the first time it occurred to me that the Kelpie had upon that
night of terror been out on business of her own, and had not been
looking for me at all.

"Then she was down at old Betty's cottage," said Turkey, when I
communicated the suspicion, "and Wandering Willie was there too, and
Andrew was right about the pipes. Willie hasn't been once to the house
ever since he took Davie, but she has gone to meet him at Betty's.
Depend on it, Ranald, he's her brother, or nephew, or something, as I
used to say. I do believe she gives him the meal to take home to her
family somewhere. Did you ever hear anything about her friends?"

"I never heard her speak of any."

"Then I don't believe they're respectable. I don't, Ranald. But it
will be a great trouble to the minister to have to turn her away. I
wonder if we couldn't contrive to make her go of herself. I wish we
could scare her out of the country. It's not nice either for a woman
like that to have to do with such innocents as Allister and Davie."

"She's very fond of Davie."

"So she is. That's the only good thing I know of her. But hold your
tongue, Ranald, till we find out more."

Acting on the hint Davie had given me, I soon discovered the second
meal-tub. It was small, and carefully stowed away. It was now nearly
full, and every day I watched in the hope that when she emptied it, I
should be able to find out what she did with the meal. But Turkey's
suggestion about frightening her away kept working in my brain.

CHAPTER XXVIII

I Scheme Too

I began a series of persecutions of the Kelpie on my own account. I
was doubtful whether Turkey would approve of them, so I did not tell
him for some time; but I was ambitious of showing him that I could do
something without him. I doubt whether it is worth while to relate the
silly tricks I played her--my father made me sorry enough for them
afterwards. My only excuse for them is, that I hoped by them to drive
the Kelpie away.

There was a closet in the hall, the floor of which was directly over
the Kelpie's bed, with no ceiling between. With a gimlet I bored a
hole in the floor, through which I passed a piece of string. I had
already got a bit of black cloth, and sewed and stuffed it into
something of the shape of a rat. Watching an opportunity, I tied this
to the end of the string by the head, and hid it under her bolster.
When she was going to bed, I went into the closet, and, laying my
mouth to the floor, began s