The MYSTERTY OF GLENMOHR

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 8, Issue 28, 5 April 1907, Page 7

The MYSTERTY OF GLENMOHR

\&(/£m % Copyright.) +**)/

Ey Eric St. C. K Ross.

PART 1, CITAPTCii 1. ! AFTKR Tlirc STORM. *V!wn the relives of those beautiful iaJftixis iii u,e north 0 f Scotland i'RVf become more familiar with the beauties of their own native lands, it will be unnecessary in 'kvHTilx! minutely soma remarkable spou; whoso grnndeir as yet is only known to a limited number of tr'avei-1-iis, in addition to the favoured tnorLa's whosv jrivilege, of late, it is to ial.abii such places. The land-locked ih-f-r, of water in tho extreme north • i- Scotland which is called Loqk Oatnn:n.li deserves special mention as bai:.g oi' the most romantic character in I'M its surroundings. Cbains of mountains are seen on every hand, whose green slopes are mirron;d in the depths of the water Jn the beautiful summer-time, while :in the almost Arctic winter their proportions sceni preternaturally colossus, from the mists that hover ■above their srow-capped summits, ■suggesting thoughts of S wither la nil to those who have lingered among the i'as! ni'sses of the country. 'l'wo mountains, Den Thorven and .Orrery, rise to a height almost together at the extreme western end of the loch. At the eastern limit there is seen the gentle slope of Slralhmohr, upon which stands the great white house of that name and :.vhich belonged to Colonel St. Clair fit the period of which we are now "writing.

< Standing on the upper terrace in £ront of Strathmohr House, you are quite two miles away from Thorver. ttmd Orrery. You would neve- imagine that the Atlantic Ocean lay just, *m the other side of those great hills •and that a narrow and dangerous rlianne! connected the lake with the Sea beyond.

• A good macadamized road run-; from the gates of Strathmohr House uwny lo the right. Its direct path ■lies through several wild mountain •passes to tin; country of the Mackays (the Jicay domains, and finally round 'So the neat little town of Thurso. Keeping on, however, along the edge of the loch, the drive continued until it reached a narrow platform which ran round Thorven, skirling the passage from the sea, and terminating at a point where the wide plain of it he. Atlantic was seen in all its mysterious grandeur. As the sun was setting in crimson glory one November evening, three sledges set oh from Strathmohr fir the spot we have just indicated.

> One of tin; occupants was a tall, grey-haired vrlornn, Colonel St. (Clair, wko had not long- retired from active service. He had been one of ,Uie h roes of the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny, and was known in every iCoiirl. in Europe as one of the. most accomplished and pliant of commanders. A scion of fho ancient house of Caithness, ho was acknowledged on every side as a "prcux chevalier " of Lhe first order.

Beside him sat the pride of his hi art, his only daughter, Agnes St. Clair, whose ruddy golden hair and blue eyes were thoroughly Scotch, although she first saw the light, at an outlying station among- the lulls of Hindustan.

People said that indications of tke inllucnce of the generous sun under which she had been born could be discerned in the deep tint of the; "white " of her beautiful eyes; but (here was lift la of Indian fire in her amiable temper, and the whole countryside was proud of her charms and her generosity.

•Father and daughter, (hen, occupied the first vehicle, and we may say in parsing, that Hector Mackay, the parish niiniwtec's son, shared the second Milh Dugnld M'Leay, the late military servant of the colonel, now his farm manager; while the third, which lagged behind somewhat, contained Ronald St. Clair and his "sweetheart," as ho called her, in homely language—pretty Jessie Mackay.

