g thin bare legs
glistened with shaggy silver hairs, and, as Max gazed at the dull,
sunken eyes, high cheek-bone, and eagle-beak nose of the wonderfully
wrinkled face, he involuntarily shrank back, and felt disposed to
hastily descend.

For a few moments he did not realise what the old man was doing, for
there was something shapeless in his lap, and what seemed to be three or
four joints of an old fishing-rod beneath his arm, while he busily
smoothed and passed a piece of fine string or twisted hemp through his
hands, one of which Max saw directly held a piece of wax.

"Is he shoemaking?" thought Max; but directly after saw that the old
fellow was about to bind one of the joints of the fishing-rod.

Just then, as he raised his head, he seemed to catch sight of the two
lads standing in the old doorway, and the eyes that were dull and
filmy-looking gradually began to glisten, and the face grow wild and
fierce, but only to soften to a smile as he exclaimed, in a harsh,
highly-pitched voice,--

"Ah, Kenneth, my son! Boy of my heart! Have you come, my young eagle,
to see the old man?"

"Yes; I've brought our visitor, Mr Max Blande."

"Ah!" said the old man, half-rising and making a courtly bow; "she hurt
that the young Southron laird had come, and there's sorrow in her old
heart, for the pipes are not ready to give him welcome to the home of
our Chief."

"What, haven't you got 'em mended yet?"

"Not quite, Kenneth, laddie. I'm doing them well, and to-morrow they
shall sing the old songs once again."

"Hurrah!" cried Kenneth. "My friend here is fra the sooth, but he lo'es
the skirl o' the auld pipes like a son o' The Mackhai."

"Hey! Does he?" cried the old man, firing up. "Then let him lay his
han' in mine, and to-morrow, and the next day, and while he stays, he
shall hear the old strains once again."

"That's right."

"Ay, laddie, for Donald has breath yet, auld as he is."

"Ah, you're pretty old, aren't you, Donald?"

"Old? Ay. She'll be nearly a hundert, sir," said the old man proudly.
"A hundert--a hundert years."

Max stared, and felt a curious sensation of shrinking from the
weird-looking old man, which increased as he suddenly beckoned him to
approach with his thin, claw-like hand, after sinking back in his seat.

In spite of his shrinking, Max felt compelled to go closer to the old
fellow, who nodded and smiled and patted the baize-covered skin in his
lap.

"Ta bag," he said confidentia