BY THE LOCH-SIDE 167 



to roll little dust pellets on the dry road ; but 

 increasing till it dripped from the overweighted 

 leaves in a secondary shower of large drops ; and 

 the lake became indistinct through the thickening 

 fall. This would never do ; so I left what was 

 no longer a protection, and walked doggedly on. 

 It was rain of the wetting sort, each drop of which 

 seemed to cling. Erelong it fell with a distinct 

 noise through the air. 



Gentle speculation beguiled the way as to the 

 nature of the prospective shelter. I could write a 

 book on those shelters. It appeared at length in the 

 form of a half-ruinous cottage, made up of the usual 

 " but and ben." The reception was on the north side 

 of friendly for awhile ; it often is in these parts. 



Snug in a box-bed, I dropped over to sleep, to 

 the monotonous lullaby of two distinct drips 

 in the room. At what unearthly hour I know not 

 for it is light all night in these northern parts I 

 was startled into consciousness by a tremendous 

 thumping, accompanied by unnatural noises. 

 Bedlam let loose is the expression for it. 



Her son was a wild sleeper, " but maype she 

 wouldn't be frightened, whateffer," explained the 

 old woman in the morning. 



For the next four days I was in the position 