Having these, people in your mind's eye, imagine two rough-skinned Shetland ponies yoked tandem-fashion to each sledge, and the picture is all but complete, only as we accompany them alor.g tho "shore road " the sound of their hells falls agreeably on our ears and counteracts for a time the thunderous boom of the breaking waves, which comes from the iron-bound coast beyond the mountain boundary of the loch. For many days the inhabitants of the sheltered boarder of the loch had been compelled to remain indoors. A terrible gale had been blowing from the north-east, and even now, after it had exhausted itself, masses of r ream-coloured foam floated high overhead inland, proving that, although the wind had fallen, tho sea still ran high. "Oh, papa," cried Agnes, "the water is fro/on all along the margin of tho loch ! I thought that where the tides flowed and ebbed, ice could not form." "A popular delusion, my love—or now about tho Arctic regions?" said the father smiling. "Twico in my young days have I seen Loch Catannch completely frozen over. The Inst time was just before I joined the "Greys." It was my birthday tho day before I left for Jock's Lodge Mid my father—peace to his ashes!— roasted an ox whole on the ice out there by St. Magnus's Hermitage, of which all the neighbours and most of the tenants partook. We are likely to have a severe winter this year, but T fear that such another sight as that torchlight feast will never again be seen in our time on the icebound surface of those dark waters." "Who knows, papa ?" cried Agnes, Vtxlly, "Oh. I should dearly love a

skating lote on uie trozon loch U The i'ivor is all very well, but it is narrow and confined compared with this grand area. I do most sincerely hope that this winter will prove favourable to my wishes." "Pull your fur collar up about .your face, my child," said the father as Uie small and spirited ponios began the ascent of Thorvcn's inner slope. The near apjroach of the sea and the passage between the hills through which the ico-cold breezes could now bo felt issuing, materially altered the intensity of the atmosphere. "Oh, look, papa," exclaimed Agnes, after pulling her fur collar up so high that nothing could be seen over it but her bright eyes. "Old M'lver's house is quite snowed over." "I see," answered the colonel. "Old .Donald has been equal to tho occasion, however, I perceive. "How, papa '?" "He has cut a tunnel through the wreath that has covered his belongings and there is the entrance."

Just a little ahead the excursioners perceived an old man followed by three younger men, emerge, as it were from beneath the surface of the hard-topped snow-wreath. Presently they perceived the square outlet from the novel passage, and then halfid beside the men, who saluted the colonel with great, respect, not unminglcd with a kind of homely familiarity, which is generally even yet existent among the Scottish people of good family, and their retainers and tenants.

"Going to see the sunset, Donald?" asked Colonel St. Clair. "Ay, Kuinel, we will that, and it will be a goot sunset," answered the old Highland crofter and fisherman. ".It iss not el'ery day in the year that, such a red sky will glower doon on such a heavy sea. We wu'll lie going—my sons David and [famish, and the young lad Harold, who iss now a fory clever young man—to the head of Thorven just to find out if there is anything floating on the sea. There iss many a ship hass gone to the bottom, sir, since this storm began, if they hat* not gone ashore on a rock—which is as bud. if not worse, anyway, mirover. IVrhaps your lianour has brought your spyglass wi' you ?"

"Yes," laughed the colonel, "I have my telescopi* with me. I'll wait for you at the point Donald, and we'll seu what the sea will bring us. Your sons havo better eyes than mine."

"My poys haf fery goot looking' at the far-off horizon; but* 1 do not think they could set' ass far or as well as llv purly eyes I sen in Ihe head of Miss Agnes, I have lived here below this seven and-sixty years, a-nd I never saw such eyes; for they are ass plue ass tin- summer sea itself, and as pright ass I don't know nothing at all." "Now, papa," laughed Agnes, "there is a compliment, for you." * "Yes," replied the father, in the same humour; "and yet Donald has neyer been presided at Court." "Och ! Yes, but T have, kurnel," cried Donald, "f have been summonsed at the Sheriff's floorfc for no blame whatefer."

"Hush, fa.thi.jr !" cried Hamish M'lver, nudging the old man with his elbow. "It iss not the Sheriff Court."

"That's right, Hamish!" exclaimed (he eoloneJ. "You just explain to your father the kind of court we mean, and then follow us round the hill. We shall wail, for you if the explanation does' net take too long." They drove on, leaving the four fishermen in high argument, in th;>ir well-loved and most eloquent language—Gaelic—upon the subject of the "courts.",

The dour, spirited ponies walked up the shoulder of the mountain. Sure-footed a«nd cautiouu, they never swerved from the beaten track, although that was tken invisible. The drive, or roadway, wa-x not more than four yards wide, and only a low, loose stone parapet, separated the flat spate Irani the 1 dge of the precipice, which, beetle-browed rose above the water of (he narrow channel to a height of a t least a hundred feet.

