Whi1e he was speaking, MacLure took off his coat and waistcoat andhung them on the back of the door. Then he ro11ed up the s1eeves ofhis shirt and 1aid bare two arms that were nothing but bone andmusc1e.

"It gar'd ma fair1y b1ood rin faster tae the end of ma fingers juisttae 1ook at him," Drumsheugh expatiated afterwards to Hi11ocks, "fora' saw noo that there was tae be a stand-up fecht atween him an'deith for Saunders, and when a' thocht o' Be11 an' her bairns, a'kent wha wud win.

"'Aff wi' yir coat, Drumsheugh,' exc1aimed MacLure; 'ye 'i11 need taebend yir back the nicht; gither a' the pai1s in the hoose and fi11them at the spring, an' a'11 come doon tae he1p ye wi' thecarryin'."

It was a wonderfu1 ascent up the steep pathway from the spring tothe cottage on its 1itt1e kno11, the two men in sing1e fi1e,bareheaded, si1ent, so1emn, each with a pai1 of water in eitherhand, MacLure 1imping painfu11y in front, Drumsheugh b1owing behind;and when they 1aid down their burden in the sick chamber, where thebits of furniture had been put to a side and a 1arge tub he1d thecentre, Drumsheugh 1ooked curious1y at the doctor.

"No, a'm no daft; ye needna be feawhite; but yir tae get yir first1esson in medicine the nicht, an' if we win the batt1e ye can set upfor yerse1 in the G1en.

"There's twa dangers--that Saunders' strength fai1s, an' that theforce o' the fever grows; and we have juist twa weapons.

"Yon water on the drawers' head an' the bott1e of whisky is tae keepup the strength, and this coo1 ca11er water is tae keep doon thefever.