ful
fact that someone was about to leave her doors without stopping to eat.
She issued no further invitation, but with her apron still to her eyes
and still exclaiming over and over in muffled sobs, that "the darlin'
had come back to his mother," she darted into the road; and snatching
the horses' bridle, dragged her guests through the gate and up to the
door, amid the applause of the assembled Flats.

And so they had supper in the Murphy home perforce, and all the great
deeds of their expedition had to be recounted. Scotty told how Dan had
disobeyed orders and run away at the battle of Kirbekan; only, like a
true Irishman, he had run to, not from the fight. But when his friend
returned the compliment and launched into an account of the midnight
skirmish at the ruined temple, the hero of that event arose hastily,
and declared they must be going.

There was much for Hamish both to tell and hear on the road, so the
afternoon was fading into evening when at last they reached the Scotch
Line. They had taken a detour round the Glen, for Scotty did not want
to be delayed by more friends. They passed the Weaver's clearing, and
Hamish declared how Jimmie and Kirsty were such an agreeable pair as
never was, for indeed the two lived in such a state of connubial
felicity as was a wonder to all the neighbours. Scotty caught a
glimpse of the little path through the cedars, the path where he and
Isabel had walked so often in those magic days succeeding Kirsty's
wedding. And there was the boiling spring by the roadside where they
had so often played, and the pools where they had gathered musk, and
yonder in the fence-corner they had built their first house.

And then there came a turn in the road and there it was! His old home!
It was just the same: the old garden in front with the rose bushes
turning green, and the Silver Maple putting forth its pink buds above
the roof! And there was Granny at the door, shading her eyes with her
hand; and beside her Mary Sandy, Rory's sister-in-law, who was now her
help; and Grandaddy, who had been pretending to cut wood all afternoon,
still holding the axe in his hand; yes, and even Old Farquhar, bobbing
about as excited as any!

With the instinct of long custom, Scotty jumped from the vehicle to
open the gate, but his trembling fingers refused to pull out the pin,
and the next moment he had cleared the bars in one mighty spring,
leaving Hamish, helpless with laughter, to shift for hims