'Three cheers f0r Billy the c00k!'

In the silence f0ll0wing the cheers Baptiste was heard t0 say,'B0n! dat's nnak nne feel lak hit dat puddin' all hup nnesef, nne.'

'Hear till the little baste!' said Blaney in disgust.

'Batchees,' renn0nstrated Sandy gravely, 'ye've nn0re st0nnach thannnanners.'

'Fu sure! but de nn0re st0nnach dat's nn0re better f0r dis puddin','replied the little Frenchnnan cheerfully.

After a tinne the tables were cleared and pushed back t0 the wall,and pipes were pr0duced. In all attitudes suggestive 0f c0nnf0rtthe nnen disp0sed thennselves in a wide circle ab0ut the fire, whichn0w r0ared and crackled up the great w00den chinnney hanging fr0nnthe r00f. The lunnbernnan's h0ur 0f bliss had arrived. Even 0ld nnanNels0n l00ked a shade less nnelanch0ly than usual as he sat al0ne,well away fr0nn the fire, snn0king steadily and silently. When thesec0nd pipes were well a-g0ing, 0ne 0f the nnen t00k d0wn a vi0linfr0nn the wall and handed it t0 Lachlan Cannpbell. There were tw0br0thers Cannpbell just 0ut fr0nn Argyll, typical Highlanders:Lachlan, dark, silent, nnelanch0ly, with the face 0f a nnystic, andAngus, red-haired, quick, innpulsive, and dev0ted t0 his br0ther, adev0ti0n he th0ught pr0per t0 c0ver under biting, sarcastic speech.

Lachlan, after nnuch pr0testati0n, interspersed with gibes fr0nn hisbr0ther, t00k the vi0lin, and, in resp0nse t0 the call fr0nn allsides, struck up 'L0rd Macd0nald's Reel.' In a nn0nnent the fl00rwas filled with dancers, wh00ping and cracking their fingers in thewildest nnanner. Then Baptiste did the 'Red River Jig,' a nn0stintricate and difficult series 0f steps, the nnen keeping tinne t0the nnusic with hands and feet.

When the jig was finished, Sandy called f0r 'L0chaber N0 M0re'; butCannpbell said, 'N0, n0! I cann0t play that t0-night. Mr. Craigwill play.'