ens, also, that I have a new repeating rifle in the
house, which has not yet been used; so, in the meantime, at all events,
neither of you will suffer much from your misfortunes."

It was finally arranged, before breakfast was over, that MacRummle was
to go off alone to his usual and favourite burn; that Jackman and Quin,
under the guidance of Junkie, should try the river for salmon and
sea-trout; that Barret, with ex-Skipper McPherson, Shames McGregor,
Robin Tips, Eddie Gordon, the laird's second son--a boy of twelve--and
Ivor, the keeper--whose recoveries were as rapid as his relapses were
sudden--should all go off in the boat to try the sea-fishing; and that
Bob Mabberly, with Archie, should go photographing up one of the most
picturesque of the glens, conducted by the laird himself.

As it stands to reason that we cannot accompany all of these parties, we
elect to follow Giles Jackman, Quin, and Junkie up the river.

This expedition involved a preliminary walk of four miles, which they
all preferred to being driven to the scene of action in a dog-cart.

Junkie was a little fellow for his age, but remarkably intelligent,
active, bright and strong. From remarks made by various members of the
Gordon family and their domestics, both Jackman and his servant had been
led to the conclusion that the boy was the very impersonation of
mischief, and were more or less on the look out for displays of his
propensity; but Junkie walked demurely by their side, asking and
replying to questions with the sobriety of an elderly man, and without
the slightest indication of the latent internal fires, with which he was
credited.

The truth is, that Junkie possessed a nature that was tightly strung and
vibrated like an Aeolian harp to the lightest breath of influence. He
resembled, somewhat, a pot of milk on a very hot fire, rather apt to
boil over with a rush; nevertheless, he possessed the power to restrain
himself in a simmering condition for a considerable length of time. The
fact that he was fairly out for the day with two strangers, to whom he
was to show the pools where salmon and sea-trout lay, was a prospect so
charming that he was quite content to simmer.

"D'ee know how to fish for salmon?" he asked, looking gravely up in
Jackman's face, after they had proceeded a considerable distance.

"Oh, yes, Junkie; I know how to do it. I used to fish for salmon before
I went to India."

"Isn't that the place where they shoot l