.

A little stream was near; it trickled in a half-cataract down the cliffs.
Donald and Dugald hurried away to this and brought back Highland
bonnetfuls of water. Then we washed Archie's face and made him drink. How
we rejoiced to see him smile again! I believe the London accent of his
voice was at that moment the sweetest music to Flora she had ever heard in
her life.

'What a pwepostewous tumble I've had! How vewy, _vewy_ stoopid of me to be
wun away with!'

Poor Flora laughed one moment at her cousin and cried the next, so full
was her heart. But presently she proved herself quite a little woman.

'I'll ride on to the castle,' she said, 'and get dry things ready. You'd
better go to bed, Archie, when you come home; you are not like a Highland
boy, you know. Oh, I'm so glad you're alive! But--ha, ha, ha! excuse
me--but you do look _so_ funny!' and away she rode.

We mounted Archie on Dugald's nag and rode straight away to the lake. Here
we tied our ponies to the birch-trees, and, undressing, plunged in for a
swim. When we came out we arranged matters thus: Dugald gave Archie his
shirt, Donald gave him a pair of stockings, and I gave him a cap and my
jacket, which was long enough to reach his knees. We tied the wet things,
after washing the slime off, all in a bundle, and away the procession went
to Coila. Everybody turned out to witness our home-coming. Well, we did
look rather motley, but--Archie was saved.

My own adventures, however, had not ended yet. Neither my brothers nor
Flora cared to go out again that day, so in the afternoon I shouldered my
fishing rod and went off to enjoy a quiet hour's sport.

What took my footsteps towards the stream that made its exit from the
loch, and went meandering down the glen, I never could tell. It was no
favourite stream of mine, for though it contained plenty of trout, it
passed through many woods and dark, gloomy defiles, with here and there a
waterfall, and was on the whole so overhung with branches that there was
difficulty in making a cast. I was far more successful than I expected to
be, however, and the day wore so quickly away that on looking up I was
surprised to find that the sun had set, and I must be quite seven miles
from home. What did that matter? there would be a moon! I had Highland
legs and a Highland heart, and knew all the cross-cuts in the country
side. I would try for that big trout that had just leapt up to catch a
moth. It took me half an hour to