Gibbie steal her letters when she and her husband had
gone out to see Neil home. Door left open, no one see Gibbie--clever
Gibbie!'

'Wait, Gibbie,' interrupted Hamish; 'I'm going to fetch something for
you,' and he made off downhill with all speed.

Dr. MacGregor was just driving home from a night visit to a patient
when his son dashed into the road, spattered with mud and with the
water squelching from his boots.

'Father,' said Hamish, 'come with me; I've found out who robbed the
post-office,' and throwing the reins to his groom, the astonished
doctor was dragged all the way to the gipsy's burrow.

'Hullo, Gibbie, you look cold,' said the doctor, taking in the
situation with great presence of mind; 'come with me and have a glass
of something hot.'

Sitting by the fire in the nearest cottage, with a glass of steaming
toddy in his hand, Gibbie became communicative, and the doctor soon
drew from him the rest of the story.

'Neil's a good lad,' said the gipsy. 'Neil knows how to behave to a
Romany chel; drives away bad boys when they laugh and throw stones.
Gibbie gave Neil a present; two presents; something out of the letters.
Neil will find it in his coat pocket some day. Papers worth a hundred
pound.'

'All right, Gibbie,' said the doctor craftily; 'suppose we go and tell
Neil that you put them there. He may not have been able to find them
yet.'

Dr. MacGregor's tired horse was withdrawn from its feed, and Hamish,
his father, and Gibbie set out for Ardnavoir.

'Neil's cleared,' announced Hamish; and every one turned round to
encounter the strange-looking figure of the gipsy.

Finding himself among so many people, Gibbie became suspicious and
refused to speak, but the faces of his companions rendered all
explanation unnecessary.

'I am glad to say that your innocence is established beyond a doubt,
Neil,' said Dr. MacGregor beaming upon him; 'and I am glad to shake
hands with you.'

'Oh, hooray, hooray,' shouted the boys. 'Neil, old boy, you're
cleared,' and they capered round him, patting him on the back and
cheering until the lad was quite bewildered.

Laddie, after looking puzzled for a moment, burst into a joyous barking
and leaped up three times and turned round in the air; then ran to Neil
and jumped up again, trying to lick his face. An indescribable tumult
reigned, and Neil extricated himself with difficulty.

'Excuse me,' he said; 'you are all ferry kind, but I must pe going and
telli