n and Whitefoot are, and
they go about worshipping you. Now, if you expect me to do the same, you
are mistaken!"

"I am not expecting anything of the sort," said Stair patiently, looking
past Patsy, away out to sea to the poised top of Snaefell lording it
above the low-lying channel mists.

"Well then you ought!" cried Patsy, and turning on her heel she sped to
the house to keep from crying, she did not in the least know why. And
when Stair followed her to ask what was the matter, it stood to reason
that he was met by silence and a locked door. If he had had more
experience he would have remained where he was and let Patsy find her
way back of her own accord.

One morning, a week or two after, Patsy had gone out with her books and
Stair was getting ready to follow her to the seaward looking side of the
Isle, when Eben called him to the window of the kitchen which overlooked
the long ridge of sand, shingle, and razor-like mussel shells which in
the deeps of the ebb, constituted a practicable pathway across to the
mainland.

For half-a-dozen tides each month, three in the middle of each neap,
unless there were heavy winds from the south-west, Isle Rathan became a
tidal island, and the ridge could be crossed on foot by those who made
haste. This was not, however, often attempted, for the tides and
currents were exceedingly tricky in these parts.

Eben pointed with his finger to a faint horizontal ridge on the
mainland.

"Do you see anything there, sir?" he asked.

"No," said Stair, anxious to be off to Patsy, "some shepherds on the
mainland have been making a new sheep-fold, I suppose."

"A sheep-fold is mostly round, sir," said Eben, "and if you will notice
there are two turf dykes one behind the other. I don't like that.
Besides, have you seen anybody working there? I have not. And would
herds cover their work so neatly with turf? From here it might be twenty
years old--only I know it was not there when I passed that way down to
the Orraland Point where I began to swim out."

"I see you have an idea," said Stair, "out with it! Tell me what you
think!"

"Sir," said Eben McClure, "I have every need to serve you faithfully,
and I should never forgive myself if by chance I had brought the enemy
on you. I learned from my uncle where you were. He also has grown to
trust me, sir, because you found me trustworthy, and he was willing that
I should come, in order to be of what help to you I could. He cherishes
the la