robber--ye
catheran! Can this be you?"

"E'en as ye see me, Bailie!" was the short response.

"Ye cheat-the-gallows, ye reiving villain--what think you is the value
of your head now!" cried the Bailie.

"Umph! Fairly weighed and Dutch measure," came the answer, "it might
weigh down one provost's, four bailies', a town-clerk's, six deacons',
besides stent-masters'--!"

"Tell over your sins," interrupted Mr. Nicol Jarvie, "and prepare ye,
for if I speak the word--"

"But ye will _not_ speak the word," said the Highlander, coolly.

[Illustration: "HE took the lantern from his servant Mattie, and,
holding it up, proceeded to examine the stern, set countenance of
Frank's guide. That stout-hearted Celt did not move a muscle under the
inspection, but with his arms folded carelessly, his heel beating time
to the lilt of his whistled strathspey, he came very near to deceiving
the acuteness of his investigator."]

"And why should I not?" said the Bailie, "answer me that--why should I
not?"

"For three sufficient reasons, Bailie Jarvie," he retorted, "first, for
auld langsyne. Second, for the sake of the auld wife ayont the fire at
Stuckavrallachan, that made some mixture of our bloods--to my shame be
it spoken that _I_ should have a cousin a weaver. And lastly, Bailie,
because if I saw a sign of your betraying me, I would plaster the wall
there with your brains, long before any hand of man could rescue you!"

"Ye are a bold, desperate villain, sir," retorted the undaunted Bailie,
"and ye ken that I ken ye to be so--but that were it only my own risk, I
would not hesitate a moment."

"I ken well," said the other, "ye have gentle blood in your veins, and I
would be loath to hurt my own kinsman. But I go out of here free as I
came in, or the very walls of Glasgow tolbooth shall tell the tale these
ten years to come!"

"Well, well," said Mr. Jarvie, "after all, blood is thicker than water.
Kinsfolk should not see faults to which strangers are blind. And, as you
say, it would be sore news to the auld wife below the Ben, that you, ye
Hieland limmer, had knockit out my brains, or that I had got you strung
up in a halter. But, among other things, where is the good thousand
pound Scots that I lent you, and when am I to be seeing it?"

"Where is it?" said the unknown, grimly, "why, where last year's snow
is, I trow!"

"And that's on the tap o' Schehallion, ye Hieland dog," said Mr. Jarvie,
"and I look for payment from ye wh