Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-24
"That is Ben Clebrig, sir ;


moonlight, dull sheet Of silver began to
disclose itself dimly
Is that lake down there p
Loeb Naver. sir.''
Then we are not far from Inver-
Mudal9"
mo far moo: Just mile or two, sir"
was the consoing answer
And indeed when he got to the end of his
journey. and reached the little hosiery set
far amid these moorland and mountain
wilds.- his welcome there made ample
amends. He was ushered into a plain.
substantially furnished, and spacious sit
ting-room brightly lit up by the
lamp that stood on the white cloth of the
liable, and also by the blazing glare from
the peats in the mighty fire place; and
when, his eyes had got accustomed to this
hewilderment of warmth and light. he
found awaiting his orders, and standing
! shyly at the door, a pretty, tall, fair haired
girl, who, with the softest accent in the
world, asked him what she should bring
him for supper. And when he said he did
not care to have anything, she seemed
quite surprised and even concerned. 1t
was long. long drive, she said, in her shy
and pretty way; and would not the gen
! tleman havesome hare soup-that they had
kept hot for him and so forth. But her
coaXing was Of no avail.
Blythe. way, what is your name. my
! girl - he said.
Nelly. sir"
Well. then, Nelly. do you happen to
know whether Lord Ailine's keeper is any
where in the neighhorhood p
" He is in the unn, sir, waiting for you ="
"Oh, indeed. Well, tell h.E | should
like to see him. And say. what is his
name ?"
Ronald sir"
Ronald :"
That is his first name" she explained.
His irst name'' thought that was
| N n a m q n
She did not seem to understand this.
! Ronald Strang is his name. sir; but we
| JiSt call him Ronald"
Very well, Nelly you go and tell him
| ] want to see him"
Ferry WELL SIR" she said, and away
she went.
But little indeed did this ndefatigable
student of nature and human nature
who had been but half interested by his
observations and experiences through that
| long days travel-know what was yet in
| store for him. The door opened slim
built and yet muscular young man OF
extraordinarily or so appeared there,
clad in smart Devastating costume of
brownish green: he held his cap in his
hand and round his shoulder was the strap
from which hung behind the brown
leather case of his telescope. This Mr..
| Hodson saw at a glance and also some
thing more. He prided himself on his
Judgment of character. And when his
tanned face Of this young fellow. the
square intellectual forehead, the firm eye
brows, the finely cut and intelligent mouth.
and certain proud set of the head. he
said to himself, This is a man. there's
something here worth knowing"
Good evening, sir" the keeper said. to
break the momentary silence.
Good. evening" said Mr.. Hodson (who
had been rather startled out of his man
nersl Come and sit down by the hre,
and let's have talk now about the shoot.
ing and salmon fishing. ] have brought
the letters from the Dukes agent with
me-"
Yes, sir" said Strang: and he moved
bit further into the room. but remained
standing, cap in hand.
Pull in a chair, said Mr. Hodson who
was searching for the lstters.
Thank ye, sir thank ye." said the
keeper, but be remained standing never
theless
Mr.. Hodson returned to the table.
Sit down, man. sit down" said he, and
he himself pulled In chair :" don't
know what your customs are over here,
hut anyhow I'm an American citizen. I'm
not a lord"
Somewhat reluctantly the keeper obeyed
this injunction, and for a minute or two
seemed to be rather uncomfortable; but
when he began to answer the questions
concisely put to him with regard to the
business before them, his shyness wholly
wore away, for he was the master Of this
subject, not the stranger who was seeking
tor information Into the details of these
matters il is needless to enter here and,
indeed so struck was the American with
The talk and bearing of this. new acquain-
lance that the conversation went far
alield And the further aield it went, the
more and more was he impressed with the
extraordinary information and INTEL
iaence of the man, the independence of his
views, the shrewdness and sometimes
sarcasm of his judgments. Always he
was very respectful; but in his eyes
which seemed singularly dark and lustrous
here indoors, but which, out ofdoors and
when he was after the wary stag, or the
still more wary kinds, on the far slopes of
Clebrig, contracted and became of a keen
neutrality-suspicious. a kind of yelled fire Of
humor, which, as the stranger guessed,