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By Root 411 0

his reel in the water. Mr Morton’s accident had been potentially the more serious, although, in the event, he too returned to the hotel chastened but unharmed. He had been out alone, fishing among the islands in the bay, his wife having remained behind to do some drawing by the harbour, when his boat had sprung a leak. Unable to stem the inrushing water, and with nothing with which to bale out, he had rowed with all speed for the shore, but his boat had disappeared beneath him before he had reached it, and he had had to swim the remaining distance. Murdoch MacLeod was most distressed at this account, and rung his hands in his misery.

“You must have feared for your life!” he declared in a tone of great sympathy; but the other shook his head.

“I was nae worried,” said he dismissively. “It was a matter of only five-and-twenty feet before my feet touched solid ground. I was more concerned about the walk home, I can tell ye! I came ashore on the south side of the bay, ye see, so I’ve had to walk the whole way round the loch to get back! My feet’ll never be the same again!”

“And you have lost all your equipment?” inquired MacLeod.

“Aye. All sunk wi’out trace.”

“We will of course compensate you for your loss – ”

“We can discuss it later,” said Morton, turning on his heel. “For now, all I’m interested in is a hot bath!”

“This season has been an unfortunate one for us,” said MacLeod, after Morton had left the room. “At this rate, we shall soon have no-one wishing to stay here. Why, only two weeks ago, a young lady from Peebles slipped and fell down the main staircase in odd circumstances, and, just before your arrival, a Mrs Formartine from Arbroath lost a valuable pearl brooch. Now this! I felt sure that all the rowing-boats were sound. Thank goodness it was not more serious!” He shook his head as he left the room.

“What an odd and unfortunate thing!” said I.

“Indeed,” said Holmes, and I seemed to read in his face that there was little point my raising again the idea of a fishing-trip.

It rained heavily that night, but the following morning dawned bright and clear, and there was much discussion at breakfast-time of plans for the day ahead. Several of the hotel-guests were to leave on the Friday, and were thus keen to make the most of their last day in Kilbuie. The Johnstone brothers, clearly undaunted by the previous day’s experience, intended, once they had replaced their lost and damaged equipment, to spend their time fishing once more.

“We’ll try among the islands today,” remarked Angus Johnstone as they were leaving. “Whatever happens, it canna be worse than yesterday!”

To my surprise, the meek and frail-looking Doctor Oliphant also announced that he would be taking a boat, his intention being to visit Stalva Island, where, he said, there were the remains of a Viking burial chamber. The Mortons hired a pony and trap and set off with a picnic hamper and Mrs Morton’s sketching equipment, to visit the Falls of Druimar, a well-known beauty spot, some dozen miles inland. The weather was fine and the wind light, and Holmes and I passed a pleasant day in ambling about the town and the harbour, and along the margin of the loch.

Despite MacLeod’s worries for the welfare of his guests, there were no more accidents, and they all returned in good spirits, if a little late. I observed as Holmes and I went into dinner that evening that an extra table had been laid, but no-one arrived to claim it, and I saw MacLeod glance at the clock over the mantelpiece several times, and shake his head. It was clear that he was expecting someone, but how they might arrive, unless it were by private carriage all the way from Inverness, I could not imagine, for the coach which connected with the train had long since been and gone.

This little mystery was soon solved, however. As we were taking coffee in the drawing-room after our meal, the door was opened to admit two men, introduced to us as Alexander and Donald Grice Paterson, father and son respectively, who had, they informed us, arrived in their own little yacht which they had just moored