Now I wonder, Mr Claybody was saying, I heard that
Leithen wassomewhere in Scotland. I do not spend more than a couple of days in
London, and when I am therethe place is empty.
It looks as if he were a syndicate, said Archie,
who felt thatsome remark was expected of him.
He cast one look at the salmon, surmised the truth,
and held upimploring hands to Heaven. The rest of Leithens progress was not
triumphant.
One of the youngones has a very pretty turn of
speed.
For suddenly into his field of vision had darted a
man.
Theres the mark of the huke, ye
gommeril.
The old life of the Highlands is going,and people
like ourselves must go with it.
Thank you very much, said Leithen in his ordinary
voice. The otter is a ver-ra clever man, and its namewill be John
Macnab.
In your country, where everybody was soldiering,
the case mustbe far more common.
In the words of Mr Bandicott,are you going to make
good?
Crossby called softlyto him from the covert, and
with Crossby was Benjie. Mr Acheson Bandicott received the news with composure, if
not with relief.
He must bea dandy at the game, too, to get a salmon
in that dead water. He has beaten usfairly in a match of wits, and the business is
finished. He had lost his wrist-watch, and had brought his hunter, attached toa thin
gold chain. The two threaded mysterious passages and came out into amoonlit
stable-yard. They will disappear, too, unless they learntheir lesson. And hes still
lockit up, Angus cried joyfully.
Then well have living creatures instead of mummies.
He thought of a dozen lies,and then decided on qualified truth.
I do not spend more than a couple of days in
London, and when I am therethe place is empty.
The Claybodys are not likely to start shootin. The
picture was asexquisite and strange as an illumination in a missal.
It might be well for him to announcein person that
the defences of Strathlarrig had failed. The Claybodys are not likely to start
shootin. The fish is there still to prove Im no leein.
Bash him on the head if he offers to rin. Their
motto was What I have I hold, and while they remembered itthey were great people.
And Im going to give you what I promised youif we won out.
Thirty yards off an otter slid into the
water.
Agatha, my dear, said her father, we ought to
return theClaybodys call.
Mr Acheson Bandicott received the news with
composure, if not with relief. The old life of the Highlands is going,and people
like ourselves must go with it.
Once on the Crask side, he stopped to reconnoitre.
Clearly not Leithen, for he wore a white sweater,which was a garment unknown to the
Crask wardrobe.