He was suddenly conscious that a bare-footed little girl with tow-coloured hair had appeared from nowhere, and was standing beside him. She also was staring at the house by the mill, but with occasional furtive glances at himself. All at once the heavy drone of a bagpipe came towards them, then the shrill notes of the chanter began to meander up and down on the blare of sonorous sound like a light pattern running over a dark background. The little girl removed her eyes from the stranger and cut a caper with her bare feet, as though she would like to dance. It was evident that the sounds had affected Flemington, too, but not in the same way. He made a sharp exclamation under his breath, and turned to the child. "Who is that playing?" he cried, putting out his hand. She jumped back and stood staring. "Who is that playing?" he repeated. She was still dumb, scrubbing one foot against her bare ankle after the manner of the shoeless when embarrassed. Archie was exasperated. He rose, without further noticing the child, and hurried towards the mill. When he had reached the place where the stream dived through a stone arch under the road he found she was following him. He heard the pad, pad, of her naked soles in the mud. All at once she was moved to answer his question. "Yon's Skirlin' Wattie!" she yelled after him. But he strode on, taking no notice; fortune was playing into his hand so wonderfully that he was ceasing to be surprised. In the little yard of the cottage he found a small crowd of children, two women, and the miller's man, collected round the strangest assortment of living creatures he had ever seen. The name 'Skirlin' Wattie' had conveyed something to him, and he was prepared for the extraordinary, but his breath was almost taken away by the oddness of what he saw. In the middle of the group was a stout wooden box, which, mounted on very low wheels, was transformed into the likeness of a rough go-cart, and to this were yoked five dogs of differing breeds and sizes. A half-bred mastiff in the wheel of the team was taking advantage of the halt and lay dozing, his jowl on his paws, undisturbed by the blast of sound which poured over his head, whilst his companion, a large, smooth-haired yellow cur, stood alert with an almost proprietary interest in what was going on awake in his amber eyes. The couple of collies in front of them sniffed furtively at the bystanders, and the wire-haired terrier, which, as leader, was harnessed singly in advance of the lot, was sharing a bannock with a newly-breeched man-child, the sinister nature of whose squint almost made the dog's confidence seem misplaced.