glasses on him and made out a short, stout figure clad in a mackintosh,
with a woollen comforter round its throat. As I watched, it
made a movement as if to rub its nose on its sleeve. That was the
pet trick of one man I knew. Inconspicuously I slipped through the
long heather so as to reach the road ahead of the gig. When I rose
like a wraith from the wayside the horse started, but not the driver.

'So ye're there,' said Amos's voice. 'I've news for ye. The _Tobermory
will be in Ranna by now. She passed Broadford two hours
syne. When I saw her I yoked this beast and came up on the chance
of foregathering with ye.'

'How on earth did you know I would be here?' I asked in some surprise.

'Oh, I saw the way your mind was workin' from your telegram.
And says I to mysel' - that man Brand, says I, is not the chiel to be
easy stoppit. But I was feared ye might be a day late, so I came up
the road to hold the fort. Man, I'm glad to see ye. Ye're younger
and soopler than me, and yon Gresson's a stirrin' lad.'

'There's one thing you've got to do for me,' I said. 'I can't go
into inns and shops, but I can't do without food. I see from the
map there's a town about six miles on. Go there and buy me
anything that's tinned - biscuits and tongue and sardines, and a
couple of bottles of whisky if you can get them. This may be a long
job, so buy plenty.'

'Whaur'll I put them?' was his only question.

We fixed on a cache, a hundred yards from the highway in a