t'll be the biggest trout that the laird will have in his basket," The
elder boy, who was bearing the heat and burden of the work, could only
groan "Heather!" at intervals. It seemed to be his one exclamation.

Now it happened that the two ragamuffins lifted their eyes and saw to
their amazement a girl walking on the bank above them, a girl who smiled
comrade-like on them and seemed in no way surprised. They propped
themselves on their elbows and stared. "Heather!" they ejaculated in
one breath. Then they, too, grinned broadly, for it was impossible to
resist so good-humoured an intruder. She held her head high and walked
like a queen, till a turn of the water hid her. "It's a wumman," gasped
the smaller boy. "And she's terrible bonny," commented the more
critical brother. Then the two fell again to the quest of the great
trout.

Meanwhile the girl pursued her way till she came to a fall where the
bank needed warier climbing. As she reached the top a little flushed
and panting, she became conscious that the upland valley was not without
inhabitants. For, not six paces off, stood a man's figure, his back
turned towards her, and his mind apparently set on mending a piece of
tackle.

She stood for a moment hesitating. How could she pass without being
seen? The man was blissfully unconscious of her presence, and as he
worked he whistled Schubert's "Wohin," and whistled it very badly. Then
he fell to apostrophizing his tackle, and then he grew irritable.
"Somebody come and keep this thing taut," he cried. "Tam, Jock! where
on earth are you?"

The thing in question was lying at Alice's feet in wavy coils.

"Jock, you fool, where are you?" cried the man, but he never looked
round and went on biting and tying. Then an impulse took the girl and
she picked up the line. "That's right," cried the man, "pull it as
tight as you can," and Alice tugged heroically at the waterproof silk.
She felt horribly nervous, and was conscious that she must look a very
flushed and untidy young barbarian. Many times she wanted to drop it
and run away, but the thought of the menaces against the absent Jock and
of her swift discovery deterred her. When he was done with her help he
might go on working and never look round. Then she would escape
unnoticed down the burn.

But no such luck befell her. With a satisfied tug he pronounced the
thing finished and wheeled round to regard his associates. "Now, you
young wretches--" and the words froze on