had returned to the town. In the chamber behind the window that
Mac-Lachlan threw his peebles at, were his cousin and the child, as
M'Iver speedily learned, and he trounced him from the neighbourhood with
indignities.

"What set you on the man?" I asked John when I came back after learning
this.

"What do you think?" said he.

"You could have done no more if you had an eye on the girl yourself," I
said, "and that, you assure me, is out of the question."

"The reason was very simple," he answered. "I have a sort of elder man's
mischievous pleasure in spoiling a young buck's ploy, and--and--there
might be an extra interest in my entertainment in remembering that you
had some jealous regard for the lady."

All I had that was precious to take with me when we left Inneraora to
follow the track of Montrose was the friendly wave of Mistress Betty's
hand as we marched out below the Arches on our way to the North.

Argile and Auchinbreac rode at our head--his lordship on a black
horse called Lepanto, a spirited beast that had been trained to active
exercises and field-practice; Auchinbreac on a smaller animal, but of
great spirit and beauty. M'Iver and I walked, as did all the officers.
We had for every one of our corps twelve shot apiece, and in the rear a
sufficiency of centners of powder, with ball and match. But we depended
more on the prick of pike and the slash of sword than on our culverins.
Our Lowland levies looked fairly well disciplined and smart, but there
was apparent among them no great gusto about our expedition, and we
had more hope of our vengeance at the hands of our uncouth but eager
clansmen who panted to be at the necks of their spoilers and old
enemies.

M'Iver confided to me more than once his own doubts about the mettle of
the companies from Dumbarton.

"I could do well with them on a foreign strand," he said, "fighting for
the bawbees against half-hearted soldiery like themselves, but I have my
doubts about their valour or their stomach for this broil with a kind
of enemy who's like to surprise them terribly when the time comes. This
affair's decision must depend, I'm afraid, for the most part on our own
lads, and I wish there were more of them."

We went up the Glen at a good pace, an east wind behind us, and the road
made a little easier for us since the snow had been trodden by the folks
we were after. To-day you will find Aora Glen smiling--happy with crop
and herd on either hand and house