Leaving 1 the sledges in the care of Dnigald M'Leay, the party advanced to obtain the best view of tho looking sunsot. CHAPTER 11. THE DARK FACE INT THE CROWD As they moved forward, the wide expanse of Urn northern sea became suddenly visible ; a grand if not a terrible sight presented itself. Far away te. th« west the sky had the appearance of vast ridges of maizecoloured mountains, a mighty liery globe blending them together in one blood-red centre.

From their "coigne of vantage " the ocean looked like a veritable sua of gore, across the bosom of which occasionally flitted a whitened speck, which doubtless would have proved some fugitive sea-bird, terrified by the unusual surroundings, and wandering in search of the friendly rocks which towered high in spectral-like peaks above the heads of the admiring sledge party. Tho wind was still very powerful and bitterly sharp. As our friends still advanced, the better to view the sunset the Wulies had to tie their handkerchiefs over the Highland bonnets they wore—handsome headdresses made additionally charming by the three heron's feathers displayed after the manner of tho ancient chieftains of tho Scottish clans.

Dugald MLeay led the ponies to a hut that stood sheltered in a corner of the wide platform of rock which had obtained the name of "The Head' as it was the only spot attainable on either side of the narrow channel which ftonnected the loch with the sea, 'llia colonel had opened his formidable telescope, and the two ladies stood expectantly behind him. What an excellent contrast they, were to each other !—the one tall, slight, willowy, and fair as Aurora; the other nearly as tall, but stouter and ftrnwr, with ey«« and hair that made her appear as dark and melan-choly-looking as tlw -''Queen of Night."Hector Mackay drew newr to Agues bashfully, and Ronald St. Clafr, of course, .was equally attracted by. ber

brunette companion, iv w nappy they all had been during the two years that had passed ! Alas, that happiness was about to vanish from the lives of somo of them !

"Steady your glass, dad, up against the cleft in the flagstaff," advised Ronald observing that the force of the wind made the possibility of keeping the telescope fixed upon one object a matter of great difficulty. The colonel did as he was recommended. After a prolonged look he said :

"There is something floating close in shore."

"I can seo it, sir," said Dngald M'Leay, the colonel's body servant, whoso eyes were like those of the eagles of his native mountain*, "An' if I am not mistaken, it is one of the white fishing boats of the town." "Oh, no, it is not, Dugaid. although you sue wonderfully well," said Donald, who had now received the glass. "The hull is bigger than any fishing boat yet built. Indeed, it appears to me to be that of a coasting schooner that has been disabled in the gale. Should that be so both masis are gone, and a soar is 'set * forward as a juryniast. on which is fixed the remains of a ialtered jib, or some sail of that kind. Ah, I caught a glimpse there of something ! Let me see. Yes, it is a flag of distress—the R:\itisli Knsign with the Union down." "Dugald," cried the colont»l "sec if the MM vers-are coming."'

Refore the red-bearaed giant had gone three paces the voices of tin fishermen were , heard in the clow vicinitv.

"David M'Tver, come hither!" shouted the colonel. The eldest son came forward obediently.

"dust look through that glass and teJl me what von see."

The man looked for a, few seconds, and then handed the binecular silently to his father. The old sea-dog looked long and wistfully, as he spoke :

