gure of the Chieftain stepping out with a tread even more
conspicuously jaunty than usual, his hands thrust deep into his pockets,
his head turned from side to side, as if curiously scanning the
hillsides.

At one and the same moment Margot and the Editor ducked their heads, and
scrambled backwards for a distance of two or three yards. There was a
moment's silence, then instinctively their eyes met. Margot pressed her
lips tightly together, George Elgood frowned, but it was all in vain; no
power on earth could prevent the mischievous dimples from dipping in her
cheeks; no effort could hide the twinkle in his eyes--they buried their
heads in their hands, and shook with laughter!

When at last composure was regained, George Elgood pulled his watch from
his pocket, glanced at the time, and cried eagerly--

"There is still an hour before we need be back for dinner. As well be
hanged for a sheep as a lamb. Let us go back to the river, and try our
luck once more!"

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A TELEGRAM.

It was a very shamefaced Margot who made her appearance at the dinner-
table that evening; but, to her unspeakable relief, she found that there
was no cause for embarrassment. Instead of the meaning glances and
joking remarks which she had dreaded, she was greeted with the ordinary
kindly prosaic welcome, and not even Mrs Macalister herself ventured an
innuendo. The Chieftain was the only one who alluded to the non-
appearance of the searchers, and the manner in which he did so was a
triumph of the commonplace.

"Muddled up that hide-and-seek finely, didn't we?" he cried cheerily.
"Afraid you had all your trouble for nothing. I happened to catch a
glimpse of you heading off in the wrong direction, so turned into `It'
myself, and rooted them all out of their lairs. Then we played some
sensible, middle-aged, sitting-down games, and strolled home in time for
a siesta before dinner. Very good picnic, I call it. Great success!
We'll have another, one of these fine days."

"'Deed yes, and we will!" assented Mrs Macalister genially. "It stirs
a body up to have an outing now and then. I was thinking, why shouldn't
we drive over to B-- and see the old castle and all the sights? I've
been hankering to go ever since we arrived; but it mounts up when you
drive about by yourselves. If we shared two carriages between us, it
would make all the difference, and it seems foolish-like to be in a
neighbourhood and not see wha