series of wild Gaelic ejaculations in his surprise.

The cause of the interruption was plain enough: Scood had rolled off the
top of the wall feet first, clung with his hands, and in his efforts to
recover himself and get back he had kicked out one leg so sharply that
it had come in contact with the bag of the pipes, producing the wild
yell, and sending the old man staggering back.

As soon as he fully realised what was the matter, the old man uttered a
howl of rage, laid down his pipes, and rushed across at Scoodrach, who
had half scrambled back.

Donald's attack altered his position, for the old man seized him about
the hips by the kilt, and dragged at him to get him down, just as
Kenneth was holding him tightly and trying to pull him up, Scood
seconding his efforts by clinging to him with all his strength.

What followed did not take many moments, for Donald had every advantage
on his side. He hauled, and Kenneth hauled, while Scood clung to his
companion with tremendous tenacity.

"Pull! pull!" shouted Scoodrach to Kenneth; but the latter could not
pull for laughing. And besides, he had the whole of the young gillie's
weight to bear, while his foothold was exceedingly insecure.

The old piper uttered some fierce words in Gaelic, to which Scoodrach
replied in the same tongue; and then, finding how helpless he was, and
little likely to be drawn up while Donald was clinging to him, he drew
in his legs and then kicked them out again, like one swimming, or, a
better comparison, like a grasshopper in the act of taking a leap.

Scoodrach was as strong as one of the rough ponies of the place, while
old Donald's days for display of muscular strength had long gone by.
Consequently he was drawn to and fro as Scoodrach kicked, and was
finally thrown off, to go down backwards into a sitting position.

"Now pull, Maister Ken," shouted Scoodrach. "Heave her up, or she'll
hae that mad blawblether at her again."

Kenneth pulled, laughing more than ever, as Scoodrach held on by his
jacket; and just then the gillie managed to get a foot in a hole whence
a stone had been dislodged. Raising himself up a little, Kenneth now
began to pull in earnest; but it was too late. Old Donald had struggled
up and seized Scoodrach once more, giving so heavy a drag upon him that
down came the young gillie, and not alone, for he dragged Kenneth with
him; and all three lay together in a struggling heap upon the floor.

"Rin, Maister Ken!