"It. wass a very nice ship of a schooner rig, perhaps two or three days ago. whatefer, and I'll not be believing that she carried any cargo, mirover. Sh? wass clipper-built, and hass a broad gold moulding around her bulwarks. That was a yacht, kurnel, and she wull b* a wreck in hall' an hour or a quarter of an hour, mirover, if " "If what?" cried tlvy all eagerly. "if I will rot tak' my boat and my spare sail, and my spare spar which came ashore the last winter, "You will take your boat at once, won't you?" cried Konald St. Clair, in an excited state. "Come on, Dctnld; don't stand (here end let. the poor people go lo the bottom," entreated Hector Mackay. "Konald and L will go with you." This ponies took the. fishermen down the incline at a flying pace. In what seemed almost an incredible time for brevity, the .miund of the heavy oars striking from side to side of the rowlocks reached the ears of the party on the Head and just then as the sun dipped beneath tke moving waters. A wood fire had been •started by one of the men burnt 141 and the channel and the sea far beyond were lit up by a fitful though brilliant glare. D«gald did not return with the ponirs. Tins younger men leaned over the parapet as the beat passed out below, and saw Donald M'lver, his two sons, and grandson bending to the long sweeping oars, while the colonel's servant sat in the sterwsheets guiding the craft. The tarry pieces of broken-up boats which were mixed with the other wood, flamed up well, and presently the whitened embers went flying away in the direction of the loch. The ladies and the colonel retired to the hut for protection from the wind but Hie lovers stood by a tall spar, upon which a flag floated occasionally, and which was th-refore dignified by the name of flags tali", until the boat disappeared in the frowning darkness Half an hour passed, and then voices were hoard approaching from Hi.' direction of the fishermen's cottages. Next the snorting of the ponies was heard, and the plucky little animals appeared, driven by the Reverend Gavin Macle-od, the'Free, Kirk minister, and two of the colony's servants. On their way to see the cause of the light, they found the trusty creatures tied to the sideless shed which the M'lvcrs called their boat house.

The colonel had scarcely explained to the minister the cause of the boat's expedition, when Agnes eriad : "Look, papa, look !"—pointing seawards.

Every one looked in the direction indicated, and saw the craft expected slowly career forward out of the gloom until perfectly visible within the focus of tho fire on the cliff, which had several times been replenished with wood during the interval which had passed since the adventurous and cautioue nsheonen had left tho smooth water of the loch and its channel for tho rolling billows out in the open sea. "The lads have 'set' the spare sail and a better jurymast !'- cried Ronald St. Clair.

"The flag of distress no longer floats," remarked Hector Mackay, in the same breath. "There is cmite a numerous crew on board," said the colonel. "I am very glad indeed that all seem well."

"Old Donald has run in very close to the rocks," said the Reverend Gavin Macleod, who, like most of his broathron in the north, was a very practical sailor.

"They could not have given land a wider berth from the way the wind blows," remarked the colonel. "He will have to tack out now before he can head the channel." Every wave threw the dismantled ship farther in shore. Rigged as the ship was, it was impossible for her to come up to the wind. All they could do who had charge of her before, it was apparent, was to drift on and trust to making a friendly harbour or creek. -Failing that, the only hope the unfortunate people bad was that they might attract the attention of people on shore. This, happily, they had done, and now they were about to profit by the fact.

The whale-boat was now seen bat-: tling bravely with the heavy seas as her crew pulled ahead of the vessel. A heavy hawser was then draws a-

hoarri, and in,' men at. the oars put forth ihi'ir greatest, strength as they attempted to "tug" the ship's head suaward. They succi\ded after herculean efforts. r Fhe wind caught the sail that, had been newly hoisted and the vessel slowly crept out from the circle of light, and was lost, again to view, and (hen a mass of clouds passed away from over the face of the rising moon, and this yielded sufficient light to show that the boat was again employed in trimming the craft and bringing her head fair for the channel inl» the loch.

Scudding black clouds now and then cast their shadows over the momentary scene of light, and there followed a pause of anxious expectation during which the fishermen—who were now arriving in large numbers —piled up the logs and caused a glow that made the circle of the reflect ion of the fire extend farther and wider than before.

The. seamen, whose eyes were used to the darkness, suddenly set up a cheer, and thw others looked earnestly out over the breakers.

The disabled vessel now came scudding over the waves before the wind, Donald M'lver's spare sail bellowing out lin.'ly. There was no mistaking the fact that, a skilful pilot now handled the wheel. The danger was by no means over when they got. out of the rough water into the smooth; for the apparently harmless channel was very intricate, and a Mi'anger might have cast the schooner upon a sharp-pointed rock thai would haw proved as certainly fatal as the cruel reefs that lav "farther out.

"It wass old Donald that wass at the wheel !" cried a fisherman, proudly, as the vessel came rushing forward , ; n the crest of a mighty wave. 'l'h-.'ii, a s she fell away" the sharp prow head.'d for th> smooth water, and tiu'i spectator knew that she was saved.

