cendant of the
Fighting MacDonalds should, Scotty submitted very meekly. In a
laughing, half-ashamed manner he allowed himself to be pounded and
shaken, and when his assailant had almost wrung his hands off, even
permitted himself to be dragged up to the carriage wheels.

"Father!" cried the young man, his voice high with excitement, "it's
the very fellow himself! It's Big Scalper!"

At that Dan Murphy uttered a yell that made the topmost pine on the Oro
banks ring.

"It's the English spalpeen!" he roared to the dumbfounded crowd. "It's
the cratur Scotty pulled out o' the black divils in Agypt. Oh, hooray!"

It seemed as if all the township of Oro joined him in one mighty shout.
Some said afterwards that even Store Thompson cheered, though most
people believed that the excitement of the moment gave birth to that
wild rumour. But certain it is that an equally wonderful thing
happened, for at the sound of the uproar the minister turned back from
the manse gate, and when he was made aware of the cause, he actually
waved his hat in the air and made everyone give three more cheers.

And such a prodigious handshaking ensued that Scotty was almost
overcome. Captain Herbert acted as if he could never let him go; and
there was Store Thompson and the minister and half the crowd to shake
hands with again, and it seemed to Scotty that every second man was the
young Egyptian officer, and he found to his amusement that even that
absurd Dan was greeting him as though they had not met for years!

But he was only half-conscious of it all, only half realised what it
meant even when Miss Herbert took both his hands in hers and whispered
softly: "God bless you, my boy." For he could see nothing but Isabel's
face and her blue eyes swimming in happy tears, and felt only her
clinging hands as she whispered brokenly: "Oh, Scotty, isn't it
wonderful, wonderful?" And Scotty knew that even she did not quite
realise just how wonderful it was.

Then, amid all the expressions of good will, Big Malcolm stepped
forward and held out his hand to Captain Herbert. It was grasped
warmly and the old man felt, with a great uplifting of his spirit, that
his last forgiveness was accomplished and his last feud buried.

It was very late that night when the company broke up and Scotty found
himself at home once more. Monteith had returned with him, and as he
took his leave the young man accompanied him to the gate.

"I wanted a chance to tell