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If the worst comes to the worst, and we fall in wi' any of the deevils, they must think ye've changed your mind and come back from Auchenlochan." The night smelt fresh and moist as if a break in the weather were imminent. As they scrambled along the Garple Dean a pinprick of light below showed where the tinklers were busy by their fire.
"Where d'you think the new folk are coming from?" he asked. Heritage answered, "From Auchenlochan, I suppose? Or perhaps down from the hills?" "You're wrong." And he told of Leon's mistaken confidences to him in the darkness. "They are coming from the sea, just like the old pirates." "The sea," Heritage repeated in a dazed voice. "Ay, the sea. Think what that means.
The body of Loudon the factor was found on the Monday morning below the cliffs, his neck broken by a fall. In the darkness and confusion he must have tried to escape in that direction, and he had chosen an impracticable road or had slipped on the edge. It was returned as "death by misadventure," and the CARRICK HERALD and the AUCHENLOCHAN ADVERTISER excelled themselves in eulogy. Mr.
Dickson rose nobly to the occasion. "I thought myself I was. But I didn't think much of Auchenlochan, and I took a fancy to come back and spend the last night of my holiday with my Auntie. I'm off to Glasgow first thing the morn's morn." "So!" said the voice. "Queer thing I never saw ye on the Auchenlochan road, where ye can see three mile before ye."
He got a lassie frae Auchenlochan to cook, but she and her box gaed off in the post-cairt yestreen. I doot he tell't ye a lee, though it's no for me to juidge him. I've never spoken a word to ane o' thae new folk." Dickson inquired about the "new folk." "They're a' now come in the last three weeks, and there's no' a man o' the auld stock left.
In front was the main street of Auchenlochan, now deserted save for a single roysterer, and opposite stood the ancient town house, with arches where the country folk came at the spring and autumn hiring fairs.
Come indoors about midday and I'll gie ye a plate o' broth!" The Die-Hard saluted and continued on the turnip. She took the Auchenlochan road across the Garple bridge, for that was the best road to the Mains, and by it Dickson and the others might be returning.
You have them with you?" She nodded. "These men wanted to rob you. Why didn't they do it between here and Auchenlochan? You had no chance to hide them on the journey. Why did they let you come here where you were in a better position to baffle them?" She shook her head. "I cannot explain except, perhaps, that Spidel had not arrived that night, and Leon may have been waiting instructions."
He stood aside and grinned, till Dickson in despair returned his notecase to his pocket, murmuring darkly the "he would send it from Glasgow." The road to Auchenlochan left the main village street at right angles by the side of Mrs. Morran's cottage. It was a better road than that by which they had come yesterday, for by it twice daily the postcart travelled to the post-town.
Women were the chief cyclists nowadays in country places. Then he forgot about the bicycle and twisted his neck to watch the station. It was less than a mile off now, and they had no time to spare, for away to the south among the hummocks of the bog he saw the smoke of the train coming from Auchenlochan. The postman also saw it and whipped up his beast into a clumsy canter.
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