ns of Mr. Adiesen's factotum, and they were usually styled
Lowrie and Gibbie.

Boden was a small island, and there were only three houses on it,
namely, the Ha', the factor's house, and Trullyabister, a very ancient
dwelling nearly in ruins. Every house in Shetland has a name of its
own, so has every knoll and field and crag and islet, therefore the Ha'
was called Moolapund, and the Harrisons' house Noostigard. To attend
church the inhabitants were obliged to cross to a neighbouring island,
and this the majority of them did very regularly. Stores were brought
twice a year from the town of Lerwick; and it seldom happened that
these ran short, for Miss Adiesen was a shrewd housewife and James
Harrison a notable manager; also the Laird was somewhat eccentric, and
objecting strongly to all society outside of Boden, did not like that
"provisions short" should be made an excuse for frequent expeditions to
the larger islands.

The isolated life of Boden had certain charms of its own for a
scientist like Mr. Adiesen, and a quiet domestic creature like his
sister, whose happiness had been wrecked in early life, and who desired
nothing better than to hide herself at Moolapund and devote her life to
the wants of her lost twin-brother's children.

Boden was a pleasant home to the Harrisons', for they were a large
family, simple crofters, content in each other's society, and
cherishing no earthly ambition. It was a satisfactory retreat from the
world for Gaun Neeven, who lived alone with a half-witted attendant in
the old house of Trullyabister. It was a paradise to little Signy,
whose imaginative, romantic nature found infinite delight in the beauty
of the Isle, in its myriads of sea-fowl, in its grand-encircling ocean,
in the freedom and poetry of life with such environs. But to a strong
lad like Yaspard, full of vitality, longing for action and the company
of his fellows, there was less to content him, and much to stir in him
that spirit of mischief which attends on every energetic boy not
blessed with wise guardians, and with plenty of time on his hands.

"Come into the boat, boys," said Yaspard, as he ran his skiff to the
noost; and the brothers, nothing loth, scrambled aboard.

"I ran across," said our hero, plunging at once into his subject, "to
tell you about a magnificent scheme I have in my head. I am going to
be a Viking!"

If he had announced his intention of becoming Czar of all the Russias
these boys woul