ot to be trusted alone
among the salvage.

"Every thief among 'em 's as good as a conjurer," he declared, "and can
conceal just anything up his sleeve."

Thus it came about that when Dennis and I went down to the stelling to
meet Alister, as we had agreed, and delivered the messages of
hospitality with which the young engineer and Dennis's cousin had
charged us, we found that he had made an engagement to help the
burnt-out store-owner for such time as we should be out of seamen's
work, on terms which were to include his board and lodging.

"Alister, dear! I admire ye with all me heart," said Dennis impetuously.
"I never saw such an industrious, persevering fellow. If all Scotch
lads take the tide of life at the flood as you do, small blame to ye for
making your fortunes; and well ye deserve it."

"There's not a doubt about it," replied Alister complacently. "And I'll
tell ye more. Find me arty grand work, if it's at the other end of the
airth, whether it's digging a dyke in the desert, or bigging a mountain
up to the moon, and I'll find ye an Aberdeenshire man not far from the
head of it."

Dennis's face seemed to twitch with a dozen quick thoughts and smiles,
as Alister turned away to meet his new employer, who had just appeared
on the stelling.

"They have wonderful qualities," he said gently. "I envy them, I can
tell ye, Jack. What's an idle lout like me good for? Will I ever be able
to make a home for myself, or for any one else? _They do!_" He spoke
earnestly, and then suddenly relapsing into an imitation of Alister's
accent, which was his latest joke, he added with twinkling eyes, "and
they save a _wee_ in wages to their _ain_ trumpeters--_whiles!_"

And having drawled out the word "whiles" to the uttermost possible
length, he suddenly began to snap his fingers and dance an Irish jig
upon the wooden planks of the stelling. This performance completely
demoralized the Chinamen who caught sight of it. "Eyah!" they cried,
they stopped work, they chuckled, they yelled; they doubled themselves
up, some of their pig-tails came down, and one and all they laughed so
frankly and immoderately, it was hard to believe that anything like
deception could be amongst the faults of these almond-eyed children of
the Flowery-Land.

Mr. Macdonald (the store-owner) seemed, however, to think that they
required pretty close watching, and I do not think he would have been
willing to let Alister go back with us to luncheon at Wil