78 Sleeps in a Hay-cock. [ CHAP. Iv. 
was now very tired. He was desirous of putting up some- 
where for the night. But first he must have his supper. 
He sat down by a little rill, and, with the help of the wa- 
ter, eat some more of his meal and a piece of his quartern 
loaf. After he had refreshed himself, he thought he could 
walk a few more miles. He had now walked forty miles. 
The twilight being long in the North, and the month being 
July, he went on until he came to what he thought would 
be a good beild* for the night. This was a field in which 
there were a number of hay-cocks. He crossed the wall, 
went up to a hay-cock, pulled a lot of hay out, then en- 
sconced himself inside, and soon fell fast asleep. 
Toward morning he was wakened up by something 
scratching at his brow. On putting his hand up, he found 
it was a big black beetle, trying to work its way in between 
his skin and his bonnet. He wished he had had his box 
with him to preserve the beetle, but he could only throw it 
away. As he lay awake he heard the mice squeaking about 
him. It was still dark, though there was a glimmering of 
light in the east. Day was about to break. So he got out 
of his hole, shook the hay from him, crossed the wall, and 
resumed his journey. 
Though he felt stiff at first, he soon recovered his walk- 
ing powers, and reached Arbroath by daylight, Every 
body was in bed excepting one woman, whom he saw stand- 
ing at the end of a close-mouth. He went up to her and 
asked which was the road to Dundee. When she be- 
gan to speak, he saw that she was either drunk, or daft, or 
something worse. He went away, walked through several 
other streets, but found no one astir. The town was asleep. 
Then he sat down on a door-step and eat some of his loaf. 
He was just beginning to fall asleep, when some men who 
passed woke him up. They told him the road to Dundee, 
and he instantly set off in that direction. 
* Beild, shelter. 
