in a corner, tops upper-most, to serve as a bed;
farther "ben," some bulky things more than half hidden in the deep gloom
of that part of the hut that was farthest from the door and from the
light of the fire. And over and through everything an all-pervading reek
of peat that brought water to the eyes of those not inured to such an
atmosphere, and caused them to cough grievously. To the Highlander it
was nothing; he had been born in such an atmosphere, and had lived in
it most of his days. But to visitors it was trying, till Donald's Dew of
Cheviot rendered them indifferent to the minor ills of life.

One day, as Donald was busily engaged with his Still, a charge for which
he was just about starting, there came to the door of his hut a man
leading a horse from which he had just dismounted. This man did not wait
for an invitation to enter, but, having made fast his reins to the
branch of a neighbouring rowan tree, walked in and sat down, with a mere
"Good day."

"A ferry goot tay," politely replied Donald. But he was not altogether
happy over the advent of this stranger; there was a something in the
manner of the man that roused suspicion. However, there he was. It
remained only to make the best of it, and to be careful not to show that
he suspected anything. Perhaps the man was harmless after all; and, in
any case, it might be just as well to pretend that he was not possessed
of any great knowledge of English. There was nothing to be gained by
talking.

"Have ye not such a thing as a drop of spirits in the house?" inquired
the stranger. "I'm tired with my ride."

Donald "wasna aaltogether sure. Mebbes perhaps there micht pe a wee
drappie left in ta bottle." But there was no dearth of fluid in the
bottle that, with Highland hospitality, he set before the strange man,
along with cheese and oatcake. Donald took a liberal "sup" himself, and
sat down, purposely near the door, just in case of any possible coming
trouble, and out of the corner of his eye he kept a wary gaze on his
uninvited guest, who had also helped himself liberally to the whisky,
and was already making a great onslaught on the cheese and oatcake.

"Aye, capital whisky; cap-i-tal whisky," said the stranger graciously.
"And I daresay there's more where that came from, if the truth were
kenned."

But that was a suggestion which Donald found it convenient to ignore. He
had "ferry little English," he said.

"And I daresay, now," pursued the stranger, in