ago, and she could
not say 'wee tatties' in the English when she slipped her cable, for
she turned into Gaelic--yes," and he looked up, the tears in his eyes
and rolling down his cheeks. I think I never saw anything so hateful,
but then I saw his hand at his hanger and his big shoulders haunching.
"Will any o' ye be denying it?" he murmured in his pitiful voice, and
then through the tears I saw the devil mocking, and knew why the crew
hastened to reassure him.

Meg, the gleevitch, kept the drink going and threw more wood on the
fire. "Drink up," she cries, "it's a rid tinker's night this."

"Why red tinkers, Meg?" says Dan, raising his head from close confab
wi' the captain.

"Ye ken the story fine," says she, "how the weans hiv the red hair tae
keep them warm maybe, lying oot."

"Not me, my lass," says Dan; "sit down here beside me and tell us."

And as we took our drink she told us of the red tinkers and when they
took to the road.

"Indeed, and that will be a good story too," said an old shepherd by
the fireside, with his dogs at his feet, "and I will be tellin' you
another, if you will be caring. . . ."

It wore on to the small hours of the morning, and cocks began to crow,
and yet we sat. Indeed, by that time I was seeing two fires, and I
knew that most of the crew slept as they sat or sprawled, and the mate
was again weeping and leering round for some one to fight, as though
his seeming gentleness would entice a stranger. Dan was parrying with
Meg, for in her story she had made great stress on a gipsy lass, and
all with knowing looks in Dan's direction; but at last we made our
homeward way, of which I remember little, except that Dan had me on his
back on the worst of the road, and I was singing.

Next morning I was ill, and black looks I got at the breakfast,
although my aunt was kind enough and I caught her smiling at me, for I
suppose I must have cut a queer enough figure, but my uncle was very
stern. After I had made some pretence of eating, I rose, and he asked
me, in his grandest manner, to come to him in an hour.

He was among his books, for he was more of a bookworm than his folks,
and standing in front of the fire as I entered.

"Hamish," said he, "I thought more of ye. Dan is no model to follow,"
says he; "forbye, your head is not so strong, if that be any excuse for
drink and devilry on his pairt. I ken of his ongoings, but I hold my
peace, for he minds his work, and I have a promise