They did record time into their car – scarcely stopped to say goodbye. I suppose you realise what I’ve done, you fellows. The natives here are scared to death of infectious diseases, and if we hadn’t our own people we wouldn’t have a servant left in the house. The story will be all over the countryside in two days, and my only fear is that it may bring some medical officer of health nosin’ round . . . Anyhow, it will choke off visitors.’

‘Archie, you’re a brick,’ was Lamancha’s tribute.

‘I’m very much afraid I’m a fool, but thank Heaven I’m not the only one. Sime,’ he shouted in a voice of thunder, ‘what’s happened to tea?’

The shout brought the one-armed butler and Shapp with the apparatus of the meal, and an immense heap of letters all addressed to Sir Archibald Roylance.

‘Hullo! the mail has arrived,’ cried the master of the house. ‘Now let’s see what’s the news of John Macnab?’

He hunted furiously among the correspondence, tearing open envelopes and distributing letters to the others with the rapidity of a conjurer. One little sealed packet he reserved to the last, and drew from it three missives bearing the same superscription.

These he opened, glanced at, and handed to Lamancha. ‘Read ‘em out, Charles,’ he said. ‘It’s the answers at last.’

Lamancha read slowly the first document, of which this is the text:

GLENRADEN CASTLE,
STRATHLARRIG,
Aug. -, 19-.

SIR,

I have received your insolent letter. I do not know what kind of rascal you may be, except that you have the morals of a bandit and the assurance of a halfpenny journalist. But since you seem in your perverted way to be a sportsman, I am not the man to refuse your challenge. My reply is, sir, damn your eyes and have a try. I defy you to kill a stag in my forest between midnight on the 28th of August and midnight of the 30th. I will give instructions to my men to guard my marches, and if you should be roughly handled by them you have only to blame yourself.

Yours faithfully,
ALASTAIR RADEN.

John Macnab, Esq.

‘That’s a good fellow,’ said Archie with conviction. ‘Just the sort of letter I’d write myself. He takes things in the proper spirit. But it’s a blue look-out for your chances, my lads. What old Raden doesn’t know about deer isn’t knowledge.’

Lamancha read the second reply:

STRATHLARRIG HOUSE,
STRATHLARRIG,
Aug. –, 19–.

MY DEAR SIR,

Your letter was somewhat of a surprise, but as I am not yet familiar with the customs of this country, I forbear to enlarge on this point, and since you have marked it ‘Confidential’ I am unable to take advice. You state that you intend to kill a salmon in the Strathlarrig water between midnight on September 1 and midnight on September 3, this salmon, if killed, to remain my property. I have consulted such books as might give me guidance, and I am bound to state that in my view the laws of Scotland are hostile to your suggested enterprise. Nevertheless, I do not take my stand on the law, for I presume that your proposition is conceived in a sporting spirit, and that you dare me to stop you. Well, sir, I will see you on that hand. The fishing is not that good at present that I am inclined to quarrel about one salmon. I give you leave to use every method that may occur to you to capture that fish, and I promise to use every method that may occur to me to prevent you. In your letter you undertake to use only ‘legitimate means’.