Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/78

 grown into a burly, hale, stalwart man, with keen eyes and a flowing brown beard. The only pallor noticeable was the whiteness of his brow, which was ample and lofty as of old.

We greeted each other cordially, and I felt as if old times had come again, for Dick and I had been great friends at school. When we were on our way I renewed my inquiries about Shleenanaher and its inhabitants. I began by asking Sutherland as to what brought him there. He answered:—

"I was just about to ask you the same question. 'What brings you here?

I felt a difficulty in answering as freely as I could have wished, for I knew that Andy's alert ears were close to us, so I said:—

"I have been paying some visits along the West Coast, and I thought I would take the opportunity on my way home of investigating a very curious phenomenon of whose existence I became casually acquainted on my way here—a shifting bog."

Andy here must strike in:—

"Shure the masther is mighty fond iv bogs, intirely. I don't know there's anything in the wurruld what intherests him so much."

Here he winked at me in a manner that said as plainly as if spoken in so many words, "All right, yer 'an'r, I'll back ye up!"

Sutherland laughed as he answered:—

"Well, you're in the right place here, Art; the difficulty