Tell him he can't go."

"Oh ay! he's spout richt, Maister Ken. She's too fu' o' watter to go
over the mountain and through ta glen."

"She wass saying she'd go and tak' the young chentleman to see the
fa's."

"Ay, there's a gran' fa' o' watter the noo," said Tavish.

"Oh, very well, then; let's go and see the falls. Come along, Scoody.
I'll get a gun. You'll take yours, Max."

"Shall I?"

"Yes, of course. We may get a good shot at something."

The two lads went back into the hall, and, passing through a swing door,
they suddenly came upon The Mackhai pacing up and down.

He looked up, frowning as he caught sight of Max, and was evidently
going to say something; but he checked himself, and went quickly into
the library and shut the door.

"I'd give something to know what's the matter with father," said Kenneth
thoughtfully. "He never used to be like this."

Max felt uncomfortable, and, being very sensitive, he turned to his
companion:

"Have I done anything to annoy him?" he asked.

"You? No. What nonsense! There, come along. We haven't had such a
day as this for ever so long, and I've been indoors till I can hardly
breathe. Why not have a sail?"

Max looked aghast at the heaving sea.

"Perhaps it is a bit too rough," said Kenneth. "Never mind; we'll go
and see the falls."

Ten minutes later they were skirting round the little bay, to turn in by
the first swollen river, to track its bed up to the mountain, where the
"fa's" they were to see were to be found, and, even as they went, a low,
deep, humming sound came to the ear, suggestive of some vast machinery
in motion; while the river at their side ran as if it were so much
porter covered with froth, great flakes of which were eddying here and
there, and being cast up in iridescent patches on the stony banks.

At the end of a quarter of an hour's climbing and stumbling among the
wet rocks and bushes, during which the two big dogs had been trotting
quietly along at their master's heels, and Sneeshing, in a wonderful
state of excitement, hunting everywhere for that rabbit which he had on
his mind, Max stopped short.

"Hallo! Tired?" cried Kenneth, laughing.

"Oh no! But it seems such a pity to go hurrying on. Wait a few
minutes."

Kenneth laughed, and yet he could not help feeling gratified at his
companion's enthusiasm.

"Here, hold hard a bit, Tawy," he cried. "Stop a bit, Shon."

The two men halted; the dogs settled themselves