hreatened the dog with one of the joints of the rod, and then threw
it back over his left shoulder, as he lay with his head raised, and
began to squeeze the pillow in imitation of a bag with its pipes.

"Now, Sneeshing, go ahead! Give us the Hieland Fling!"

Then, in imitation of the pipes, Kenneth began, and not badly,--

"Waugh! waugh!" and went on with the air "Tullochgorum," but Sneeshing
only threw up his head and howled.

"Do you want me to whack you?" cried Kenneth. "Now, then, up you go,
and we'll begin again."

"Waugh! waugh!"

Sneeshing had flinched from the rod, and now he gave his master a
piteous look, but rose up on his hind legs and began to lift first one
and then the other, drooping his forepaws and then raising them as he
turned solemnly round to the imitation music. Twice over he came down
on all-fours, for the bed was very soft and awkward on account of
Kenneth's legs and its irregularities, but he rose up again, and the
mock pipes were in full burst, and the dogs who formed the audience
evidently in a great state of excitement, as they blinked and panted,
when there was a tremendous roar of laughter, which brought all to a
conclusion, the dogs barking furiously as Mr Curzon came forward with
The Mackhai.

"Bravo! bravo!" he exclaimed. "There, I don't think you will want any
more of my physic now."

Kenneth lay back, looking sadly shamefaced; and his father half-pleased,
half-annoyed, as he opened the door and dismissed the dogs, but not
unkindly.

"I'm glad to see you so much better, Ken."

"Thank you, father. I was only showing Max--"

"How much better you are!" interposed the doctor. "Well, I'm very glad;
only I'd lie still now. Don't overdo it. There, Mr Mackhai, I have
done. Thank you for your hospitality. I can go to-morrow."

"No; you'll stop and have a few days' fishing."

"Not one more, thank you; but if I am up here next year, and you would
let me have a day or two on your water, I should be glad."

"As many days as you like, sir, for the rest of your life," said The
Mackhai warmly, "for you saved that of my boy."

Ten minutes after, when they went down-stairs, Kenneth said,--

"I say, Max, what a humbug I must have looked! But I am ever so much
better. I hope old Curzon will come and fish next year."

While down-stairs his father was angrily walking up and down his study.

"As many days as he likes for the rest of his life!" he exclaimed
fiercely. "Idiot-