In
this way he supplied the place of newspapers and books, which were
scarce commodities in those old days; and he further made himself
useful by doing odd work about the steadings and cottages--such as
building the peats into stacks for the winter, mending a thatch, or
even doctoring a cow.
On the Sunday evening at Lyndardy, while the storm still beat upon
the land, Colin sat with us round the fireside and smoked with my
uncle Mansie. The talk drifted round to the subject of Carver
Kinlay, whose new boat was to be brought from Kirkwall that week.
My uncle did not know for what purpose that new boat was built.
Kinlay was a man who had no settled occupation outside his farm.
Sometimes, it is true, he went out to the herring fishing when the
fish were plentiful, and he thought he could make some money by it,
and he often made secret passages over to Scotland for no one knew
what trade. But it was for none of these purposes that the new boat
was required, for it had been built with a deep keel and a lugger
rig, with a view to being a quick sailer.
Now if anyone should know of Carver's purpose, it would be Colin
Lothian, and my uncle questioned him on the subject.
"Colin," said he, "they tell me that Carver is gettin' a new boat
frae Kirkwall. D'ye ken what he means to do wi' it?"
"That's piper's news," said Colin.
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