THE REWARD OF INTELLIGENCE. 133 



examination was at once made below by the 

 engineer for a leak, but as none could be found 

 we steamed slowly away on our journey. 



Nearly everybody stayed on deck during the 

 night, and beguiled the weary hours by telling 

 stories, singing songs, and shivering in the cold, 

 murky drizzle that made the dangerous Sound of 

 Mull exceedingly difficult to navigate. 



I went below once, and found the saloon tenanted 

 only by a burly horse-dealer and another man, 

 having the appearance of a whisky traveller, holding 

 high debate with a strapping farmer's daughter from 

 North Uist on certain equine ills. I think I fell 

 asleep during a lull on ring-bone, and woke up in 

 the middle of a storm on spavins. The young 

 woman was more than a match for her adversaries, 

 and when she saw me smile approval at some little 

 advantage she had gained in her war of words, 

 promptly walked over to where I was sitting and 

 rewarded my intelligence with a handful of oat 

 bannock and skimmed-milk cheese which she took 

 from a small hand-bag. 



We reached Oban Bay at three o'clock in the 

 morning, and as day dawned fifteen minutes later, 

 I heard a Thrush begin to sing and a Cuckoo to 

 " tell his name to all the hills around." 



As it was Saturday, and I was anxious to spend 

 the following day at home before returning to busi- 

 ness in London early on the Monday morning, I left 

 the boat, and several other passengers followed my 

 example ; amongst them my twice- ship wrecked friend, 

 and the little man who had striven so strenuously 

 and vainly to assume the appearance of courage. 

 As the first train did not start south until six o'clock 

 and all the hotel keepers were locked in slumber, 

 we went into the night porter's room at the railway 



