mpany was not to be denied.

We made up some bear-meal bannocks, and a collop of boiled venison in
a knapsack that I carried on my back, borrowed plaids from some of the
common soldiery, and set out for Strongara at the mouth of the night,
with the snow still driving over the land.

MacLachlan was for with us, but John turned on him with a great deal
of determination, and dared him to give extra risk to our enterprise by
adding another man to the chance of the enemy seeing us.

The lad met the objection ungraciously, and John took to his flattery.

"The fact is, MacLachlan," said he, taking him aside with a hand on his
lapel, and a show of great confidence--"the fact is, we can't be leaving
this place in charge of a lot of old _bodachs_--Sir Donald the least
able of them all,--and if there's another attack the guidance of the
defence will depend on you. You may relish that or you may not; perhaps
after all you would be safer with us----"

MacLachlan put up his chest an inch or two, unconscious that he did it,
and whistled a stave of music to give evidence of his indifference. Then
he knitted his brows to cogitate, as it were, and--

"Very well!" said he. "If you come on my coz, you'll bring her back
here, or to the castle, I suppose?"

"I had no thought of running away with the lass, I'll take my oath,"
cried John, sticking his tongue in the cheek nearest me.

"I wish I could fathom yon fellow's mind," I said to my comrade, as we
stepped out through the snow and into the wooded brae-side, keeping a
wary eye about for spies of the enemy, whose footprints we came on here
and there, but so faint in the fresh snowfall that it was certain they
were now in the valley.

"Do you find it difficult?" asked John. "I thought a man of schooling,
with Latin at his tongue's-end, would see to the deepest heart of
MacLachlan."

"He's crafty."

"So's the polecat till the fox meets him. Tuts, man, you have a singular
jealousy of the creature."

"Since the first day I saw him."

John laughed.

"That was in the Provost's," quo' he, and he hummed a song I caught the
meaning of but slightly.

"Wrong, wrong!" said I, striding under the trees as we slanted to the
right for Tombreck. "His manner is provoking."

"I've seen him polish it pretty well for the ladies."

"His temper's always on the boil."

"Spirit, man; spirit! I like a fellow of warmth now and then."

"He took it most ungraciously when we put him out of the Pr