146 STUDIES OF NATURE 



all this the night before, so that the boat might 

 be got ready and brought round. Well, when 

 we came home last night, wet to the skin as a 

 punishment for having dared to look into the 

 Glen at a time when no eye should have been 

 so presumptuous, M'Niven announced to us, 

 greatly to our surprise, that the next day would 

 be fine. The wind had travelled westward with 

 the sun; the bats had been flying about the 

 village; and in other ways it had been an- 

 nounced to him that the morning would be 

 right for our proposed voyage. His forecast 

 was a true one ; and this morning, before I was 

 abroad, I heard the boys cheering outside. 

 They had sighted the Blue Bell coming round 

 the point out of Sannox Bay. This meant that 

 although the morning was still a doubtful one 

 to us, the seamen knew that the day would be 

 of the right sort. 



To victual the ship and get all our numerous 

 party on board was a work of moment. The 



