y it," said Sandy.

"Heave away," cried Alan, and after a few trials the rope came
flying up on the cliff and was soon looped around the boat. Then
the three braced their feet against the rocks and slowly lowered
the boat by the rope fastened to the prow, and by their own rope,
while Sandy steadied it below. They threw down the rope-end after
it, and a few moments later the rapturous Clan hauled the boat
into the cave! They sat in it to eat their luncheon and were so
lost in admiration of their enterprise and their booty that they
did not start home until the level rays of the sun warned them
that it was late.

XI. ANGUS NIEL AND THE CANNY CLAN

The days that followed were days of stirring adventure to the Rob
Roy Clan, and days of continuous and surprising misery to Angus
Niel. Never in his history as gamekeeper of Glen Cairn had he
had such experiences. The very trees in the woods seemed to be
bewitched. Wherever he went he was followed by some mysterious
power that seemed to know his every movement. If he killed any
game, the fact was advertised and the place marked by signs in
blue chalk. Not only that, but the very path of his approach to
the spot was marked by pointing arrows and some such legend as
"This way to the glen where Angus Niel killed a deer" would
decorate a neighboring rock. On other rocks appeared pertinent
questions addressed to him. "How much did you get for the stag?"
was one of them, and there were also queries as to where he found
the best market for game. He was kept so busy searching the
forest for these incriminating signs and rubbing them out, that
he could not follow his regular rounds. Even this did not avail,
for if he erased them on one day, it was but a matter of time
before the letters appeared again as fresh and blue as ever. Nor
was this all. He was haunted by a wailing voice which reached him
even in the remote fastnesses of the forest. He was sure to hear
it if he ventured into the neighborhood of the waterfall, and he
usually avoided that region as if it harbored a pestilence.

Once late in the afternoon he shot two hares and hid them under
some rocks, intending to carry them across the lake in the
morning, but when he went for them, they had disappeared
altogether, and above the place where they had been was written
in blue chalk, "Sacred to the memory of two hares, killed and
hidden here by Angus Niel on June 12th."

When he saw this epitaph, Angus's hair really s