In lln'ir excitement Agnes St. Clair and .Jessie Mackay advanced U) the parapet limit on the dizzy edge of the natural rocky platform, amUooked down upon the deck below. The moon again burst from her curtain of clouds, and cast her mystic rays upon the mass of men huddled together there. Agiuty saw a number of persons indistinctly, but the face of one tall man fascinated her. It was pale as death, with long, black, wavy hair clustered round his superb head. His dark eyes were brilliant and expressive, and his figure was unusually tall and well-formed. Something caused her to close her eyes for a moment—she could not say what, unless it was Che desire to retain the picture mentally for a time. Vihn she looked ayedn slip was startled to iind a girl—t he, seeming double of herself—clinging to the man's arm-. Almost bewildered she gam! helplessly around, to see strange shadows rising up from the sea ar.d obscuring the moon, while the dickering, fantastic light of the great lire by her side lingered to leeward on the bosom of the loch, and floating there she saw something that, looked like a phantom ship." Alas, it was; no dream ! She was soon conscious of the reality of the situation, by feeling the strength of the, cold wind., it was "a nipping and an eager air." and more furs were n<*ccssnry before stepping into tlio iiledg'es for the drive home."" OHAPTIOR TIT. A MORNING CALL AT THE YACHT. Agnes St. Clair, wrapped in a soft warm, Sinclair tartan dressinggown was at her chamber window at breakfast next morning ; for the adventures of the evening before had kept her awake far into the night, and we are afraid that the image of Hector Mackay was not the one that appeared most frocuiently in her dreams.

At breakfast there were two topics —tho vessel that had been rescued, and the extraordinary frost. H became probable after all, that the lock might be covered with ice, and then Agnos found herself mentally remarking : "In future days I will find myself in tho habit of remarking "hks " vessel came into Loch tJalanach the year it was frozen over."

Being a girl, however, with an exceptionally well-balanced mind, she quickly dismissed such thoughts and endeavoured to school herself into thinking of Hector Mackay who was soon going to join his regiment and what he would be like when he came back in full uniform after his first campaign. "Talking of the vessel," the colonel said, "what do you call her?"

"The "Goldwing-" of Glasgow, schoonor yacht, belonging to Mr. Monteith. Mr. Monteith is on board, but the only person we could find to speak to this morning says every one is so much exhausted that restabsolute rest—for an indefinite time is what they most desire."-

"It appears to mc to be very inhospitable to leave them like that," proceeded Colonel St. Clair. "They doubtless want nice and nourishing diet after knocking about in that gale for three days." "Oh, they are all right for that kind of thing," responded Ronald. "Of course the craft has excellent stores and superior cooking apparatus. She also carries a noted chef. That gentleman, at the first indications of a storm retired .-to his berth where ho remained until he found himself in smooth water this morning. Tie it was who received us so courteously. Magnificently attired in a furred paletot, over which he had donned an immense linen apron with pockets, he had spent the morning in preparing tempting tit-bits for m'sieu and his friends the officers. His assistant—'attendant ' he called him—was hors de combat," he said; but the savage lie had secured—young Hamish ll'lvor— would do very well. He is no longer in despair, and will be quite happy if he succeeds In securing vegetables today. I promised to send a boatload shortly aboard, and he was profuse in his thanks. He attended me to the ship's side, and there reminded me, with a grand air, of my promise. I assured him that withm an hour he would be supplied with all he named. Then he cried, kissing his fingers at the same time, 'Je oai plus rien a souhaiter ni a^cjgsjrer.'

On.- boatman looked with awe upon this superior being and poor Hector was nearly exploding with suppressed merriment every moment."

"You sent (he vegetables ?" "Immediately 1 came ashore." "What is this I hear about the frost ?"

"Almost fit to bear, dad," replied Honald, merrily. "John had to stand in the bows, and smash a course for us as we rowed to the (ioldwing."

The day passed over without any further communication with the people on board the yacht; but the following morning, at an early hour, the dark'gentleman whom Agnes had scon on the night, of the rescue was perceived by that young lady pacing up and down the snow-covered deck, evidently lost in wonder at the surrounding scenery. Presently sha heard certain well-known voices in conversation :

"The ice will bear, I assure you, lather," said Konald; and he began skating along beneath the shore in front of the house.

