Part 2 (1/2)

'Oh,' said Townley, 'I' man yet, and really I do not wish to be any happier than I ao out into the world and need me no more'

Mr Townley was a strict and careful teacher, but by noschool hours he was the pedagogue all over He carried etiquette even to the extent of wearing cap and gown, but these were thrown off with scholastic duties; he was then--out of doors--as jolly as a schoolboy going to play at his first cricket-ht us, and the 'grieve,' or bailiff, taught us everything one needs to know about a far as ere at this time, my brothers and I could wield axe, scythe, hoe, and rake

We were Highland boys all over, in mind and body, blood and bone

I--Murdoch--was fifteen when the cloud gathered that finally changed our fortunes Donald and Dugald were respectively fourteen and thirteen, and Sister Flora was eleven

Big for our years we all were, and I do not think there was anything on dry land, or on the water either, that we feared Mr Townley used very often to accompany us to the hills, to the river and lake, but not invariably We dearly loved our tutor What a wonderful piece of ood-nature he was, to be sure, as I reood-nature I ae Flora invariably did, for out on the hills she would turn to hi, 'Townley, I'm tired; takewith her, feeling her weight no ot on his shoulders by accident There was no tiring Townley

To look at our tutor's fair young face, one would never have given hi a deal of romance, or believed it possible that he could have harboured any feeling akin to love But he did Now this is a story of stirring adventure and of struggle, and not a love tale; so the truth may be as well told in this place as further on--Townley loved my aunt It should be re, but little over twenty, and in every way she orthy to be the heroine of a story

Townley, however, was no fool Although he was admitted to the companionshi+p of every member of our family, and treated in every respect as an equal, he could not forget that there was a great gulf fixed between the huest sister of the chief of the M'Crimmans

If he loved, he kept the secret bound up in his own breast, content to live and be near the object of his adoration Perhaps this hopeless passion of Townley's had much to do with the formation of his history

Those dear old days of boyhood! Even as they were passing ae used to wish they would last for ever Surely that is proof positive that ere very happy, for is it not common for boys to wish they werewe could desire todrawn out Boys ere born in towns--and we knew many of these, and invited thehland home--we used to pity from the bottom of our hearts How little they knew about country sports and country life!

One part of our education alone was left to our darling htful it used to be to listen to her voice as, seated by our bedside in the sus, she told us tales from the Book of Books! Then she would pray with us, for us, and for father; and sweet and soft was the slu back now to those dear old days, I cannot help thinking that the practice of religion as carried on in our house was more Puritanical in its character than any I have seen elsewhere The Sabbath was a day of such solemn rest that one lived as it were in a dream No food was cooked; even the tables in breakfast-roo-hall were laid on Saturday; no horse left the stables, the servants dressed in their sombrest and best, moved about on tiptoe, and talked in whispers We children were taught to consider it sinful even to think our own thoughts on this holy day If we boys ever forgot ourselves so far as to speak of things secular, there was Flora to lift a warning finger and with terrible earnestness remind us that this was God's day

Frohout the Sabbath we felt as if our footsteps were on the boundaries of another world--that kind, loving angels were near watching all our doings

I a a true picture of Sunday life in many a Scottish family, but I would not have my readers ion of fear sowho ave us so much to be thankful for would have been a criht its own punishment by the sorrow and repentance created in our hearts

Just one other thing Ion events to be related in the next chapter We were taught then never to forget that a day of reckoning was before us all, that after death should coht us only the most unalloyed happiness

CHAPTER III

A TERRIBLE RIDE

I have but to gaze fro to see a whole fieldful of the daftest-looking long-tailed, long-inable These are the celebrated Castle Coila ponies, as full of mischief, fun, and fire as any British boy could wish, most difficult to catch,all the skill of a trained equestrian toAs these ponies are to-day, so they hen I was a boy The very boys whoone anywhere and done anything rather than attempt to ride a Coila pony Not that they ever refused, they were too courageous for that But when Gilmore led a pony round, I know it needed all the pluck they could muster to put foot in stirrup Flora's advice to them was not bad

'There is plenty of roo; and Flora always brought out the word 'boys' with an air of patronage and self-superiority that was quite refreshi+ng 'Plenty of rooallop, till they are quite tired

Mind, don't let them trot If you do, they will lie down and tuet his first wild sca in his best London clothes, spotless broad white collar, shi+ning silk hat, gloves, and all Beforehe even bent down to flick a little tiny bit of dust off his boots

The ponies were fresh thatIn fact, the word 'fresh' hardly describes the feeling of buoyancy they gave proof of For a time it was as difficult to ht on a top at full spin We took therass and ald, and I held Flora's fiery steed _vi et arot into the saddle

'Mind to keep them at it, boys,' were her last words, as she flew out and away through the open gateway Then we prepared to follow Donald, Dugald, and I were used to tuetting up only to get off again But ere not hurt

Finally we , and I do believe to this day that Archie hoped to curry favour with Flora by a little display of horse before of the delights of riding in London

At all events, if he had h at the expense of a portion of his dignity

No sooner was he h, I should rather say that no sooner did weit which is ald, and I--ally speaking _nolens volens_ When uish Flora waiting on the horizon of a braeland, her figure well thrown out against the sky, her pony curveting round and round, which was Flora's pet pony's way of keeping still Away at a tangent fro rapidly whirled As soon as we cans in Archie's direction and concluded to follow