Spain, wherever Britain wanted men to fight her battles, there have they been faithful and true, loyal and brave, standing foremost in the ranks of war, and giving place to none! All my own family have perished in the service of their country since this century began-I am the last of them, and as their reward, our roof is to be torn from us, and we are to be expelled from the home and the graves of our kindred-we, the descendants of the old aboriginal race, who first trod the land after God separated it from the waters, and why? because a miserable fifty pounds may not be forthcoming by a certain day! There was a time, Mr. Ephraim Snaggs, when the cry of Bas Alpin from yonder rock would easily have brought six hundred swordsmen to guard the roof you threaten; and he whom you beard-he, who from the first Mac Innon, has come through twenty generations in the right line.'

'Had you come through twenty generations in the wrong line I would have respected you quite as much, sir,' said Mr. Snaggs, with his bland professional sneer, as he rose again, and smoothed the nap of his hat, preparatory to retiring, as if wearied by the torrent of Gaelic I had poured upon him. • All these fine arguments about broadswords and barbarism won't pay the rent or satisfy the just claims of Sir Horace, thus the law of landlord and tenant must take its course. You have no means of raising money, I suppose?'

None!'

'No friends-eh?" 'None.'

Nothing you can sell?' "Nothing!'

Then, take my advice, and quietly quit the glen altogether; there are plenty of counting-rooms, offices, and shops in the Lowlands, where such great sturdy fellows as you may easily make yearly, triple

the rent of this old tumble-down place, with its patch of potatoes and corn. Quit your gun and fishing-rod-betake yourself to some honest and industrious occupation, instead of indulging in the very sophistry of vanity, and in wandering about these hills the livelong day, sighing over an imaginary past and an impossible future. No man has any right in the soil but such as the law gives him. Why, Mr. Allan, before I was half your age, I was one of the smartest writer's clerks in Glasgow, earning my threepence a page of a hundred and twenty-five words; but perhaps you would prefer a shopman's place'

The shout with which Rob Roy greeted honest Bailie Jarvie's proposal to take his two sons as apprentices, was nothing to the shrill cry of anger with which my mother interrupted the sneer I was too poor to resent with pride-besides in its soundness, the advice of Snaggs humbled, while it exasperated

me.

'I would rather see my boy Allan buried in his grave at the Stones of St. Colme than truckling to a Lowland dog like you, Ephraim Snaggs! Begone, lest I smite you on the face, weak though my hand, for recommending a calling so vile to Mac Innon of Glen Ora!'

Mother, mother!' I exclaimed, what can I do?' 'Shoulder a musket and march to fight the Russians, if God opens up no brighter or better path to the son of a line that led their hundreds to battle in the times of old!' was the fierce and Spartan

response.

"The

'Very well, ma'am-very well,' continued the matter-of-fact Snaggs, smoothing the nap of his beaver, and smiling with his ticket-of-leave look. gentle mind," saith the divine Blair," is like the smooth stream, which reflects every object in its just proportion and in its fairest colours;" but these out

bursts of anger, in the style of Helen Mac Gregor or Lady Macbeth, won't satisfy Sir Horace Everingham; and if the sum of fifty pounds, at least, be not forthcoming

A tremendous knocking at the outer door, and the sound of voices in great agitation, arrested the factor's angry farewell. Minnie grew pale, and hurried to open, and hastening into the passage, I met two of the Englishmen and the ladies, with disorder apparent in their attire and alarm in their faces. The oldest of their party, Sir Horace, was absent; and now the danger of the mountain, and the warnings withheld by Callum Dhu, rushed reproachfully on

my memory.

My father, Mr. Mac Innon-my father, Mr. Snaggs!' exclaimed Miss Everingham, rushing towards us, with clasped hands. I seek succour for my father!' she continued, trembling, agitated, pale, and in tears, and with hair and dress disordered. father- Sir Horace ?'

How-your

'We missed him at the rock, Mr. Snaggs, on Ben Ora-the steep rock, I know not how you name it!' 'The Craig-na-tuirc,' said I.

'Yes-thank you-yes; and he did not come back to us.'

'Some dreadful event must have occurred,' added her dark-eyed companion, Miss Clavering, whose usual bloom was blanched and gone; so many acci

dents--'

'Get us some aid, my good man,' said her brother, a tall and soldier-like fellow, with a heavy black moustache and a dragoon air; ropes, poles, and a couple of stable-lanterns, if you have such things. We must make a search after the old gentlemancome Snobleigh, my boy, look sharp!'

Oh-aw-yaas,' drawled his companion, who had a very used-up air, and wore a short-tailed tartan shooting-jacket, an eye-glass, a cigar in his mouth,

and a faint moustache under his snub nose; " young fellow, eh-aw-aw, what is your name?'

Glen Ora,' said my mother, interrupting me, and half springing from her chair, irrate at his nonchalance.

6

Aw-odd-very, Mr. Glen Ora; you'll look aftaw the ladies, whom we shall leave here in your chawge.' I am master here, at least,' said I, haughtily; Snaggs, hand chairs-see to the ladies, while I go to the Craig-na-tuirc, to search for Sir Horace.'

'Oh thank you-bless you!' exclaimed Miss Everingham, grasping my arm; all my trust is in you, Allan.'

Lanterns-eh, aw-aw, you'll require-'

The moon is up, and we require no other light,' said I, cutting short this mouthing drawler; come, Callum Mac Ian,' I added, as that personage, whose solitary hut the alarm had reached, appeared among

us;

old Sir Horace has fallen over the Craig-natuirc, or lost his way on the hills-let us seek him.'

Though weak and tottering, my mother had propped herself upon her cane, and risen to her full height, which was tall and commanding, to welcome those agitated and unceremonious visitors.

'Mr. Snaggs,' said she, pointing to the door, with the air of a Siddons, you may retire.'

Snaggs bowed with a malevolent smile, and withdrew.

• Ladies, be seated-gentlemen, assist the ladies to seats-thank you; be composed, Miss Everingham, and be assured that we will leave nothing undone to discover your father, who must have lost his way on the mountains. They were not made for Lowland legs to climb,' she added, with a cold smile.

Her stature, her lofty air, and calm decisive manner, awed the two English girls, and calmed their excessive agitation, while it dashed the somewhat brusque air of the gentlemen; and, reseating herself

in her wide, old-fashioned chair, she spread her skirt all over it, in a way peculiar to ladies of the old school,' and then fixed her keen grey Highland eyes upon her unexpected and not over-welcome visitors, to learn the cause of all this commotion and alarm for one towards whom it may easily be supposed she felt but little love, as she deemed poor Sir Horace little better than a usurper, and was wont to stigmatize him roughly in Gaelic as a Hanoverian rat.'

I snatched a hunting-horn, Callum threw off his plaid, and leaving the two perfumed gentlemen to follow us as they best could in their well-glazed boots and tightly-strapped pantaloons, we took our way with all speed towards the rocky summit of Ben Ora.

CHAPTER IV.

THE ROCK OF THE BOAR.

THE sudden presence of Laura Everingham under my mother's roof had, for a moment, confused and astonished me, filling me with tremulous anxiety for the issue of their interview.

Laura was a lady-like girl, pretty rather than beautiful, and graceful rather than dignified, with a bright sunny English eye, a pale but interesting face, matchless hands and ankles, and a profusion of chestnut hair. She had trembled excessively when I presented her to my mother, whom she informed, as rapidly and coherently as her excessive agitation would permit, that Sir Horace, her dear, good, kind papa, would go to the summit of the mountain in the moonlight, in spite of all advice and the warnings of various shepherds.'

'The old gentlemen is, aw-aw, rather nocturnal