"He must have guessed our one great difficulty," said Wentworth, flushing deeply. "Well, Jack, our obligations to Mr. Mackay will take some wiping out."
Later on in the evening, when the boys were talking over the events of the day in their little room, the landlady entered with a heavy parcel of books.
"A messenger has just brocht these," said she, "wi' Mr. Mackay's compliments."
"He is a gem," spoke Jack, emphatically, as he cut the string of the package, whereupon half a dozen handsome volumes were disclosed, three for Bob, and three for himself. They seized their possessions with avidity.
"'Leckie's Navigation,' 'Nautical Almanac,' and 'Burns's Poems,'" announced Wentworth, gleefully, gazing at his treasures. "Now, how could he have known that I wanted these so much?"
"'Mining Engineer's Handbook,' 'Metallurgy of Gold,' and 'Shakespeare,'" read out Jack, handling the volumes reverently. "Now, how could he have guessed our pet studies?"
"It beats me," said Bob. "I won't be surprised at anything Mackay knows after this. He is a conundrum."
"He is the decentest sort we have ever met," cried Jack, warmly.
"We agree on that," concurred Bob, gravely.