly heaved
up his back, keeping his head bent down, till his broad shoulders nearly
touched the sloping roof, and then he took a step or two forward.

"She canna stand quite up without knocking her head, Master Kenneth."

"Yes, you can--there!" cried Kenneth. "Now then, head up. There, Max,
what do you think of him? Six feet six. Father says he's half a
Scandinavian. He can take Shon under one arm and Scood under the other,
and run with them up-hill."

Max stared wonderingly at the great good-tempered-looking giant, with
high forehead and kindly blue eyes, which made him, with his aquiline
nose, look as grand a specimen of humanity as he had ever seen.

"She knockit her head against that beam once, sir and it's made her
verra careful ever since. May she sit down now, Mas