the end of a week, Donald determined to try his medicine unasked, and
struck up "The March of the Mackhai" under Kenneth's window.

The doctor rang the bell furiously, and Grant, who guessed what it
meant, ran out and seized the old piper, to bundle him out of hearing.

That day there was nearly murder done, for Donald drew his sgian-dhu and
swore he would have the butler's "bluid," to which Grant responded by
firing half a pail of water at the furious old man, who was then carried
off, foaming and muttering wildly in Gaelic, and was only calmed down by
Long Shon telling him it would "kill ta young Chief" if he made so much
noise.

Tavish was terribly low-spirited.

"Ta pools are fu' o' saumont," he would say, "and there's naebody to
catch them, for the hand that throws a flee better nor ta whole wurrld
lies low. Ye'll came and catch a saumont, Maister Max? Ta Chief said
she was to shoot and fush, and have ta poat when she liked. Ye'll came
the morning?"

"No, Tavish; I can't leave Kenneth; perhaps he'll want me to read to
him."

"Rest? wha's ta use o' reating to ta laddie? If it was na for ta
toctor, wha's a clever chiel' wi ta rod, what should we do?"

For the doctor stayed on, combining pleasure with work, seeing Kenneth
two or three times a day, and fishing in the intervals.

"I shall never be able to repay you for your kindness, Curzon," said The
Mackhai one morning.

"My dear sir," said the doctor, "you pay me every day. I never lived
better; I never had a more comfortable room; and I never had better
fishing."

"You are satisfied?"

"Satisfied! My dear sir, I am congratulating myself every hour upon my
luck in being able to exchange my poor services for such comfortable
quarters and excellent sport."

"Kenneth owes his life to you, and I shall never be sufficiently
grateful."

"Well, he owes it to me because I was the nearest doctor. Any medical
man would have done the same."

"You do not make enough of your skill."

"Nonsense, my dear sir! If you are satisfied, I am."

"And you feel sure that he is mending fast?"

"Oh yes, certain. The head trouble has passed now. Poor lad! he must
have had a terrible fall. I went with your forester yesterday, and he
showed me the place. It's little short of a miracle that he escaped
alive."

That night Max was in Kenneth's room, waiting for him to wake up before
he said good-night, for the night was hot and the invalid had gone to
sleep.