at pleasure, Mr Barret; and now, if you will do me the
kindness to carry my rod and basket, I will lead you back to the
dog-cart by a path which will not necessitate an additional pair of
native boots! I would not have hailed you, but having tumbled into the
river, as you see, I thought it would be more prudent to get driven home
as quickly as possible."

"You have a good basket of fish, I see, or rather, feel," remarked
Barret, as he followed the old man, who walked rather slowly, for his
physical strength was not equal to his spirits.

"Ay, it is not so bad; but I lost the best one. Fishers always do, you
know! He was a grilse, a six-pounder at the least, if he was an ounce,
for I had him within an inch of my gaff when I overbalanced myself, and
shot into the stream head foremost with such force, that I verily
believe I drove him to the very bottom of the pool. Strange to say the
rod was not broken; but when I scrambled ashore, I found that the grilse
was gone!"

"How unfortunate! You were not hurt, I hope?"

"Not in the least. There was plenty of depth for a dive; besides, I'm
used to it."

It became quite evident to John Barret that his new friend was "used to"
a good many more things besides tumbling into the river, for as they
went slowly along the winding footpath that led them through the
peat-hags, MacRummle tripped over a variety of stumps, roots, and other
excrescences which presented themselves in the track, and which on
several occasions brought him to the ground. The old gentleman,
however, had a fine facility in falling. Being slow in all his
movements, he usually subsided rather than fell; a result, perhaps, of
laziness as well as of unwillingness to struggle against fate. His
frequent staggerings, also, on the verge of dark peat holes, caused his
companion many a shock of alarm and many a start forward to prevent a
catastrophe, before they gained the high road. They reached it at last,
however, rather breathless, but safe.

MacRummle's speech, like his movements, was slow. His personal courage,
considering the dangers he constantly and voluntarily encountered, was
great.

"You've been in again, Mac, I see," exclaimed the laird heartily,
extending his hand to his old friend with the view of hauling him up on
the seat beside him. "Mind the step. Now then!"

"Yes, I've been in, but the weather is warm! Stop, stop! Don't pull
quite so hard, Allan; mind my rheumatic shoulder. Give a