ould arouse ideas in the
public mind, ideas false, indeed, but fatally compromising.'

'I may not even subsidise the affair--put a million to Mr. Merton's
account?'

'In no sort! Afterwards, _after_ he succeeds, then I don't say, if
Merton will consent; but that is highly improbable. I know my friend.'

Mr. Macrae sighed deeply and remained pensive. 'Well,' he answered at
last, 'I accept your very gallant and generous proposal.'

'I am overjoyed!' said Logan. He had never been in such a big thing
before.

'I shall order my two best horses to be saddled after breakfast,' said
Mr. Macrae. 'You will bait at Inchnadampf.'

'Here is my address; this will always find me,' said Logan, writing
rapidly on a leaf of his note-book.

'You will wire all news of your negotiations with the pirates to me, by
the new wireless machine, when Giambresi brings it, and his firm in town
will telegraph it on to me, at the address I gave you, _in cypher_. To
save time, we must use a book cypher, we can settle it in the house in
ten minutes,' said Logan, now entirely in his element.

They chose _The Bonnie Brier Bush_, by Mr. Ian Maclaren--a work too
popular to excite suspicion; and arranged the method of secret
correspondence with great rapidity. Logan then rushed up to Merton's
room, hastily communicated the scheme to him, and overcame his
objections, nay, awoke in him, by his report of Mr. Macrae's words, the
hopes of a lover. They came down to breakfast, and arranged that their
baggage should be sent after them as soon as communications were
restored.

Merton contrived to have a brief interview with Lady Bude. Her joyous
spirit shone in her eyes.

'I do not know what Lord Fastcastle's plan is,' she said, 'but I wish you
good fortune. You have won the _father's_ heart, and now I am about to
be false to my sex'--she whispered--'the daughter's is all but your own!
I can help you a little,' she added, and, after warmly clasping both her
hands in his, Merton hurried to the front of the house, where the horses
stood, and sprang into the saddle. No motors, no bicycles, no scientific
vehicles to-day; the clean wind piped to him from the mountains; a good
steed was between his thighs! Logan mounted, after entrusting Bouncer to
Lady Bude, and they galloped eastwards.

V. The Adventure of the Flora Macdonald

'This is the point indicated, latitude so and so, longitude so and so,'
said Mr Macrae. 'But I do not see a sa