or boy! Ruined! and by me!"

It was as if a responsive moan echoed round the house as a gust of wind
came off the sea, and, starting and looking wildly round, The Mackhai
rose and gazed out upon the dark sea and the dimly-seen black clouds
scudding across the gloomy sky.

"It will be a bad night," he said sadly. "Ah, well, I must bear it like
a man! Let's see if I can eat some dinner."

He crossed to the bell and rang.

The old butler answered the summons at once.

"Let us have the dinner at once, Grant."

"Yes, sir. Everything is quite ready, sir," said the old butler, with
his eyes full of sympathy for his master in his time of trouble.

"Are those--those people in the kitchen, Grant?"

"Yes, sir."

"Treat them respectfully and well, Grant. I wish it to be so."

"Yes, sir."

The butler was retiring, when Kenneth's step was heard coming hastily
along, and, as he burst into the room,--

"Father," he cried, "he's gone!"

"Gone?"

"Yes. Max has gone."

"Gone? Impossible! Where could he have gone?"

"Scoodrach saw him go, hours ago, right up the track; and he watched him
till he saw him disappear."

"What! across the mountain--alone?"

"Yes, father," cried Kenneth excitedly.

"But walking--to be overtaken by a night like this--the precipices--the
bogs! Good heavens, Kenneth! he could not have been so mad!"

"He asked Scood if Glasgow did not lie out there," said Kenneth
hoarsely; "and he told him, yes."

"He told him that? The young scoundrel! Why?"

The Mackhai ran to the bell, tore at it, and Grant came.

"Is Scoodrach anywhere here?"

"Yes, sir; in the kitchen."

"Send him here."

There was utter silence in the room for a few minutes, and then the
young gillie was ushered in.

"Stop, Grant, you need not go," cried The Mackhai. "Now, sir," he said
to Scoodrach, "did you tell Mr Max Blande that over the mountains was
the way to Glasgow?"

"She said was tat ta wa' to Glasgie, and she said, `Oh ay.'"

"And you let that poor boy go out over the mountain to lose himself
among the rocks and moss, knowing that he could not find his way?"

"Oh ay!" said Scoodrach coolly.

"And that he might lose his life?"

"Oh ay."

"You young villain! how dared you do this? You've murdered him,
perhaps."

"Oh ay; she hopes she has."

"What!" roared The Mackhai. "You did it on purpose, then?"

"Ay," cried Scoodrach, flashing up, and, dashing the bonnet he held
defiantly on the carp