"Well, no," said Meredyth, with something of disquiet, for he was now placed in a most unenviable position. "The fact is, it would be difficult to bring any definite charge against him; for he was coming down from the direction of the Glen Orme forest, and when we first saw him he was following an old hill-path that everybody has the right to use—so he says. No, he wasn’t shooting—not then, certainly; nor did we see any one with him: but as regards Fred’s suspicions—well, you know, I have said before, that when you imagine there is poaching going on, you see it in every circumstance." "What was he doing up there at all?" the younger man broke in. "Why, he had no defence to make. He had not a word to say for himself. It’s all very well to be high and mighty: you won’t account for your actions to any body—no, of course not, when you can’t without convicting yourself!" "I suppose he had a gun with him?" said she, still addressing Frank Meredyth. "Well, no; he had not," Meredyth confessed, looking somewhat anxious and disconcerted. "A game-bag, at least? and a dog?" she went on; "or something that entitled you to suspect him?" "Oh, no, not at all. The truth is, he was simply coming down the strath, and he had nothing under his arm but a walking-stick." "Oh, indeed," said she; and she drew herself up a little proudly. "Very well. You meet a stranger—no, not a stranger—but one of my friends, whom you have seen under my roof, and he is walking along a public footpath carrying a stick in his hand. Well, and then? I want to know what happens then?" Meredyth was grievously embarrassed. "I am afraid there were a few hard words said—and—and I must say for Mr. Ross that he showed great forbearance and self-control. Yes, I must admit that; and also that Fred was rather too—too outspoken. I must say I rather admired Mr. Ross because of his composure; for, indeed, I thought at one time—well, it was a very awkward meeting. When there is bad blood, you see—when one suspects poaching—everything points that way." "Oh, I am responsible for everything that occurred!" Fred Stanley broke in again, impetuously. "Meredyth had nothing to do with it—nothing at all! And I tell you I spoke plainly. I thought the time for pretence and hypocrisy had gone by; I thought it was time my gentleman-poacher should understand we weren’t going to be made fools of any longer. Oh, I spoke plainly enough, if that is what you want to find out!" continued this confident lad, who seemed to be rather vain of his achievement. "I told him we had had quite enough of him about Lochgarra—quite enough of him, and his scringe-nets, and his thieving of salmon, and heaving of stones into the pools. I told him we wanted this place to ourselves now. I recommended him to keep to that small island out there——"