170 VESTIGES OF THE PICTS. 



there visible traces of anything which could afford a clue 

 to the purpose for which the cave was intended. A few 

 bones are strewn over the damp floor of rock, but they, 

 doubtless, are the only surviving remains of animals, 

 who in their last solemn hour, have dragged their aged 

 limbs thither, actuated by an instinctive dread, common 

 to most wild animals, of having their death-struggle 

 exposed to the unholy gaze of the world. In all pro- 

 bability it was employed as a place of concealment in 

 the time of danger; though for security, or as a strong- 

 hold, it could never have been depended upon, since a 

 very slight amount of labour could have at any time 

 turned into it the whole waters of the burn ; and thus 

 any who had there sought refuge might have been 

 forced from their sanctuary, or drowned in the cavern. 

 A curious piece of Pictish workmanship, though dif- 

 fering somewhat from the remains already described, 

 was lately discovered quite accidentally, within half a 

 mile of the Laird's house, by some labourers employed 

 in turning up with the spade the rough surface of a 

 piece of waste ground, in order to fit it for cultivation. 

 The curiosity of one of them was aroused, when, on 

 driving his tool into the ground, he felt the soil give 

 way beneath it. He repeated the blow, and this time 

 the earth crumbling away, revealed a dark hole, 

 evidently of some depth. The rest being summoned 

 to the spot, their united labours soon laid bare a large 

 slab of rock, and on the removal of this they discovered 

 a passage about two feet in width and six deep, the 

 sides of which were built up with rough blocks of stone. 

 One of the men now descended, and throwing out with 

 his spade the earth which had fallen in, groped his way 

 along the passage, until he found himself stopped by a 

 wall, of the same rough construction as the sides. The 



