* * * * *

About a month after the above related adventure the young men had another
at that very ruin, which, if not quite so stirring, was at all events far
more mysterious.

It happened soon after a wild storm, a kind of semi-pampero, had swept
over the glen with much thunder and lightning and heavy rains. It had
cleared the atmosphere, however, which previously had been hazy and close.
It had cooled it as well, so that one afternoon, Dugald, addressing
Archie, said,

'What do you say to an early morning among the birds to-morrow, cousin?'

'Oh, I'm ready, Dugald, if you are,' was the reply.

'Well, then, off you trot to the kitchen, and get food ready, and I'll see
to the shooting tackle and the mules.'

When Dugald ran over to say good-night to Moncrieff and Aileen before they
started, he met old Jenny in the door.

'Dear laddie,' she said, when she heard he was bound for the hills, 'I
hope nae ill will come over ye; but I wot I had an unco' ugly dream last
night. Put your trust in Providence, laddie. And ye winna forget to say
your prayers, will ye?'

'That we won't, mother. Ta, ta!'

Moncrieff saw Dugald to his own gate. With them went Wolf, the largest
bloodhound-mastiff.

'Dreams,' said Moncrieff, 'may be neither here nor there; but you'll be
none the worse for taking Wolf.'

'Thank you,' said Dugald; 'he shall come, and welcome.'

The sun had quite set before they reached the ruin, but there was a
beautiful after-glow in the west--a golden haze beneath, with a kind of
crimson blush over it higher up. When they were on a level with the ruin,
the two windows of which, as already stated, were opposite to each other,
Archie said, musingly,

'Look, Dugald, what a strange and beautiful light is streaming through the
windows!'

'Yes,' replied Dugald, 'but there is something solemn, even ghostly, about
it. Don't you think so?'

'True; there always is something ghostly about an empty ruin, I think. Are
you superstitious?'

'No; but--see. What was that? Why, there is some one there! Look to your
rifle, Archie. It was an Indian, I am certain.'

What had they seen? Why, only the head and shoulders of a passing figure
in the orange light of the two windows. It had appeared but one
moment--next it was gone. Rifles in left hand, revolvers in right, they
cautiously approached the ruin and entered. Never a soul was here. They
went out again, and looked around; th