kly, 'I 'm here, Jasper; but I 'm nigh to slipping. It's my head,
Jasper, and the giddiness that is over me. Good-night, good-night,
Jasper dear; you cannot save me!'

'Don't say that,' replied Jasper. 'Keep up your courage for a minute
or two longer, Holly, and _I'll_ come to you. Thank goodness I have
plenty of rope.'

[Illustration: The Rescue.]

Jasper had an earnest and very rapid conversation with John Meiklejohn
and Andy Mackenzie and Wallace. Quickly a rope was passed under his
arms and round his waist, and before she could believe it possible,
Hollyhock, weak, giddy, helpless, was caught in the boy's arms.

He gave the words, '_Right you are; pull away!_' and in a trice the
three lads and Magsie pulled the girl and the boy up to the summit of
the rock.

Hollyhock lay like one dead, but the boys carried her straight back to
the Annex, which was the nearest house, and there she could at once
receive her aunt's most tender care and treatment.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ARDSHIEL TO THE RESCUE.

Wild indeed was the excitement when the facts of that terrible night
were known; when the Duke of Ardshiel himself, who was to give away the
prizes--the beautiful prizes with his Grace's crest--arrived on the
scene and found no Hollyhock, but a distracted head-mistress and a lot
of miserable-looking girls.

Now, as it happened, Ardshiel loved Hollyhock as he had never loved a
girl since Viola Cameron, long ago, had disappointed him. He was often
at another great castle of his, close to the Palace of the Kings, and
on these occasions he frequently saw his little kinswoman riding on
Lightning Speed beside her father, who looked very noble himself on his
great black charger, which he called Ardshiel, after the Duke.

The Duke used to nod civilly enough to Lennox; but his eyes and his
thoughts were all for Hollyhock, the black-eyed lass who rode so
superbly. When she was with her father he never spoke to her; but on
the occasions when she happened to be alone, he invariably drew up and
had a 'crack' with the lass, admiring her sparkling eyes, her smart
appearance, her wonderful life and love and bravery, all of which shone
in her face. The Duke, alas! had no children, and whenever he saw
Hollyhock he sighed at the thought of the joy which would have been his
had he possessed so fine a lass.

Hollyhock had that sort of nature which thought nothing at all of rank
for rank's sake, but she admired the dear old man,