MURDOCH CAMPBELL'S REVENGE 149 



taken, so when Murdoch proposed an adjournment to the hotel 

 with an invitation to our man to partake of lunch, the offer was 

 promptly accepted, and in a whiskey and soda Murdoch pledged 

 his guest. " Here's to your speedy preferment, Mr. Exciseman. 

 Such zeal for the service as you have shown will not, I'm sure, 

 be allowed to go unrewarded when the facts of the case reach 

 headquarters." 



The wretched man flushed with pleasure at this toast, as he 

 replied, " That's right good hearing, Mr. Campbell, and I'm 

 glad you bear me no ill-will." 



"Pooh!" said Murdoch, "the whole thing comes to a fine 

 not worth the mentioning, and the having to take out a game 

 licence at once instead of in August. Now what say you to 

 another day at the rabbits on Innis Coinean to-morrow ?" 



To our astonishment and delight the invitation was accepted, 

 and early the next day our friend appeared once more at 

 Marathon Lodge. We were soon afloat, with our exciseman 

 at the bow oar, while behind him was deposited the luncheon- 

 basket neatly covered with a white cloth, from beneath which 

 stretched the necks of several black bottles, for the small solitary 

 spring on Innis Coinean yielded but a scant supply of very bad 

 water, while in times of drought its locality was only to be 

 discovered by the extra length and greenness of the grass 

 around it. On the top of the lunch-basket the boat's painter 

 was neatly coiled. 



The sea was like a millpond, and as we came close to the 

 island's sandy shore, Murdoch cried to Mr. Exciseman, " As 

 you are sitting forward, just take the lunch-basket in one hand 

 with the painter in the other and jump ashore and fasten us to 

 the big stone with the ring in it," and as our keel grounded on 

 the sand our man did as he was asked. As he stooped to 

 secure the rope to the ring, we shoved off again, while the 

 boat end of the painter, purposely untied beforehand, flopped 

 into the water as had been intended, and ere the trapped one 

 turned round we were already clear of the shore, whilst the 



