s
that put it where I found it either! It was below the falls, if
you'll believe me, safe and sound and tight as ever. Any man that
is easily scared would better not be walking the woods in that
direction, I'm telling you, or likely he'd be whisked away by the
little people and shut up in some cave in the hills. I felt the
drawing myself once, but I knew how to manage. I was just gey
firm with them, and they knew I wasna fearful and let me go. It's
none so easy being a gamekeeper. It takes a bold man, and a canny
one, and well the poacher gang knew that. They're gone and good
riddance. It's taken me all summer to bring it about."

"Oh," murmured Jock to Jean, when this was repeated to them by
Sandy the following Sabbath, "wouldn't Alan like to hear that?"
It was on that very Sabbath, too, that they learned the Dominie
had recovered and that school was to reopen on the following day.
This was good news to the Twins, for like all Scotch children
they longed for an education, and the next morning, bright and
early, they were on the road to the village, carrying some scones
and hard-boiled eggs for their luncheon, in a little tin pail.

The days passed swiftly after that, for, with the house to care
for, lessons to get, and the walk of five miles to school and
back, there was little time for moping or even dreading the day
when they must leave their highland home.

It was late August when they came rushing home one afternoon,
bursting with a great piece of news, which they had learned in
the village. Never had they covered the five miles of the
homeward journey more quickly, but when they reached the little
gray house, their father had not yet returned from the pastures,
though it was after his time. The two children ran back of the
house to the cow byre, and there in the distance they saw him
coming across the barren moor. He was walking slowly, with his
head bent as though he were tired and discouraged, and Tam,
limping along beside him, looked discouraged too. The Twins gave
a wild whoop and raced across the moor to meet them. Jock got
there first, but was too out of breath to speak for an instant.

"Dear, dear! What can the matter be?" said their father, looking
from one excited face to the other.

"Oh, Father," gasped Jean, finding her tongue first, "you never
can guess, so I'll tell you. The Auld Laird's dead."

The Shepherd stood still in his tracks, too stunned for words.

"Aye!" cried Jock, wishing to sha