ing
in her full round cheek.

"Come, Isa!" cried Mack, catching sight of her in the dim light. "Come
here, I want Mr. Cameron to meet you."

"How do you do?" said the girl, giving Cameron her hand and glancing
saucily into his face. "I hear you are a piper and a hammer-thrower and
altogether a wonderful man."

"A wonderfully lucky man, to have the pleasure of meeting you," said
Cameron, glancing boldly back at her.

"And I am sure you can dance the fling," continued Isa. "All the
Highlanders do."

"Not all," said Cameron. "But with certain partners all Highlanders
would love to try."

"Oh aye," with a soft Highland accent that warmed Cameron's blood. "I
see you have the tongue. Come away, Danny, now, strike up, or I will go
on without you." And the girl kilted her skirts and began a reel, and
as Mack's eyes followed her every step there was no mistaking their
expression. To Mack there was only one girl in the barn, or in all the
world for that matter, and that was the leal-hearted, light-footed,
black-eyed Isa MacKenzie. Bonnie she was, and that she well knew, the
belle of the whole township, driving the men to distraction and for all
that holding the love of her own sex as well. But her heart was still
her own, or at least she thought it was, for all big Mack Murray's open
and simple-hearted adoration, and she was ready for a frolic with any
man who could give her word for word or dance with her the Highland
reel.

With the courtesy of a true gentleman, Danny led off with his fiddle
till they had all got thoroughly into the spirit and swing of the
frolic, and then, putting his instrument back into its bag, he declared
that they were all tired of it and were waiting for the pipes.

"Not a bit of it!" cried Isa. "But we will give you a rest, Danny, and
besides I want to dance a reel with you myself--though Mr. Cameron is
not bad," she added, with a little bow to Cameron, with whom she had
just finished a reel.

Readily enough Cameron tuned his pipes, for he was aching to get at them
and only too glad to furnish music for the gay company of kindly hearted
folk who were giving him his first evening's pleasure since he had left
the Cuagh Oir.

From reel to schottische and from schottische to reel, foursome and
eightsome, they kept him playing, ever asking for more, till the
gloaming passed into moonlight and still they were not done. The respite
came through Mandy, who, solid in weight and heavy of foot, had l