en the clouds
gathered once more in threatening masses, and the rain came lashing the
panes, Dr. and Mrs. MacGregor took their departure in a closed
carriage, warning Hamish that the boat was not to be used unless the
sea went down.

'Bother!' said Tricksy, looking at the waves, which were tumbling over
each other and whitening with foam; 'what are we to do while it rains?'

'Sit round the nursery fire, of course, and talk,' said Marjorie.

An immense pile of peats was built up on the hearth of the cosy, untidy
room which had been the MacGregors' nursery; and the young folk sat
round the 'ingle-neuk' and discussed matters dear to the heart of
gamesome youth.

Suddenly Marjorie looked up and said, 'Hurrah! the rain's stopped.
What shall we do?'

'Too stormy to get the boat out,' said Hamish, rising and going to the
window; 'it's still very rough, and there will be another squall soon.'

'_I_ know,' said Marjorie; 'let's play hide-and-seek. No, not a
rubbishy game in the house,' she said, meeting Allan's look of
disapproval; 'a real good game out of doors, in the garden and the
sheds and the ruins. The rain will only make it jollier, and those who
mind getting wet are funks.'

With the wind blowing in gusts, and sudden showers splashing down from
all the roofs, the game promised some fun. Dr. MacGregor's was a
first-rate place for hide-and-seek, with a number of outhouses built
round a paved court, and the ruins of an old castle overlooking the
garden.

Marjorie and Reggie stayed at 'home' in the front lobby, where they
could hear calls both from out of doors or within; and the hiders
dispersed themselves quickly.

Soon three shouts were heard, coming from different directions; and the
pursuers ran out into the rain, which was beginning to fall again.

Hamish was quickly discovered in a window of the old ruin, for he could
not resist the temptation of grinning good-naturedly down from his
perch; but he escaped along the broken flooring while they were waiting
at the foot of a stairway, and reached 'home' before they were aware.

'You didn't give us enough of a chase,' cried Marjorie to him through
the streaming pane; then she went off, rather annoyed, to look for the
others.

They hunted for some time among the outhouses, getting shower-baths of
drops from the eaves; but no one was to be found. At last they saw a
movement among some straw in the byre, and Marjorie made a dash
forward, just too late to