EILDON HILLS 105 



astern, and lay upon the ground the moment he 

 expected a shot to be fired ; and I verily believe 

 that he stopped his ears also. Once, when a covey 

 spread beautifully amongst some gorse, for a space 

 he eluded my vision, and when the firing ceased, I 

 detected him in his form couched between two 

 blocks of granite ; "for he kent," he said, " that it 

 was no canny to dander aboot, and disturb the 

 pat rigs/ 1 And I think this was judicious ; but it 

 did not seem to account for the paleness of his com- 

 plexion. 



My bag was now sufficiently full ; and in return- 

 ing to the hotel I noticed the form of the Eildon 

 Hills, which, we have since been credibly informed, 

 were cloven in three by the art of gramarye. It was 

 then that I discovered that my companion's mind 

 was completely subdued by superstition. 



" Thae hills are pleasant to the view," said he ; 

 " and it is the custom on the seventh day for people 

 to ascend the middle one, and enjoy the prospect. 

 On the last Sabbath I gaed up ; and instead of the 

 hill being throng as usual, I fund mysel alone, and 

 when I was near the tap a sudden mirkness cam owre 

 me, and I sat doon on the sod in a cauld sweet. 

 Then I cast my een up ; and I saw, as plain as I see 

 ye the noo, twa men houking a grave by the light 

 of a torch ; and ither men joined them, walking 

 twa by twa, wi' pale lights. And when they cam to 

 the grave, they gaed to the far side of it ; and an 

 auld wife cam in front wi' a lang white stick in her 

 hand, and a light like a star a tap o' it : she had an 

 awfu' beard, and beckoned me to the grave. Ou it 



