Taken By Brigands.

And I told him my story . "Then you belong to nae ship at the moment ] " said he . '' No , " I replied ; " I was just considering about the royal navy . " " What do you think of yon schooner ? " he asked .

" She is a real bonny one ; I have been admiring her , " said I . " Will you take a cruise in her 1 I am getting a crew together . " " Eh ! and she is yours , sir % " " Nae , " said the laird , laughing ; " I am na that rich to hae a three hundred ton

yacht ; she belongs to Laird Goldfinch , Avho knows nothing about nautical matters , and is grateful to me for managing everything for him . He enjoys a cruise as much as anybody , he says , so long as lie is only a passenger ; an' if I -will take all the trouble , the least he can do is nae to interfere Avith me in anything . That suits us both Avell enoAV . "

And then he said that he still wanted a steward , if that berth Avould suit me . 1 replied that it Avould suit me Aveel , bat I doubted Avhether I should give satisfaction to the company , never having performed any duties of the kind . lie told me there would be nae company but their twa seh'es

, and they didua require much attendance ; indeed , that Laird Goldfinch principally liked yachting because he escaped from his masters , as he called his valet , and butler , and coachman , and was free to wait on himsel ' .

And sae I undertook to ship , as steAvard , on board the HaAvk . I had often Avished to take a cruise in a gentleman ' s private yacht , and though the offices of a steAvard are in some respects menial , the food and the drink are in his sole charge , and that offers compensation . Beside Avhich , one of

my masters Avas my ain laird , Avhom it couldna be derogatory to Avait upon . " You Avill Avant a complete kit , " said MacKenzie , when I had agreed . " Gang to Jones , the outfitter , in High Street , and mention Laird Goldfinch ' s name . And Avhen you are rigged out , come on board the HaAvk at ance . "

In half an hours time I left Jones' shop smarter than I had e ' er been in my life , Avith "Hawk , " in gold letters , on the ribbon of my cap ; a shirt-collar half-way down my back ; ducks fitting like the skin

round the body , but with all reefs shaken out about the ankles ; the lanyard Avhich held my knife as Avhite as SIUAV , pumps fit to dance at a Avedding in , and a bi g bundle in my hand . Laird Goldfinch had a generous way of doing things , nae doubt of that ! When I next saAv the MacKenzie I took tlie liberty of asking whether his uncle Archibald was well .

" That is just what I Avant to knoAV , Sandy , " he said , " He hasna been heard of for three years , and we are going to Italy to try and find out whether he is dead or alive- "

I didna understand all the rights of the story at ance ; but , from Avhat the Mac-Kenzie told me then , aud afterward , in addition to Avhat he and Laird Goldfinch said upon the matter Avhen I Avas present in the cabin , I learned that Mr . Archibald had gone abroad four years beforeto

, carry on Avhat they called his antiquarian researches ; and , in the last letter the laird had from him , he Avas bound for Naples . Since then , there had been no neAVS ; and , if he Avere alive , he must be Avithout

money , for he hadna drawn upon his banker . He had a nice little property j and , before ganging abroad , he had insured his life for a large sum ; and , as the laird was his heir , he Avas much interested in discovering his uncle ' s fate ; for it seemed that the young man had been spending

siller unco freely , and the bit inheritance would have come in convenientl y just then . The English laird came down in three clays , and soon after we wei ghed anchor . He Avas a good-humoured little bod y , fond

of poetry , books , and music , and always playing the guitar , and singing die-aivay songs about the lasses . AVhat with head-winds in the Channel , a bit of a gale which blew us out of our course Avhen we cleared it , and three days '

dead calm in the Bay of Biscay , Avhere we rolled in a way which gave me a world of trouble with the crockery , Ave did not make a quick run to Gibraltar ; though , to my thinking , the hours Avere shorter than I had e ' er kenned minutes before . Eh , that Avas a cruise ! The Hawk was a real little beauty , fast as the bird she Avas called after , and sailing as close to