"Keep near the edge, my lad!" cried (ho colonel. "And you, Hector, be more cautious. It cannot be strong enough to support two heavyweights—except, perhaps, close in shore."

"Tct ~iS (est it, dad," exclaimed Ronald.

"And fall through !" cried the father. "X 0 ; that won't do. Never mind, J have a plan. Call the boatmen—two will be enough. Let us drag Agnes's gig from the boathouse, carriage and all."

There elapsed an interval of silence and by that time Agnes was clad in her real fur-trimmed home-made thick woolen dress and broad bonnet She walked down to the shore and saw that the men had conveyed her beautiful boat stand and all", down the incline of the beach and out up(,n the ice.

The dark-haired stranger stood at the bow of the yacht watching proceedings with interest. The morning was so clear that every one of his well-remembered features were distinguishable, although the yacht was nearly half a mile distant. "L'nslrap and off tarpaulin!" commanded the colonel, standing on the ice.

The order was promptly obeyed. "Two oars will lie enough," proceeded the old soldier. "Now, lads, lake your seats with a n oar each." Konald and Hector took their seats smiling. Then he turned to the two boatmen.

"Are you strong enough to propel us along ?"

They replied in the affirmative. ."Thin listen to me. In the event of tin; ice breaking, climb gently on board; don't touch the carriage; let it sink. Bemcmber, don't leap overboard, for tlu gig may not. take the water even'y. Now, are you ready?" "All ready," came from tha young gentlemen and the boatmen;' but there was an interruption. "J\lay I not come, papa?" came in a sweet, low voice from the bank above.

"No, my love," replied the colonel "The risk j« great. Besides I am about to make a morning call." "Oh, do let me come!" pleaded the voice.

"Who could resist her? Not the colonel. So slie came on.-board, and lh; peculiar expedition set out. Honald and Hector held their oars upright in readiness, man-o'-war fashion, ar.d the men push.-d the wheeled carriage carefully forward; but the weight of frame, boat, and the people in it and around, did not crack the solid ice between the shoro and the yacht.

"11 an the chair whip !" cried a deep, clear, musical voice. A boom had already been fitted to tho temporary mast shipped by Donald M'lver, and a strong block and pulley fixed to its end. Through this a line had been rove, to which was now attached an arm-chair.

A guy was fixed to this by which it could be steadied by a hand below. Tho deck was not quite eight feet from the leval of the ice, and Agnes could easily have climbed the Jacob's ladder provided for the others; but somehow she could not propose wha-t might be deemed an unfeminine mode of ascent under those eloquent, dark eyes.

The colonel had sent his card and congratulations by Ronald before so the introductions were the more easily accomplished. "Your yacht has had a narrow escape, sir," said the colonel when the first formalities were over.

"I regret to say that I am not the owner of the Goldwing," returned the dark gentleman, with a wonderful smile that looked like a*gleam of sunshine. "I am but the guest of my cousin, Mr. Malcolm Monteith, who is of | a very retiring disposition. He has not been very well during J.he storm, and is still 'resting ' as he calls reclining on a sofa, reading flimsy novels."

"How can I help reading novels. How—when you write them?" came from a soft, almost feminine voice behind the former speaker. Every eye was turned in that direction and a very small, dainty gentleman was behold, who would be called a nobody at first sight, but who asserted his individuality on closer examination.

About frre feet four inches in height, he was well formed and admirably proportioned. His face was pure pink and white, and his hair of that .neutral tint which approaches brown, but is usually called mousecolour. The upper lip and chin were cleanly shaved, but he wore fine, filmy-looking side whiskers of the pendant kind suggestive of Lord Dundrerry. His hands were as white »nd small if more muscular, than a woman's and almost every finger displayed a ring of some sort. His eyes were his strongest feature. In repose they looked pale blue and almost expressionless; but as they fell for the first time on Agnes St. Clair, a sudden darkness came into them, that altered the whole character of the face, and seemed to add to the stature of the man.

