24 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



came so thick that he could not see a step before 

 him, nor in walking was he able to avoid the swampy 

 ditches and deep " hags " that lay between him and 

 home. Moreover, it was fast getting dark. He had 

 not proceeded far on his homeward route, when he 

 tumbled over into one of these so-called hags, which 

 are deep water cuttings in the moss. Fortunately it 

 was dry where he fell, with a sloping bank down to 

 the water. Under such banks the sheep often take 

 shelter, and through their constantly rubbing them- 

 selves against the mossy wall, by degrees a hollow is 

 formed. As there was much protection, therefore, 

 beneath the overhanging bank, young Robertson 

 thought he would remain a while to see if the storm 

 would blow over. His feet, and indeed his limbs in 

 general, were quite dry ; so, rolled up in his plaid, he 

 fell sound asleep, and did not waken till near mid- 

 night. By this time the storm had much abated, and 

 the moon had risen. The first thing he heard when 

 he got up was the people of the farm hallooing at 

 the top of their voices. He soon made a response, 

 and there was no little joy at the meeting which 

 forthwith followed, for his people never thought that 

 they would find him alive. 



No doubt there would have been grief enough 

 among those unpolished peasants over any lad, even 

 a commonplace or a cross-grained one, that might 

 have perished on the snow-covered moor in the per- 

 formance of his duty, but it is very certain that so 

 to have lost the ready-handed, kind-hearted David, 

 would not only have cast a gloom over the circle 

 for the time, but would have long haunted their 



