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I rubbed my nose and looked at Jamie

"It’s probably rather valuable," I said

"Ah" The two of them stood in contematism

"Aye well," Jamie said finally, "I suppose it will do no harm to keep it for a bit" One side of his mouth lifted in a s on the way ho on to Jamie’s arht Jamie took the stone from my hand and slipped it back into his sporran

"I’ll show it to Nayawenne," I said "She ht, Sassenach," Ja should be her kins" He nodded toward a sreen barely tinged with yellow

"The horses are tied just yonder Can ye walk, Sassenach?"

I looked down atThey seemed a lot farther away than I was used to

"I’m not sure," I said, "I think I’m really rather drunk"

"Och, no, Auntie," Ian assuredas ye can hold on to the floor"

Jahed at this, and threw the end of his plaid over his shoulder

"My Da used to say ye werena drunk, so long as ye could find your arse with both hands" He eyed ht better of whatever else he le and coughed, recovering himself

"Aye, well It’s no much farther, Auntie Are ye sure ye canna walk?"

"Well, I’ain, I’ll tell ye," Ja for my answer "I dinna want to ruptureit between the tips of his fingers, and placed it delicately in my lap "Wait here wi’ your wee friend, Sassenach," he said "Ian and I will fetch the horses"

By the tie, it was early afternoon I had been cold, wet, and without food for nearly two days, and was feeling distinctly light-headed; a feeling exaggerated both by more infusions of brandywine and by ht before to Ian and Jaht see seeer, and mild drunkenness Consequently, e turned into the clearing, I thought at first that the s of burning hickory wood struck ht you said you smoored the fire," I said to Jamie "Lucky you didn’t burn down the house" Such accidents were comround as the result of a poorly tended hearth

"I did s down from the saddle "Someone’s here D’ye ken the horse, Ian?"

Ian stood in his stirrups to look down into the penfold

"Why, it’s Auntie’s wicked beast!" he said in surprise "And a big dapple with hi in the penfold, unsaddled, co flies head to tail with a thick-barreled gray gelding

"Do you knons hiot down yet; s over round under the horse seeently up and down, like ocean billows

"No, but it’s a friend," Jaoat" He nodded froer to the door, where a pail of milk stood on the bench, neatly covered with a square of cloth to prevent flies falling in

"Co, Sassenach" He reached up and took me by the waist "We’ll tuck ye in bed and brew ye a dish of tea"

Our arrival had been heard; the door of the cabin opened, and Duncan Innes looked out

"Ah, you’re there, Mac Dubh," he said "What’s aoat was carryin’ on fit to wake the dead, wi’ her bag like to burst, when I ca, mournful face went blank with surprise

"Mrs Claire!" he said, taking in my mud-stained and battered appearance "Ye’ll have had an accident, then? I was a bit worrit when I found the horse loose on the mountainside as I came up, and your wee box on the saddle I looked about and called for ye, but I couldna find any sign of ye, so I brought the beast along to the house"

"Yes, I had an accident," I said, trying to stand upright by h" I wasn’t altogether sure about that My head felt three ti me by the arms before I could fall over "Now"