While he appeared to enjoy giving his dark cousin the first place, he spoke well and gracefully regarding the rescue. Indeed, he was profuse, If quiet in his thanks. The rescue he attributed chiefly to Colonel St. Clair's excursion to the Head to witness the sunset. Donald M'lvor, it

appeared, had made a clean breast of how it all occurred: and the pails taken by the young ladies were by no means forgotten by the fisher-man-crofter, who like many of his countrymen, had a sly weakness in the shape of ehivalrie appreciation of feminine charms

"I am not likely to forget what we owe to Mist, St. Clair and her friend," proceeded Mr. Malcolm Monteith softly. "If new here, would only try to express what he knows 1 feel, I am sure 1 should be very grateful, lie's a newspaper fellow, colonel, and awfully clever. I regret that his sister, my cousin Muriel, is too ill yet to receive Miss St, Clair—the shock to her has been terrible. It will be impossible to move h?r very far for some time, and I th'ought of asking you, colonel, when I and Hew came ashore to-day, if you knew of any quiet retreat in the neighbourhood—any better class of farmhouse—where our party could be accomodated until the vessel had been remasted and, repaired."

"I regret to say, sir," returned the colonel, "that, my house is full at present. I have, however, a nice shooting-box about three miles up the glen. It is called Glenmohr, and is perfectly at your service. It is in a very sheltered if somewhat .solitary spot, and I fancy would be just the place for recruiting the. health of an invalid. My daughter will be pleased to drive Miss Monteith over whenever the young' lady finds herself ready to go." That was arranged for next day, and within a week the Monteiths were comfortably established at Glenmohr. A short period of absolute rest followed, and tine almost daily association with the members of Colonel St. Clair's household rapidly ripened into something like friendship. The weather continued excellent, and the cold, clear bracing air soon brought the colour back to the cheeks of Muriel Monteith. All was bright, joyous and peaceful, but a cloud "no larger than a man's hand was forming upon th_- horizon—a cloud that was fated to grow and gather gloom until its dark shadow lowered over the lives of the brightest and bravest of beings! CHAPTER IV. MALCOLM BECOMES JEALOUS. After the gentlemen had duly rested the solitude of Glenmohr was forsaken for the livelier locality of the lock. To the great, delight of Agnes St, Clair, the fine sheet of water was frozen completely over, and skating became the order of every day. Under the extraordinary circumstances, the majority of Colonel St. Clair's guests were prevailed upon to remain for the New Year's festivities, and everything led to the belief that those would be of a more than usually grand nature. As soon as Mr. Malcolm Monteith recovered himself completely, he intimated his intention to send to the Clyde for shipwrights to undertake the repairs of the yacht, "Why not consult Donald M'lver ?" asked the colonel. "I'o was a shipwright in hjs youth, and knows something of everything. It was only the other day that I heard him condemn the builders of your vessel in no measured terms. Here comes the old fellow. There can be no harm in hearing what he has to say." "Good morning to you, kernel," began Donald. "And the same to you, sir. It wass a fery goot morning for fowks healths, and it iss fery nice to see Mistress Agnes there an' Hester Hew Monteith, who wass fery clever on the skates. Der wass my poy, Harold, he wass also fery goot, mirover; but ho has gone "up to Pruachan after the poor coos. He wass a proud poy, that Harold, Journal, and taks fery much after his father, mirover."

"You don't call yourself proud, Mr. M'lver ?" laughed Mr. Malcolm Monteith.

"No, I am not prood," returned Donald, conveying a spoonful of Taddy's mixture to his nostrils. "The minister kens and the kurnel kens, an' the whole country-side kens that I wass a fery humble man, an' yet if I wass just a little prood, I haf more reason than some folks whose names it wass not worth while to tak' m vain."

"Yes, Mr. Monteith," said Colonel St. Clair. "Donald has reason to be proud of his skill as a fisherman, and a farmer. There are neighbours who say that he is the best judge of whisky in all the countryside. All I can say on this subject is, that I can novcr get my wine-merchant to serve me with anything half so good as Donald provides ma. There have been rumours that Donald makes it himself, but the good old smuggling days are over; and if we wanted better proof of his innocence, we might find it in the fact that Archy M'Donald, the preventive man and he are bosom friends."

