A DAY ON THE MOOHS. 641 



dogs, I believe, would have barked an alarum had a cloud darkened 

 the sky, or threatened the sun-shine of the morrow. To so mer- 

 curial a state of existence even a bad bed is a good drop-scene ; the 

 landlord and his son were to act as our guides to the muir, at a very 

 early hour, and had promised (good easy souls) to awake us, when 

 God knows, they would have done a greater favour, could they have 

 taught us how to sleep. A confused restless slumber, every now and 

 then broken by the fear least something had been forgotten in our 

 arrangements, was at length succeeded by something like sleep ; when 

 we were at once aroused by the crowing of a cock, and a most un- 

 usual stir above head; and our eyes, which we had very unadvisedly 

 opened, were instantly filled with dust. An open loft above our bed 

 was the roost of the poultry, and was formed of loose timber, covered 

 with *lry turf; the fire had unexpectedly kindled into a transient 

 blaze, and the lord of the dunghill, mistaking its gleams for the first 

 smiles of morning, begun his carol, and, in his coqueting with the 

 beauties of his harem, had produced all this tourbiUon. 



Nor did the mischief rest here ; for we now heard a number of 

 voices from the opposite side of the partition, in that provoking kind 

 of whisper which sets the devil, Curiosity, on edge to ascertain its 

 purport ; a chink in the boards tempted a look beyond, and we dis- 

 covered our host, with the partner of his cares, lying in the midst of 

 half-a-dozen children (who we had displaced), with much more the 

 appearance of state than of comfort, and suggesting a tolerable resem- 

 blance to the hen-and-chicken daisy. All was soon hushed again, and 

 my neighbours might be said to sleep audibly around me. Even 

 chanticleer was in repose, and his favourites, no longer roused by his 

 minanderies, had again pillowed their heads within the wing. Not 

 the lightest noise was heard over the whole house; the old crazy 

 clock clicked harshly and disagreeably ; I would willingly have shut 

 my ears to its interruption ; but in attempting not to listen to the 

 progress of seconds, I only found that I was watching them more 

 anxiously. Besides, why lose more time ? I had travelled far to 

 enjoy the day which would soon break, and in the mean time more 

 alert sportsmen might get the start of me, and take my intended beat 

 on the muir. Inspired by the valiant purposes which those consi- 

 derations suggested, I left my bed very quietly, dressed myself pat 

 hazard, collected my sporting articles, and slipped, with cat-like step, 

 out of the apartment, to rouse the young man who was to be my 

 gilly ; * I passed into the kitchen, and wishing to know the hour, ap- 

 proached the fire-place, before which stood a screen, on which my 

 travelling-cloak was hung. I drew it a little apart, and putting my 

 head forward to look at my watch, was alarmed by a scream from the 

 opposite side; " Gude God, sir, is it you?" said my landlord's son, 

 " thae morning sights are no that canny; but if it's just yoursel, it's 

 the less matter." I satisfied him on this point, by explaining my 

 errand, and having removed the eggs from the pan, which he had 

 been watching while they boiled hard, we were both ready in a few 

 minutes, and left the house together. If the truth was told, my en- 



* Gilly attendant, or servant. 

 M. M. No. 96. 4 N 



