404 FIGHTS HIS WA Y HOME. CHAP. xxm. 



" I felt a burning pain under my breast-bone, in my 

 stomach ... I was not well at all Scorning to yield, 

 I pushed on, but only grew worse. 



" I reached the quarry, but only to become conscious 

 that I might as soon think of dancing on my crown as 

 to look among the stones for the dead or the living. 



" After sitting down a little, I felt that my wisest 

 way was just to go home again if I could. I was 

 hardly able to get out of the quarry; I had become 

 so giddy. 



" I got out though, and staggered up a hill, and sat 

 down. I then became terribly sick. ' Ha ! ha !' said I, 

 ' surely I must be better now.' No ; I tried to rise up, 

 but was so giddy that I could scarcely stand ; I could 

 not balance myself. But I got up and went a little, 

 and sat down. Up again, went on, sat down. I got up 

 and sat down nearly a dozen times in succession ; all 

 the while the burning pain in my breast was cruel 



" After I had battled on for two miles I got sick 

 again. c This won't do,' said I ; ' I don't fancy dying 

 amongst the heather.' So I tried to run. I got on a 

 bit, in a zigzag way, and then threw myself down. I 

 got up and off again, and at length found myself on the 

 public road. I moved on in a drunken sort of fashion 

 half-blind too and threw myself down on a dyke 

 beside the river. 



" After resting a little, I got up and made a dash for 

 the river Thurso, through which I waded, just as I was, 

 bran deep. There's a bleaching-green by our river, and 

 many old wives were there. I grew sick again in the 



