FIRST BLOOD 51 



by the dull purple of the slow-fading heather ; the 

 colouring now contrasting sharply, and now blending 

 harmoniously, as a shaft of the sun rested on it, 

 or a shadow from a drifting cloud dimmed it for a 

 moment. Here and there a spot of grey indicated 

 an out-by shepherd's cottage, with byre and potato 

 ground attached, sometimes poorly protected by a 

 stell of battered Scotch firs, looking in the distance 

 like a bunch of broom bushes, but more often placed 

 in a howe of natural shelter. Black dots were the 

 peats fresh cut and loose stacked, to dry, but not yet 

 led in. 



Stone cairns stood silent sentinels on the tops of 

 the more prominent heights ; while away to the west 

 blue-grey mists rolled slowly up to the summits and 

 clung to them before joining the clouds floating, like 

 masses of newly-shorn fleece wool, above them. 



On either side of the valley, the foot of each long 

 limb stretching down from the higher ground was 

 clothed with a fringe of birk and hazel ; the bosoms 

 of the hills were divided by hanging hopes ; their 

 shoulders were cleft by sike and cleuch ; and their 

 heads were fitted with caps of light veil-like vapour 

 which, from time to time, passed from one to the 

 other. 



*' Isn't this perfectly heavenly, Billy ? " 



We gazed spellbound, then glanced at each other, 

 and Bill}^, in a half whisper, said, '^ Man, don't speak. 

 O God ! these grand green hills ! " which was, per- 

 haps, the best expressed prayer he had breathed 

 for years. 



We rode in silence for some time, till m}^ companion 

 said, ^^ You don't want me to help you home with the 