"Nefcr mind, bosom friends, kurnel," interrupted Donald. "This wass the best bosom friend I haf efer found on a cauld nicht."

As he spoke the patriarch drew from the inside of his blue homemade waistcoat with sleeves, a large flat black flask. Taking off the metal cup, he filled it up and presented it to the colonel, saying : "You've had your 'mornin' ' many an hour sin', sir; but it's impossible to haf enough of a goot thing. Drink, kurnel." The "kurnel" drank and Donald filled the cup again. Handing it t. O Mr. Malcolm Montoith, he said : "Up with it, sir." "That would make me tipsy." "It nefcr would. It i'ss like mother's milk. It will warm your heart first an' all your pody next, mirover." "Drink it," said the colonel. "It is the only liquor that can keep out the cold here." The Southern gentleman drank the draught, and confessed at once tJiat a warm glow pervaded the whole of hie frame. "And there is nothing hot, fierce, or nauseous about it either," he remarked. "I should like to procure a few bottles of this very much indeed.;' "They wull be at Glenmohr pefore you wass out of your ped in tho morning," was Donald's eager response as he filled his own cup to the brim and tossed it down. "We .were iust talking of the, r«-

pairs to t.nis vessel, Donald/- the colonel went on. "Mr. Monteith was speaking of sending t 0 tho Clyde for hands and materials." "And if it is that Mester Monteith wants to haf another wreck at sea ho wiill just send for the man what pnilt that vessel on the Clyde," was Donald's seemingly careless remark. "What do you mean ?" asked Mr. Malcolm Monteith.

"It wass fery plain to any seaman what 1 moan," said Donald, "Your masts wass nine or seven feet, too long for the ship, an' it iss, therefore no wonder that they, went by the po.ird, whatofer." "Now I think of it," exclaimed Mr. Monteith, "somebody did say to me more than once thai, she was tophoavv."

"Which proves that what I said correct wass perfectly right," criud Donald, triumphantly. "It wass easy enough for me to send to Wick for the best ship's carpenter in Britain, Orkney, or the Lows, mirover. Haniish lireiuncr wull ma.k' that fessel that she wull stand any gale, and he wull not shairge more ass three times ass much ass any Clyde Law land Sassenach, whalefer." "You mean Dremner will only charge a third of the sum a Clyde builder would charge?" corrected the colonel. "And wass not that what I said, karnel ?" said the old man. "N T oi you said three times as mucin" "Yess. The Clyde man will shairge three times as much as Brcmner." "Just, so," agreed the colonel who never found it profitable to argue with Donald. "And how am I to get to Wick in this weather ?" "You can have my sledge and re* lays of horses can be forwarded to the mail stations a few days before" said Colonel St. Clair. "An' pe smoorod in fh' snow for his pains !" cried Donald. "Well, colonel, fur a man what hass slewed the Booshians and the Turks, you speak sometime withoot thocht or sense, mirover. It wass only the sea that wass safe at this time o" the year, an' a fery severe winter it wass mirover. It will be far pettor for Mr. Monteith to tell me to get my sail-boat,ready, an' I wull tak' him an' his skipper an hiss mate round Dunnet Head and Noss Heart ass well and the pusiness can be done in six or four days."

"Ah, I quite forgot ! Some of the mountain gorges must be completely impassable," agreed the colonel; and so it was arrangod that Donald should get ready in two days, and. that Mr. Monteith should be a passenger in (he case of the weather be* ing calm and the sea smooth. Malcolm Monteith had no sooner consented to this arrangement than he turned in the direction of the icebound yacht, At that very instant his tall and handsome cousin Hew came skating round the bow of thevessel hand in hand with Agnes St, (-lair, and although there was a wellbred smile upon the face of the little gentleman there was something like hate in his heart—hate for tire man who had found favour in the sight of the woman he felt lie loved—the woman he vowed to win and wed. Close in the wake of this couple came Donald St, Clair and Muriel Monteith. and Jessie Mack ay, who stood at the gate of Strathmohir House, felt her heart sink within her. and her brain reel before the sense of a sudden and irreparable loss. To be Continued.