that it all comes to you from London now?"

Jim took his pipe out of his mouth.

"It was we who put our king over the English; so if there's any rage, it
should have been over yonder," said he.

This was clearly news to the stranger, and it silenced him for the
moment.

"Well, but your laws are made down there, and surely that is not good,"
he said at last.

"No, it would be well to have a Parliament back in Edinburgh," said my
father; "but I am kept so busy with the sheep that I have little enough
time to think of such things."

"It is for fine young men like you two to think of it," said de Lapp.
"When a country is injured, it is to its young men that it looks to
avenge it."

"Aye! the English take too much upon themselves sometimes," said Jim.

"Well, if there are many of that way of thinking about, why should we
not form them into battalions and march them upon London?" cried de
Lapp.

"That would be a rare little picnic," said I, laughing. "And who would
lead us?"