CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO AUTUMN 



times forming immense precipices, and in other places de- 

 generating into large tracts of loose and water-worn grey 

 shingle, apparently collected and heaped together by the 

 winter floods. Great masses of rock were scattered about, 

 resting on their angles, and looking as if the wind, which 

 was blowing a perfect gale, would hurl them down on us. 

 Amongst all this dreary waste of rock and stone.there were 

 large patches of bright green pasture, and rushes on the 

 level spots, formed by the damming up of the springs and 

 mountain streams. 



Stretching away to our right was a great expanse of 

 brown heather and swampy ground, dotted with innumer- 

 able pools of black-looking water. The horizon on every 

 side was shut out by the approaching masses of rain and 

 drift. The clouds closed round us, and the rain began to 

 fall in straight hard torrents; at the same time, however, 

 completely allaying the wind. 



"Well, well," said Donald, "I just dinna ken what to do." 

 Even I began to think that we might as well have remained 

 at home; but, putting the best face on the matter, we o^ot 

 under a projecting bank of the burn, and took out our pro- 

 vision of oat-cake and cold grouse, and having demolished 

 that, and made a considerable vacuum in the whisky flask, 

 I lit my cigar, and meditated on the vanity of human pur- 

 suits in general, and of deer-stalking in particular, while 

 dreamy visions of balls, operas, and the last pair of blue 

 eyes that I had sworn everlasting allegiance to, passed be- 

 fore me. 



Donald was employed in the more useful employment 

 of bobbing for burn trout with a line and hook he had pro- 

 405 



