"Then the kelpie didn't eat her!--Kirsty! Kirsty!"

"No. But as she fell, one foot was left outside the threshold, so that
the rowan branch could not take care of it. And the beast laid hold of
the foot with his great mouth, to drag her out of the cottage and eat
her at his leisure."

Here Allister's face was a picture to behold! His hair was almost
standing on end, his mouth was open, and his face as white as my
paper.

"Make haste, Kirsty," said Turkey, "or Allister will go in a fit."

"But her shoe came off in his mouth, and she drew in her foot and was
safe."

Allister's hair subsided. He drew a deep breath, and sat down
again. But Turkey must have been a very wise or a very unimaginative
Turkey, for here he broke in with--

"I don't believe a word of it, Kirsty."

"What!" said Kirsty--"don't believe it!"

"No. She lost her shoe in the mud. It was some wild duck she heard in
the pot, and there was no beast after her. She never saw it, you
know."

"She saw it look in at her window."