t we better put on our shoes and stockings here?"

"What for?"

"We might meet somebody."

"Well, of course. Suppose we did?"

"It--it looks so indelicate," said Max hesitatingly.

"Oh, I say, don't!" cried Kenneth, roaring with laughter; "you make my
sides ache again."

"Did I say something funny, then?"

"Funny! Why, it's screaming. Why, half the people go bare-legged here.
All the children do."

"But the things prick one's feet so, and we might meet with poisonous
snakes."

"Then let's put them on," said Kenneth, with mock seriousness. "I did
not think about the poisonous snakes."

He set the example of taking possession of a stone, and, slipping on his
check worsted socks and low shoes in a few moments, to jump up again and
stand looking down at Max, who made quite a business of the matter.
Kenneth gave each foot a kick and a stamp to get rid of the sand. Max
proceeded very deliberately to wipe away the sand and scraps of heather
from between his toes with one clean pocket-handkerchief, and to polish
them with another.

"Oh, they look beautiful and white now!" said Kenneth, with mock
seriousness, as he drew his dirk and stropped it on his hand. "Like to
trim your toe-nails and cut your corns?"

"No, thank you," said Max innocently. "I won't keep you waiting
to-day."

"Oh, I don't mind," said Kenneth politely.

"There, you are laughing at me again," cried Max reproachfully.

"Well, who's to help it if you will be such a mollycoddle! Slip on your
socks and shoes now. I want you to catch that salmon."

"Ah yes, I should like to catch a salmon!" said Max, hastily pulling on
his socks and then his too tight shoes. "There, I'm ready now."

Half a mile farther they struck the side of a sea loch, and, after
following its shore for a short distance, Kenneth plunged into the heath
and began to climb a steep, rugged slope, up which Max toiled, till on
the top he paused, breathless and full of wonder at the beauty of the
scene. The slope they had climbed was the back-bone of a buttress of
the hill which flanked the loch, the said buttress running out and
forming a promontory.

"There, we have cut off quite half a mile by coming up here."

"How beautiful!" said Max involuntarily, as he gazed at the long stretch
of miles of blue water which ran right in among the mountainous hills.

"Yes, it's all right," cried Kenneth. "There they are half way down to
the river."

"Then we are not going to