difficulties of the Sgriol and the other intervening mountains."

Hilderman looked at me in considerable surprise for a moment.

"You seem to know the district pretty well yourself, Mr. Ewart," he
remarked.

"Well, I ought to," I explained; "I was born in Glenmore."

"Oh, I didn't know that," he murmured; "that accounts for it, then."
And at that moment we heard the train approaching, and we hurried into
the station to meet our respective visitors.

"Fact or fancy?" asked Garnesk in an undertone as we strolled down the
platform, Hilderman having hurried on ahead.

"Fancy," I replied. "I took it you wanted me to avoid giving him the
precise details."

"Yes, I did," he laughed. "But you certainly made them precise enough.
It is better to be careful how you explain these things to strangers."

"Why?" I asked. "If we suspected Hilderman I should be inclined to
agree with you that we should feed him up with lies; and if you think
it will help us at all to suspect him I'm on at once. But as we both
feel that his disposition is friendly and that we have no cause to
doubt him, what is your reason for putting him off the scent every
time? I know you well enough by this time to feel sure that you
haven't been making these cryptic remarks for the sake of hearing
yourself speak."

"Here's the train," he said. "I'll tell you later."

I looked along the carriages for Dennis, but I had evidently missed
him, for as I turned back along the platform I found him looking round
for me, standing amid the _melee_ of tourists and fisherfolk, keepers
and valets, sportsmen and dogs, which is typical of the West Highland
terminus in early August, and which seemed little affected by the fact
that a state of war existed between Great Britain and the only nation
in the world which was prepared for hostilities.

"Well, old man," I greeted him as we shook hands heartily. "You got my
wire, of course. I hope you had a decent journey."

"Rather, old chap, I should think I did!" he replied warmly. "Slept
like a turnip through the beastly parts, and woke up for the bit from
Dumbarton on. I also had the luck to remember what you said about the
breakfast and took the precaution of wiring for it. Here I am, and as
fit as a fiddle."

"That's great!" I exclaimed cheerily, for Dennis's bright attitude had
exactly the effect on me that it was intended to have--it made me feel
about twenty years younger. "This is Mr. Garnesk, the specialist, who
v