ad by tongue and pen done all in his power to promote the
interest of the enterprise. It was therefore only natural that he
should listen to Donalblane's bashful confidence with a swelling and
sympathetic heart.

"Ay! ay! laddie," he said, regarding the eager, earnest boy with a look
of unwonted tenderness, "and so ye wad fain gang tae Darien? I dinna
blame ye. Glad wad I be to gang myself, if I were na too auld for sic
a far-going. But if I be too old, are ye na too young, Donald?" And
he bent a keen look upon him from under his shaggy brows.

Donalblane flushed and moved uneasily on his seat. That was the very
argument he most feared. "I am owre young, maybe," he replied; "but
I'm verra strong, and big for my age;" which was true enough, as he
looked full two years older than he really was. "And then, ye ken,
there'll no be anither such chance as this to see the world for the
rest of my life."

The dominie smiled shrewdly. That was the usual talk of youth. He
knew much better; but somehow the lad's passion for the adventure took
strong hold upon him, and the upshot of their talk together that summer
evening was that Donalblane went home joyful of heart because he had
enlisted an ally who was pledged to help him in realising his desire.

Mr. Laidlaw was on excellent terms with Mr. Blane, and no excuse
therefore was needed for a friendly visit, in the course of which the
talk naturally enough came round to the Darien expedition, already in
course of being fitted out.

"Hech! but I wad fain be going myself," said the dominie, heaving a
huge sigh of regret, "and if it were na for this halting leg of mine,
I'd be putting my name down."

Mr. Blane indulged in a sympathetic smile. The idea of the limping
dominie venturing to face the perils and privations on sea and land
that were sure to be encountered touched his sense of humour, but he
was too courteous to betray it.

"I'm inclined a bit that way likewise," he responded, "and were I only
twenty instead of sixty, I'd be offering myself to Maister Paterson."

"Have ye thought o' sending any one in your stead?" inquired the
dominie, as innocently as if no hidden purpose inspired him.

"Ay, I have thought something of it, but I've not made up my mind at
all," was the reply.

Having thus secured his opening, the wily dominie, by strategic
devices, which did infinite credit to his ingenuity and knowledge of
human nature without putting any strain upon his