e pirate ship! They wasted
very little time in making known the grave reason for their visit, and
to their surprise they found that Danny knew much more about the
Caldwell-MacDonald trouble than they did.

Sure, wasn't his brother Mike telling them only last night that Nancy
wasn't allowed to go outside the gate, though she fought like a tiger
about it; and Tom Caldwell had said he'd kill Callum Fiach if he came
near the place; and Nancy had said she'd murder anybody that laid a
finger on him. Nancy was good stuff, and if there was any scheme for
outwitting the Caldwells, Danny was their man.

But this was grave news, and somewhat dampening to the ardour of the
adventurous spirits.

So they pulled the old punt up under the birches and sat in it with
their three heads, black, gold and red, very close together, and
concocted a new plan. The line of procedure finally settled upon was
not quite so romantic as Scotty had intended, but it answered. Danny
had access to the Caldwell home; no one would suspect him; he must see
Nancy, and offer their services as well as those of their vessel, and
meanwhile Scotty was to interview Callum, and if he had any message to
send to Nancy, then Danny would carry it.

They all went home bursting with their prodigious secret; and Scotty,
whose forest breeding had made reticence easy, never ceased all the way
home to warn Isabel of the fearful consequences of disclosure.

He could scarcely wait for an opportunity to speak to Callum alone, but
at last supper was over and the chores all done; and he crept out to
the barn where he had seen the young man disappear. He found him in
the loft, lying gloomily upon the hay; and, hesitating and fearful lest
Callum would ridicule or blame him for his interference, he made his
confession. Callum suddenly sat up and gazed into the bright eager
face with its big sparkling eyes. He sprang to his feet.

"Horo!" he shouted, and catching the boy up flung him over his head
into the hay; and when Scotty came laughing and breathless to his feet
he was filled with amazement and concern to see that there were tears
in Callum's eyes.

And so a letter was carried, but not without difficulties encountered.
Kirsty proved the first obstacle. She declared she was just going to
put a stop to such stravogin', and would not let the lass go near that
dirty crick again, for she always came home wringing wet. Isabel swept
away this barrier in a flood of tears