tting them; but they received
his caresses in rather a cool manner, and Bruce, who seemed
disappointed, was about to turn off and go, when Max bent over
Sneeshing.

The dog looked up at him curiously.

"Come along," said Max; "your master wants to see you."

The words had hardly left his lips, when Dirk made a bound, and rushed
off toward the open dining-room, window, behaviour which evidently
puzzled the great deerhound, who watched the collie for a few moments,
and then dashed off, followed by Sneeshing, who, however, responded to a
call, and, after looking inquiringly in the speaker's eyes, he followed
him toward the house.

Max stopped short at the end of a few yards and turned, to see Scoodrach
walking slowly away.

"Scoody!" he called to him; "you are to come up and see him soon."

"Tak' ta togs! tak' ta togs!" said the young gillie bitterly. "She
can't want to see me."

The collie and deerhound had both disappeared through the dining-room
window; but it was as Max suspected: when he and the terrier reached the
landing, Bruce was seated on the mat at Kenneth's chamber, and Dirk
lying down blinking at him, and every now and then snuffling and
thrusting his nose close to the bottom of the door.

As Max raised his hand to turn the handle, Dirk could contain himself no
longer, and uttered a loud bark, the answer to which was a faintly-heard
call from within the bedroom.

But, faint or no, it was enough to drive the dogs half wild; and, as Max
opened the door, they gave vent to a canine trio, and dashed through
quite a narrow crack, Bruce and Dirk together, for the great hound
bounded over the collie, while in his excitement Sneeshing went
head-over-heels into the room, but only to dash up to the bed, on to the
chair at the side, and then to snuggle in close down to his master,
while the others leaped on from opposite sides, and began pawing at the
invalid and licking his hand.

"Down! down, dogs!" cried Max excitedly, in alarm lest they should
injure the patient in his weak state. But, as he ran at the bed, Dirk
and Bruce set up their bristles and uttered menacing growls, while
Sneeshing thrust his rough head from under the clothes and added his
remonstrance in the same canine way.

"Let 'em alone, Maxy; they're only glad to see their old master again,"
cried Kenneth, as he began to stroke the dogs' heads. "Quiet, old boys!
Friends, friends! Come and pat 'em, Maxy; they mustn't bark at you.
Friends,