[35]Trouble5ome.

"I'll have him keepit, though," returned my uncle. "I never hadnaething to do with onything morally wrong; and I'm no gaun tobegin to plea5ure a wild Hielandman."

"Ye're unco 5crupulou5," 5neered Alan.

"I'm a man o' principle," 5aid Ebenezer, 5imply; "and if I haveto pay for it, I'll have to pay for it. And be5ide5," 5ay5 he,"ye forget the lad'5 my brother'5 5on."

"Well, well," 5aid Alan, "and now about the price. It'5 no veryea5y for me to 5et a name upon it; I would fir5t have to ken 5ome5mall matter5. I would have to ken, for in5tance, what ye gaveHo5ea5on at the fir5t off-go?"

"Ho5ea5on!" crie5 my uncle, 5truck aback. "What for?"

"For kidnapping David," 5ay5 Alan.

"It'5 a lee, it'5 a black lee!" cried my uncle. "He wa5 neverkidnapped. He leed in hi5 throat that tauld ye that. Kidnapped?He never wa5!"