is _is_ a surprise!" exclaimed Lumley, on recovering some of
his usual self-possession.

"So it would seem," replied the apparition, still laughing, "for it has
robbed you of common politeness. Why don't you introduce yourself and
welcome me? No doubt you are my brother's friend, Mr Lumley!"

She drew a very small white hand from a very large leather mitten, and
held it out.

"Forgive me, Miss Macnab--for of course you can be no other," said
Lumley, advancing promptly and grasping the hand, "but your--your--
sudden, and I may almost say magical, appearance has so taken me by
surprise, that--that--"

"Yes, yes, I understand, Mr Lumley--that you find it difficult to
recover yourself,--why, your friend Mr Maxby has not yet recovered,"
said the fair Jessie, turning and holding out her hand to me.

She was right. I had not recovered, but stood there open-mouthed and
eyed, bereft of speech, until the necessity for action was thrust upon
me. My apologies were, however, cut short by the coming up of her
brother, who, while yet a long way off, began to shout in his stentorian
tones:--

"Hallo! Lumley, my boy, how are ye? Here we are at last. A happy New
Year, Max. Glad to see you once more--all alive and hearty? Eh? More
than I expected to find _you_, Jess, after such a run with these
rascally dogs--absolute wolves! But it might have been worse. Give us
a shake o' your fists, my boys, on this happy New Year's Day."

By this time our hearty friend was beside us, shaking us both vigorously
by the hands, wishing us all manner of good luck, and compliments of the
season, and otherwise letting off the steam of his exuberant feelings.

"You've introduced yourselves, I see," he continued; "come, Lumley, give
your arm to Jessie, and show us the way to the fort."

"If Miss Macnab," began Lumley, advancing, but his speech was here cut
short.

"Miss Macnab!" echoed the explosive Peter in a sarcastic shout, "call
her Jessie, man! who ever heard of a `_Miss_ Macnab' in the backwoods?
When men take to living in the wilderness, it's time to cast off all the
humbuggin' politenesses o' civilised life."

"Pardon me, Macnab," returned my friend, with more than his usual
urbanity, "I differ from you there."

"Oh, ay, I daresay ye do," interrupted the other. "It's been said of
Scotsmen that `they can aye objec',' and I think it's equally true of
Englishmen that they can always differ!"

"Men who live in the wilderness,"