WADING A BURN. 65 



" Raise not a foot nor a baud ; let not a hair of your 

 head be seen ; but, as you value sport, imitate my motions 

 precisely : every thing depends upon this movement. This 

 spot once passed successfully, we are safe from the hinds." 



He then made a signal for Sandy to lie down with the 

 dogs; and, placing himself flat on his stomach, began to 

 worm his way close under the low ridge of the bog; 

 imitated most correctly and beautifully by the rest of the 

 party. The burn now came sheer up to intercept the 

 passage, and formed a pool under the bank, running deep 

 and drumly. The leader then turned his head round 

 slightly, and passed his hand along the grass as a sign for 

 Lightfoot to wreathe himself alongside of him. 



" Now, my good fellow, no remedy. If you do not like 

 a ducking, stay here ; but for Heaven's sake, if you do 

 remain, lie like a flounder till the shot is fired. Have no 

 curiosity, I pray and beseech you ; and speak, as I do, in a 

 low whisper." 



" Pshaw, I can follow wherever you go, and in the same 

 position too." 



"Bravo! here goes then. But for Heaven's sake do 

 not make a splash and noise in the water; but go in as 

 quiet as a fish, and keep under the high bank, although it 

 is deeper there. There is a great nicety in going in pro- 

 perly : that is the difficult point. I believe it must be head 

 foremost ; but we must take care to keep our heels down as 

 we slide in, and not to wet the rifles. Hist, Peter : here lay 

 the rifles on the bank, and give them to me when I am in 

 the burn." 



Tortoise then worked half his body over the bank, and 

 stooping low, brought his hands up on a large granite stone 

 in the burn, with his breast to the water, and drew the rest 

 of his body after him as straight as he possibly could. He 

 was then half immersed, and getting close under the bank, 

 took the rifles. The rest followed admirably. In fact the 

 water was not so deep as it appeared to be, being scarcely 

 over the hips. They proceeded in this manner about twenty 

 yards, when, the ground being more favourable, they were 

 enabled to get on dry land. 



" Do you think it will do ? " 



