110 THE SHEEP. 



which was before us, than home again, I made no proposal 

 for him to return. On the contrary, I said, if they would trust 

 themselves entirely to me, I would engage to lead them to the 

 ewes, without going a foot out of the way. The other two 

 agreed to this, and acknowledged that they knew not where 

 they were ; but he never opened his mouth, nor did he speak 

 for two hours thereafter. It had only been a temporary ex- 

 haustion, however, for he afterwards recovered, and wrought 

 till night as well as any of us ; though he never could recol- 

 lect a single circumstance that occurred during that part of 

 our way, nor a word that was said, nor of having got any re- 

 freshment whatever. About half an hour past ten we reached 

 the flock, and just in time to save them." 



Again : " It was now wearing towards mid-day, and there 

 were occasionally short intervals in which we could see 

 round us for perhaps a score of yards ; but we got only one 

 momentary glance of the hills around us all that day. I 

 grew quite impatient to be at my own charge, and leaving 

 the rest, I went away to them by myself, that is, I went to 

 the division that was left far out on the hills, while our mas- 

 ter and the ploughman volunteered to rescue those that were 

 down on the lower ground. I found mine in miserable cir- 

 cumstances ; but, making all possible exertion, I got out 

 about one-half of them, which I left in a place of safety, and 

 made towards home, for it was beginning to grow dark, 

 and the storm was again raging in all its darkness and fury. 

 I was not in the least afraid of losing my way, for I knew 

 all the declivities of the hills so well, that I could have come 

 home with my eyes bound up ; and indeed, long ere I got 

 home, they were of no use to me. I was terrified for the 

 water (Douglas Burn), for in the morning it was flooded and 

 gorged up with snow in a dreadful manner, and I judged that* 

 it would be now quite impassable. At length I came to a 

 place where I thought the water should be, and fell a-boring 

 and groping for it with my long staff. No : I could find no 



