dirty money,' he said. 'I'll be even with ye yet, my man - you
and that red-headed scab. I'll mind the looks of ye the next time I
see ye.'
Gresson was wiping the blood from his cheek with a silk
handkerchief. 'I guess I'm in your debt, Mr Brand,' he said. 'You
may bet I won't forget it.'


I returned to an anxious Amos. He heard my story in silence and
his only comment was -'Well done the Fusiliers!'

'It might have been worse, I'll not deny,' he went on. 'Ye've
established some kind of a claim upon Gresson, which may come in
handy ... Speaking about Gresson, I've news for ye. He's sailing
on Friday as purser in the _Tobermory. The _Tobermory's a boat that
wanders every month up the West Highlands as far as Stornoway.
I've arranged for ye to take a trip on that boat, Mr Brand.'

I nodded. 'How did you find out that?' I asked.

'It took me some finding,' he said dryly, 'but I've ways and
means. Now I'll not trouble ye with advice, for ye ken your job as
well as me. But I'm going north myself the morn to look after
some of the Ross-shire wuds, and I'll be in the way of getting
telegrams at the Kyle. Ye'll keep that in mind. Keep in mind, too,
that I'm a great reader of the_Pilgrim's _Progress and that I've a
cousin of the name of Ochterlony.'

CHAPTER FIVE
Various Doings in the West