MURDOCH CAMPBELL'S REVENGE 147 



which was a very rare occurrence at Marathon Cottage, and 

 usually betokened a telegram or a call from the "meenister" or 

 the doctor. Shortly afterwards I heard Murdoch's hasty tread 

 on the stairs, his approach being heralded by various Gaelic 

 utterances which It needed no Gaehc scholar to interpret as 

 curses loud and deep. 



My room door was banged open by my host, where in the 

 lightest of garments I stood awaiting an explanation, for clearly 

 Murdoch was most angrily excited ; the veins on his white fore- 

 head were swollen and stood out quite blue, the dark-grey eyes 

 flashed, while his left hand held at arm's length a blue paper, 

 which he threatened with the right fist as he strode towards 

 me. In reply to my "What on earth's the matter, Murdoch? " 

 there burst from him a torrent of imprecations : " Brute — cur — 

 mean, rascally scoundrel — I'll break every bone in his body !" and 

 how long this would have continued I know not, but creating a 

 diversion by snatching the blue paper out of his hand, I soon 

 saw that it was a summons to appear before the Laggan 

 magistrates on a charge of using a gun without a licence, while 

 the information had been laid by our late friend and guest, the 

 rabbit-shooting exciseman ! 



I could not help laughing, which made Murdoch the more 

 furious, and not until I had followed up my mirth by saying, 

 " Well, I never did hear of a dirtier trick than that ! " did he at 

 all regain his wonted equanimity. At this period of our dis- 

 cussion I was warned by a freezing sensation that, as far as I 

 was concerned, it would be wiser to continue It when I was 

 better clad and Murdoch in a righter mind. So asking him to 

 take pity on me, and remember his own wet clothes as well, I 

 persuaded him to go to his room with a promise that we would 

 devote the evening to forming plans of vengeance. I was soon 

 meditating on the matter, from the seat of a cosy arm-chair 

 pulled up to the peat fire of the dining-room, the while from the 

 upper stories descended through the floor a rumbling as of 

 distant thunder, which was the safety-valve of Murdoch's rage 



