ow," I remarked from behind.

The rascal did not turn round.

"Oh!--it's no' so bad. It's got the endurin' quality o' carrying a
moral," he answered.

"You seem to be clear in the conscience yourself," said I.

"It'll be clearer when I get outside o' this rabbit," he returned,
still not deigning to look at me.

"But you did not seem to be startled when I spoke to you," I remarked
in surprise.

"What way should I? I never saw the man yet that I was feart o'.
Forby,--I kent you were there."

"But, how could you know? I did not make a noise or display my
presence in any way."

"No!--but the wind was blawin' from the back, ye see; and when ye came
up behind the smoke curled up a bit further and straighter than it did
before; then there was just the ghost o' a shadow."

I laughed. "You are an observant customer."

"Oh, ay! I'm a' that. Come round and let me see ye."

I obeyed, and he seemed satisfied with his inspection.

"Sit doon,--oot o' the smoke," he said.

I did so.

"You are Scotch?" I ventured.

"Ay! From Perth, awa'.

"A Scotch tinker?"

"Just that; a tinker from Perth, and my name's Robertson. I'm a
Struan, ye ken. The Struans,--the real Struans,--are a' tinkers or
pipers. In oor family, my elder brother fell heir to my father's
pipes, so I had just to take to the tinkering. But we're joint heirs
to my father's fondness for a dram. Ye havena a wee drop on ye?"

"Not a drop," I remarked.

"That's a disappointment. I was kind o' feart ye wouldna, when I asked
ye."

"How so?"

"Oh! ye don't look like a man that wasted your substance. More like a
seller o' Bibles, or maybe a horse doctor."

I laughed at the queer comparison, and he looked out at me from under
his shaggy, red eyebrows.

"Have a bite o' breakfast wi' me. I like to crack to somebody when I'm
eatin'. It helps the digestion."

"No, thank you," I said. "I have breakfasted already."

"It's good meat, man. The rabbit's fresh. I can guarantee it, for it
was runnin' half an hour ago. Try a leg."

I refused, but, as he seemed crestfallen, I took the drumstick in my
hand and ate the meat slowly from it; and never did rabbit taste so
good.

"What makes ye smile?" asked my tattered companion. "Do ye no' like
the taste o' it?"

"Oh! the rabbit is all right," I said, "but I was just thinking that
had it lived its children might have belonged to a brother of mine some
day."

"How's that? Is he a keeper? O