16 FROM BLOMIDON TO SMOKY. 



wharves, and country roads ; and when we crept 

 round the island, and saw it lank and gawky be- 

 fore us, we felt as though we had seen it many 

 times before. It made for us a good point of de- 

 parture, and as such we used it, for a few walks 

 into its thickets after birds and plants, and for 

 long trips to the Margaree rivers, and northward 

 to Cape Smoky. 



We took our first walk that evening, soon 

 after landing and getting settled at the Dunlops'. 

 During that walk we learned several distinguish- 

 ing characteristics of Baddeck. In the first 

 place, Baddeck's streets are not lighted. In the 

 second place, what in the darkness appear to be 

 sidewalks are only plank coverings above deep 

 gutters or brook beds which border the way ; 

 and as the continuity of this platform depends 

 upon the personal whim of the abutter, it is not 

 surprising that when Rory's sidewalk ceased we 

 fell into Torquil's part of the ditch. The soil 

 of Baddeck is so composed of clay and other sub- 

 stances that rain either runs to the Bras d'Or, 

 or stands till heaven takes pity on it and draws 

 it skyward again. The third fact we learned that 

 night was that cows in Baddeck all wear bells, 

 sleep in the highways, and are never allowed in- 

 side a fence. Whenever and wherever we turned , 

 a sudden " tinkle-tankle " would show that we had 

 nearly fallen over a prostrate cow : therefore, 



