50円

pretty frequent in the Highlands. I must send

to have his body taken care of." « But you not also take immediate mea

will

sures to discover the perpetrators of the horrid deed

“Oh, aye, surely, surely," replied Lochandhu 66 I will write to-morrow to the

t

in a careless tone,

such matters.

procurator-fiscal, whose business it is to take up But there is little chance of any thing being made out;-and it is very likely, if the truth were known, poor Kennedy was as much to blame as those who did it."

"Good God, Sir !" exclaimed Amherst, "surely whatever the provocation may have been, you o not mean to say that any thing can excuse murder ?"

do

Lochandhu threw a side glance at him as he spoke, and, dropping his eyes on the ground, said slowly, after the pause of a moment: "No, God" forbid I should, Mr Oakenwold! I only meant" to say, that the poor fellow has probably brought his death upon himself by some intemperance of his own. For there are many hot spirits among these mountains, with whom there is seldom more than a word and a blow, and then out with the

1

bould ad ar toonport strong

whinger.-But step you into the house; I am go

PALI

>

ing a little way with Sandy about a small matter of business, and I will see into this affair. In the meanwhile, good evening to you." And with these words, and his usual bow, he left him. Amherst entered the house with no very fa vourable impression of the good feelings of his host. He found Mrs Macgillivray in the parlour, who immediately asked him to sit down with her to supper, saying that, as her husband's business would probably detain him until a late hour, they, should not wait for him. The lady seemed to have some weighty matter hanging upon her mind. Anxiety was in her face. She could not rest a moment upon her chair; but fidgetted continually about, and gave various indirect hints of the lateness of the hour, until Amherst, seeing that she wished him to go to bed, pretended wea riness, and taking his candle, retired to his chamber.

DOOX

The unpleasant occurrence at the lake, and the if broken conversation he had heard pass between the brothers, so employed his thoughts, that he in vain tried to sleep. Tired with restlessness, he arose, towards midnight, to look out of the win

dow. The moon was in full splendour, so that the smallest object was discernible in the meadow below. He could even see two hares frisking about, and feeding on the dewy grass; and he remained at the window for some time, amused by watching their gambols. Suddenly they stopped, with their ears erected in a listening attitude, and in an instant both scoured off to cover.

Amherst was curious to know the cause of their alarm, and he had not long to wait for an explanation of it; for, immediately afterwards, a party of men appeared straggling out from the wood, and began to cross the meadow diagonally, towards the path leading up to the house. They carried three or four large and heavy trunks, and when they came sufficiently near, he saw that it was Lochandhu, his brother, and the rest. withdrew from the window, lest his figure might be noticed.

He

He had not lain long, when he heard the latch of the house-door gently opened. He rose quietly, and looked through the key-hole of his chamberdoor, that afforded a view directly down the wooden stair upon the entrance. The outer-door was opened, and, by the moonlight that came in, he

saw the whole band enter, bearing the trunks, which they carried into the parlour.

There was a great deal of whispering below, and Mrs Macgillivray, dressed as he had left her, crossed the passage with a candle in her hand. As she passed, she held it down to examine one of the trunks, left standing on end against the wall near the door, and Amherst distinctly saw the letters S. H. M, formed with brass nails, upon its lid. She entered the parlour after the

men.

Amherst then heard a noise as if the trunks were frequently lifted up and put down again, and as if attempts were making to force them open. After the lapse of half an hour, two men came out for the trunk in the passage, carried it in, and the sounds that followed, indicated the opening and examination of it also. Mrs Macgillivray now passed across, and again returned, dragging after her a large basket, and having some empty sacks hanging over her left arm. In a short time the parlour-door opened, and men passed across, bearing the sacks filled, and these were immediately afterwards followed by Lochandhu and Mrs Macgillivray, who, with some

"

difficulty, carried between them the large basket, now loaded with shirts, handkerchiefs, shawls, and wearing-apparel of various descriptions. The men who had taken in the sacks now came out, and the others issued from the parlour with the trunks, that, from the ease with which they were carried, were evidently empty. The whole party then disappeared by the outer-door, which they gently shut after them, and every thing was again silent.

1). Amherst stood for some moments astonished with what he had witnessed, and then returned to bed. From all the circumstances, there could now hardly be a doubt that the party had been engaged in the plunder of some travellers of note. Had he then lived so long as the guest of a professed robber?-Good heavens! Well might the Carline say that the house of Lochandhu was not without danger! and well might the unfortunate Kennedy warn him against Alexander Macgillivray! He was almost resolved to leave the house next morning, but he recollected that he had talked of a shooting excursion next day, as well as of several other successive plans, and that he could not possibly find an apology for so sud