ith silver, a very fine bit of work, and too beautiful for
everyday use, but Dan sat with it on his knee, and indeed it was hung
in the place of honour beside his great sword.

And we sat long listening to Bryde when the strangeness wore off him,
and he was telling us of how he came on board a King's ship and worked
and fought until his officers were proud of him, and of how he became
an officer on board a frigate, a position most difficult to attain to
in those days (although there are other men from the island who have
done the like, as a man can be reading in the records). He told us of
his sailing days in the privateer _Spray_ in the Indies, and of his
meeting with Angus McKinnon, but of these things I will not be writing
at any length in this story.

The father and son left me a good way on the home road, and I made my
way indoors with no noise, and there was not so much as a dog barking,
and when I was in my own place I sat thinking for a long time.

And it came on me that Bryde was the wise one to be going away with his
sword, and to be making a name for himself, and siller. For the Bryde
that was fit to command a King's ship would be far different from the
boy on a moorside farm, and I was weaving dreams like a lass at her
spinning when the door was opened behind me and Margaret stood looking
in, a light held high in her hand and her arm bare.

"When will he be coming?" said she. It would likely be the man that
was with me at the splash-net that would be telling her the news.

"He has been here already," said I, "and you sound sleeping."

"I will be easy wakened, Hamish; a chuckle stone at the window would
not have been putting you out of your road. Will he be changed in his
features?" says she, "and was he asking for all of us?"

"Indeed he was all questions," said I; "but I am not remembering that
he spoke of you, my lass."

"My motherless lass! am I clean forgot then?"

"I would not say that either," said I, and told her about the window
gazing.

"He will be a little blate for such a namely man," said Margaret, but I
could see there was a glow of pleasure over her.

"It will be long past time for the bedding," said I.

"There is no sleep will come to me this night"; and then, "I wonder
will the daylight never be coming?"

"Margaret," said I, and I am glad always that I said this--"Margaret,"
said I, "Bryde will be coming here in the morning; you will be meeting
your kinsman on the road," sa