endurance Ranald was chief
of all. Fleet of foot, there was no runner from the Twelfth to the
Twentieth that could keep him in sight, and when he stood up to fight,
the mere blaze of his eyes often won him victory before a blow was
struck. To Don, Ranald opened his heart more than to any one else; all
others he kept at a distance.

It was in vain that Mrs. Murray, in her daily visits to Macdonald Dubh,
sought to find out Ranald and to come to speech with him. Aunt Kirsty
never knew where he was, and to her calls, long and loud, from the back
door and from the front, no response ever came. It was Hughie Murray who
finally brought Ranald once more into touch with the minister's wife.

They had come one early morning, Hughie with Fido "hitched" in a sled
driving over the "crust" on the snow banks by the roadside, and his
mother on the pony, to make their call upon the sick man. As they drew
near the house they heard a sound of hammering.

"That's Ranald, mother!" exclaimed Hughie. "Let me go and find him. I
don't want to go in."

"Be sure you don't go far away, then, Hughie; you know we must hurry
home to-day"; and Hughie faithfully promised. But alas for Hughie's
promises! when his mother came out of the house with Kirsty, he was
within neither sight nor hearing.

"They will just be at the camp," said Kirsty.

"The camp?"

"Aye, the sugaring camp down yonder in the sugar bush. It is not far off
from the wood road. I will be going with you."

"Not at all, Kirsty," said the minister's wife. "I think I know where
it is, and I can go home that way quite well. Besides, I want to see
Ranald." She did not say she would rather see him alone.

"Indeed, he is the quare lad, and he is worse since coming back from the
shanties." Kirsty was evidently much worried about Ranald.

"Never mind," said the minister's wife, kindly; "we must just be
patient. Ranald is going on fast toward manhood, and he can be held only
by the heart."

"Aye," said Kirsty, with a sigh, "I doubt his father will never be able
any more to take a strap to him."

"Yes," said Mrs. Murray, smiling, "I'm afraid he is far beyond that."

"Beyond it!" exclaimed Kirsty, astonished at such a doctrine. "Indeed,
and his father and his uncle would be getting it then, when they were as
beeg as they will ever be, and much the better were they for it."

"I don't think it would do for Ranald," said the minister's wife,
smiling again as she said good by to Kirsty