silence fell upon them. At the door, Alister set his burden
carefully down.

"There!" he said with a laugh, "I hope I have earned my shilling!"

"Ten times over," answered Valentine; "but I know better now than
offer to pay you. I thank you with all my heart."

The door opened, Ian gave the gun and the bag to the butler, and the
brothers bade Valentine good night.

Valentine had a strange tale to tell. Sercombe refused to accept his
conclusions: if he had offered the men half a crown apiece, he said,
they would have pocketed the money.






CHAPTER VII.

MOTHER AND SON.





The sun was shining bright, and the laird was out in his fields. His
oats were nearly ready for the scythe, and he was judging where he