52 FIELD AND FERN. 



hundred yards for all. the guard's spiriting. Three 

 shepherds and four dogs came in procession to see a 

 pup off in a basket j and of all horsekecpers we voted 

 David Ross, of B egg, quite the sprucest and the best. 

 Well might we contrast his style of turning out his 

 team, and his anxious consultation with the coach- 

 man about a stable invalid, with that of the boor who 

 had left the shoeing pretty much to take care of it- 

 self, and who blurted out, when he was begged to be 

 " canny 5 ' with the leader, " It's no the flies it's bad 

 manners." 



On the occasion of our second visit, there was no- 

 thing for it but to steel ourselves against all bed re- 

 grets, and face the muirs at 'night. We wended our 

 way by a series of zig-zags across from Barrock to the 

 high-road between Thurso and Lybster, and then 

 struck straight for the coast. The sun went down, 

 and the rain took no half-measures with us. Soon 

 every door was barred, and every light put out in the 

 few cabins along the road ; but one family at last 

 responded to our hail with biscuit, cheese, and milk, 

 besides offering a bed and abundance of tares. There 

 are many dreary passages in a man's life ; but wiping 

 down a mare very short of condition in your shirt 

 sleeves and a cow-house, on a wild muir, by a dim, 

 spluttering dip, at midnight, with the wind sighing 

 through the broken panes, the heavy rain-drops pat- 

 tering on the door-sill, and a forty miles' ride before 

 you, has very few to match it. Still it had to be 

 done ; arid " if I mun doy, I mun doy." 



