best liked in Scotland for making oatmeal, clean and thoroughly dry before packing for shipment." The order had been filled conscientiously. The best ones for making oatmeal are of course kiln-dried, and to insure their coming in good condition the shippers had taken the precaution to have them dried in an extra hot kiln. They would have made oatmeal, a single pound of which would have kept a Scotchman on the scratch for a year; but for agricultural purposes he might as well have sown so many hailstones or shoe pegs. Had he written that he wanted them for seed, the matter-of-fact Scotch shippers would have sent him seed oats; but he wrote for best oatmeal-producing oats, and they sent them. The joke had just got out, and we discussed it at supper with hearty relish, and one joke and story brought on another until the waning hours admonished us it was time to retire for the night.
No one ever had a larger stock in trade, in the shape of good resolutions, than myself. I allow nobody to beat me in that line, whatever may be my short-comings in other matters. After a glorious night's sleep I awoke with the warm sunlight pouring in at my window, and the sweet song of wild birds falling on my ears. As I have said, I had come into this inexpressibly lovely and secluded valley to hunt wild game, and fish for mountain trout, and I arose with the firmest resolution to swallow a hasty and early breakfast, saddle up, and be off into the hills without the loss of a moment's time. The matter of breakfast was soon disposed of, and I went out into the open air and the sunshine. Great
