butts, which
stretched across the moor. Lisle watched the birds, with fingers
tightening on his gun; one cluster was coming his way, each flitting body
growing in size and distinctness with marvelous rapidity. Then there was
a flash beside him, and another crash as he pitched up his gun. Something
struck the heather with a thud not far away, and swinging the muzzle a
little, he pulled again. He was not surprised to hear a second thud, and
laying down his gun he turned to his youthful companion, while a thin
cloud of acrid vapor hung about him.

"Get anything?" he asked.

"I didn't," was the sullen answer. "Couldn't expect it with the second
barrel, after you'd filled the place with smoke. Wonder why Gladwyne's
man gave you the old black powder?"

As nearly everybody else used smokeless, this was a point that had
aroused Lisle's curiosity, though it was not a matter of much importance.
Nasmyth had provided him with cartridges, but they had somehow been left
behind, and on applying to Gladwyne's keeper he had been supplied with
ammunition which, it seemed, was out of date.

"After all, you have done well enough," his companion resumed. "We'd
better get on to our next station--it's right across the moor on the high
ridge yonder. Don't bother about the birds."

"Shall I leave them there?"

"Certainly! Do you want to carry them all the afternoon? One of the
keeper fellows will bring them along."

The lad's tone was half contemptuous; he had already shown that he
considered the Canadian what he would have called an outsider; but he was
willing to make use of him.

"You might look after Bella; she's alone in the next butt--and I've
something else to do," he said. "There's an awkward ghyll to cross and
she won't carry anything lighter than a 14-gun. See she doesn't leave the
cartridges in it."

He strode away across the heather, and Lisle turned toward the turf
shelter indicated. As he approached it, a girl appeared and glanced at
him with very obvious curiosity; but as he supposed that she was the
sister of his late companion he did not expect any diffidence from her.
She was short in stature and slight in figure, and dressed in grayish
brown; hat, coat, and remarkably short skirt all of the same material.
Her hair was of a copper color; her eyes, which were rather narrow, of a
pale grayish-green. He would have called them hard, and there was a hint
of arrogance in her expression. Yet she was piquantly pretty.

"