nicht, Alec.--Father, hae ye an auld seck ony gait?"

"There's ane up i' the laft. What want ye wi' a seck?"

But Curly was in the loft almost before the question had left his
father's lips. He was down again in a moment, and on his knees filling
the sack with shavings and all the chips he could find.

"Gie's a han' up wi't, Alec," he said.

And in a moment more Curly was off to Widow Lapp with his bag of
firing.

"He's a fine chield that Willie o' yours, George," said Alec to the
father. "He only wants to hae a thing weel pitten afore him, an' he
jist acts upo' 't direckly.

"It's weel he maks a cronie o' you, Alec. There's a heap o' mischeef in
him. Whaur's he aff wi thae spells?"

Alec told the story, much to the satisfaction of George, who could
appreciate the repentance of his son; although he was "nane o' the unco
guid" himself. From that day he thought more of his son, and of Alec as
well.

"Noo, Curly," said Alec, as soon as he re-appeared with the empty sack,
"yer father's gaein to lat me big a boat, an' ye maun help me."

"What's the use o' a boat i' this weather?" said Curly.

"Ye gomeril!" returned his father; ye never luik an inch afore the pint
o' yer ain neb. Ye wadna think o' a boat afore the spring; an' haith!
the summer wad be ower, an' the water frozen again, afore ye had it
biggit. Luik at Alec there. He's worth ten o' you.

"I ken that ilka bit as weel's ye do, father. Jist set's aff wi' 't,
father."

"I canna attend till't jist i' the noo; but I s' set ye aff wi' 't the
morn's nicht."

So here was an end to the troubles of the townsfolks from the _loons_,
and without any increase of the constabulary force; for Curly being
withdrawn, there was no one else of sufficiently inventive energy to
take the lead, and the loons ceased to be dangerous to the peace of the
community. Curly soon had both his head and his hands quite occupied
with boat-building.

CHAPTER XXI.

Every afternoon, now, the moment dinner was over, Alec set off for the
workshop, and did not return till eight o'clock, or sometimes later.
Mrs Forbes did not at all relish this change in his habits; but she had
the good sense not to interfere.

One day he persuaded her to go with him, and see how the boat was
getting on. This enticed her into some sympathy with his new pursuit.
For there was the boat--a skeleton it is true, and not nearly ready yet
for the clothing of its planks, or its final skin of paint