The Scotch Twins

hich spanned the stream they parted company, and Alan gave Sandy final instructions as to his duties on the next day. He was to watch Angus

morrow. They did not dare count upon his doing so, however, and so Sandy was detailed to give a positive report as to his movements. The next morning, therefore, found Sandy sitting on a stone dyke not a great way from Angus's house, apparently absorbed in whittling and whistling, but in real

walked briskly on to the little gray house together. When they reached it, the wag-at-the-wall clock was just striking nine

if we're going to carry it out. Let me have some of that blue chalk, Jean; we

clapped on her bonnet, and in another minute the Rob Roy Clan was afoot, leaving T

command to the little mountain tarn where Angus had killed the

ts the game he kills, and he must have somebody to help him. The other man comes along and carries it down th

ith it when we fin

comes in," said Alan. "We'll

ame there?" asked Sandy anxious

ded: "Mind the Chief, you dunderhead, and keep your ton

little sulkily,

tree, for I watched him to see, and the place where he hid the stag can't be far from th

r been in a boat in her life, "

one goes bouncing around in the boat, it will be just as bad

w, too,"

t show it before the boys, so she said, "Sal! who's afraid?

holding to the sides of the boat, scarcely daring to speak for fear of upsetting it, and Alan at the oars. The lake was smooth, and they reached the opposite shore without mishap, except that twice Alan "caught a cra

mountains, where it seemed as if no one ha

the woods, which looked as if it might have been made by wild animals going to the lake for a drink. This th

is easy to get lost in these woods. We are going east now and luckily the sun is shining. When we do turn back, we must keep

rods farther on came to a wide open space which sloped eastw

good way from the

s open space, and I see no sign of Angus's storehouse. I hate to give up, though, for we must be very nea

d the Clan, rigi

s?" said Alan, pointing into

ocks all around. I don't see that

he corner of a hunter's shelter sticking out behind that big b

go?" asked Sandy, hopin

hen you and Sandy can keep out of sight and watch. If you see a man, keep still in your places and g

lly was a shelter built against an overhanging rock and almost concealed from view by pine boughs which formed a screen before it. Little by little the boys crept nearer and nearer, stopping every few steps to be sure there was no sign of life about the place. At last they were within a few feet of the ru

you going to do?" For answer Alan slipped from behind the rocks, crept stealthily

US

AC

has found

R

Jean's hiding-place. To Jean the time that they were gone seemed hours long. The place was lonely, and sh

d as they rustled over her head, and when at last she saw a black object moving about among the trees at some

n was not much less anxious when she knew for certain that it was a dog, for a watch dog in that lonely place might be quite as dangerous as a wolf. Moreover, she soon saw, a little distance behind the

s. "Oh, what shall I do? The man will surely follow, for he'll think

to the boat and have it ready for the boys to jump into. There is not a mom

now tearing at top speed through the woods and knew from answe

and that the dog was on his trail. Leaping down the rocks, he started across the clearing on a run toward the lake, his gun in his hand. Jock and Alan realized that they could hardly reach the landing-place before th

ng through the underbrush and arrived at the landing just in time to see Sandy push the boat from the shore with Jean in the bow. Furious at

the point from which the call seemed to come. The scared faces of Jock and Alan rose from the bracken, and in another moment they had leaped into the boat, nearly upsetting it as they did so. Alan seized an oar, and he and Sandy together got the boat out of sight behind a bend in the shore. Here they hid among

e was evidently looking in another direction for the intruders, and at once Alan gave the word to go back to their own side of the lake. They skirted the shores, keeping a sharp lookout all

at he took out the blue chalk and on a rock by the tarn wrote "Here Angus Niel, gamekeeper and poa

dmire his handiwork, "that'll ke

an we d

s boat," said

ea!" cri

we hide it?

" said Sandy. "Coul

y. "We'll never have another chance when we know where

we hide it?" de

ncing with mischief. "We can carry it to

t cataract, but, below, the current flowed more gently toward the fall. It was deep only in spots where the trout loved to hide, but it was not a stream anywhere in its course upon which one would launch a boat for pleasure. The

ide it?" asked S

," said Jean promptly, "and we could p

Alan took the prow and Jock took the stern, while Sandy and Jean supported it on each side, and in this way

ke an oar and go down the other side of the stream,

et across?"

at first, but A

where there aren't any stones sticking up. You can pole

This he did, taking the oar with him. It was an exciting journey down stream, for the boat bumped against rocks and caught on fallen

Jean in another flash of inspiration, and Sandy instantly rushed down the rock, made the necessary detour, a

when you let the boat down,

at by the rope fastened to the prow, and by their own rope, while Sandy steadied it below. They threw down the rope-end after it, and a few moments later the rapturous Clan hauled the boat into the c