t two days were right royal days for the guest at Castle Dare.
On the deer-stalking expedition Macleod simply refused to take his rifle
with him and spent all his time in whispered consultations with Hamish,
and with eager watching of every bird whose solitary flight along the
mountain-side might startle the wary hinds. After a long day of patient
and stealthy creeping, and walking through bogs and streams, and slow
toiling up rocky slopes, the party returned home in the evening; and
when it was found that a splendid stag--with brow, bay, and tray, and
crockets complete--was strapped on to the pony, and when the word was
passed that Sandy the red-haired and John from the yacht were to take
back the pony to a certain well-known cairn where another monarch of the
hills lay slain, there was a great rejoicing through Castle Dare, and
Lady Macleod herself must needs come out to shake hands with her guest,
and to congratulate him on his good fortune.

"It is little we have been able to do to entertain you," said the old
silver-haired lady, "but I am glad you have got a stag or two."

"I knew what Highland hospitality was before I came to Castle Dare,"
said the boy, modestly. "But you have been kinder to me even than
anything I knew before."

"And you will leave the heads with Hamish," said she, "and we will send
them to Glasgow to be mounted for you, and then we will send them South
to you."

"Indeed no," said he (though he was thinking to himself that it was no
wonder the Macleods of Dare were poor); "I will not put you to any such
trouble. I will make my own arrangements with Hamish."

"Then you will tell him not to forget Aldershot."

"I think, Lady Macleod," said the young lieutenant, "that my
mess-companions will be sorry to hear that I have left Dare. I should
think they ought to have drunk your health many times ere now."

Next day, moreover, he was equally successful by the side of the deep
brown pools in Glen Muick. He was a pretty fair fisherman, though he had
had but small experience with such a mighty engine of a rod as Hamish
put into his hands. When, however, he showed Hamish the fine assortment
of salmon flies he had brought with him, the old man only shook his
head. Thereafter, whenever Hamish went with him, nothing was said about
flies until they neared the side of the brawling stream that came
pouring down between the gray rocks and the patches of moist brown moor.
Hamish would sit down on a stone, an