all the
guests whom he had been expecting at Castle Skrae.

Merton was amazed at the energy and intelligence of a paternal mind
smitten by sudden grief. Mr. Macrae had even telegraphed to every London
newspaper, and to the leading Scottish and provincial journals, 'No
Interviewers need Apply.' Several hours were spent, as may be imagined,
in getting off these despatches from a Highland rural office, and Merton
tried to reward the fair operator. But she declined to accept a present
for doing her duty, and expressed lively sympathy for the poor young lady
who was lost. In a few days a diamond-studded watch and chain arrived
for Miss MacTurk.

Merton himself wired to Logan, imploring him, in the name of friendship,
to abandon all engagements, and come to Inchnadampf. Where kidnapping
was concerned he knew that Logan must be interested, and might be useful;
but, of course, he could not invite him to Castle Skrae. Meanwhile he
secured rooms for Logan at the excellent inn. Lady Fastcastle, he knew,
was in England, brooding over her first-born, the Master of Fastcastle.

Before these duties were performed the motor returned from Lairg, bearing
the two London detectives, one disguised as a gillie (he was the
detective who had the Gaelic), the other as a clergyman of the Church of
England. To Merton he whispered that he was to be an early friend of Mr.
Macrae, come to comfort him on the first news of his disaster. As to the
other, the gillie, Mr. Macrae was known to have been in want of an
assistant to the stalker, and Duncan Mackay (of Scotland Yard) had
accepted the situation. Merton approved of these arrangements; they were
such as he would himself have suggested.

'But I don't see what we can do, sir,' said the clerical detective (the
Rev. Mr. Williams), 'except perhaps find out if it was a put up thing
from within.'

Merton gave him a succinct sketch of the events, and he could see that
Mr. Williams already suspected Donald Macdonald, the engineer. Merton,
Mr. Williams, and the driver now got into the motor, and were followed by
the gillie-detective and a man to drive in a dog-cart hired from the inn.
Merton ordered all answers to telegrams to be sent by boys on bicycles.

It was late ere he returned to Castle Skrae. There nothing of importance
had occurred, except the arrival of more messages from the wireless
machine. They insisted that Miss Macrae was in perfect health, but
implored the millionaire to