16 THE RUBISLAW QUARRIES. CHAP. i. 



ries of Eubislaw. There were five excellent places in 

 the Den for birds' nests and wild flowers. But he went 

 to the quarries chiefly to find the big bits of sheep's 

 silver or mica in the face of the rocks. Edward was 

 much astonished at the size of the rocks. He knew 

 how birds made their nests ; he knew how flowers 

 and whins grew out of the ground ; but he did not 

 know how rocks grew. He asked his parents for the 

 reason. They told him that these rocks had existed 

 from the beginning. This did not satisfy him, and 

 he determined to ask one of the men at the quarry, 

 who certainly ought to know how the rocks grew. 

 " How do the rocks grow ? " asked he of a quarryman 

 one day. " Fat say ye ? " Tom repeated the question. 

 " To the deil wi' ye, ye impudent brat, or I'll toss ye 

 owre the head o' the quarry ! " Tom took to his heels 

 and fled, never looking back. 



Another favourite haunt was Daiddie Brown's 

 burnie. There were plantations and hedges near it, 

 and fields close at hand on either side. Its banks 

 were thickly clothed with wild raspberries and whins 

 the habitats of numerous birds. The burn itself 

 had plenty of water-dogs, or water-rats, along its 

 banks. That neighbourhood has now been entirely 

 overbuilt. The trees, the hedges, the whins, and 

 even the burn itself, have all been swept away. 



Tom's knowingness about birds' nests attracted 

 many of his boy-fellows to accompany him in his 

 expeditions. He used to go wandering on, forgetful 



