AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
251 
midnight, and it was while standing on the top of the 
Staircase turret, that I first beheld a bright bore through 
the clouds, toward the north, which reminded me of my 
uncle’s apophthegm. But at the same time a smart thaw 
had commenced, and the breeze seemed to be rising from 
the south, so that I laughed in my heart at his sage rule, 
and accounted it quite absurd. Short was the time till 
awful experience told me how true it was. 
I then went to my bed in the byre loft, where I slept 
with a neighbour shepherd, named Borthwick; but though 
fatigued with walking through the snow, I could not close 
an eye, so that I heard the first burst of the storm, which 
commenced between one and two, with a fury that no one 
can conceive who does not remember of it. Besides, the 
place where I lived being exposed to two or three gather- 
ed winds, as they are called by shepherds, the storm raged 
there with redoubled ferocity. It began all at once, with 
such a tremendous roar, that I imagined it was a peal of 
thunder, until I felt the house trembling to its foundation. 
In a few minutes I went and thrust my naked arm through 
a hole in the roof, in order, if possible, to ascertain what 
was going on without, for not a ray of light could I see. 
I could not then, nor can I yet, express my astonishment. 
So completely was the air overloaded with falling and 
driving snow, that but for the force of the wind, I felt as 
if I had thrust my arm into a wreath of snow. I deemed 
it a judgment sent from heaven upon us, and lay down 
again in my bed, trembling with agitation. I lay still for 
about an hour, in hopes that it might prove only a tempo- 
rary hurricane; but, hearing no abatement of its fury, I 
awakened Borthwick, and bade him get up, for it was come 
on such a night or morning, as never blew from the hea- 
vens. He was not long in obeying, for as soon as he heard 
the turmoil, he started from his bed, and in one minute, 
throwing on his clothes, he hasted down the ladder, and 
opened the door, where he stood for a good while, utter- 
ing exclamations of astonishment. The door where he 
stood was not above fourteen yards from the door of the 
dwelling house, but a wreath was already amassed between 
them, as high as the walls of the house — and in trying to 
get round or through this, Borthwick lost himself, and 
could neither find the house nor his way back to the byre, 
and about six minutes after, I heard him calling my name, 
in a shrill, desperate tone of voice, at which I could not 
refrain from laughing immoderately, notwithstanding the 
dismal prospect that lay before us; for I heard, from his 
cries, where he was. He had tried to make his way over 
the top of a large dunghill, but going to the wrong side, 
had fallen over, and wrestled long among snow, quite over 
the head. I did not think proper to move to his assistance, 
but lay still, and shortly after, heard him shouting at the 
kitchen door for instant admittance; still I kept my bed 
for about three quarters of an hour longer; and then, on 
reaching the house with much difficulty, found our master, 
the ploughman, Borthwick, and the two servant maids, 
sitting round the kitchen fire Avith looks of dismay, I may 
almost say despair. We all agreed at once, that the soon- 
er we were able to reach the sheep the better chance avc 
had to save a remnant; and as there were eight hundred 
excellent ewes, all in one lot, but a long Avay distant, and 
the most valuable lot of any on the farm, we resolved to 
make a bold effort to reach them. Our master made fami- 
ly worship, a duty he never neglected; but that morning, 
the manner in which we manifested our trust and confi- 
dence in heaven, was particularly affecting. We took our 
breakfast — stuffed our pockets with bread and cheese — 
sewed our plaids around us — tied down our hats Avith nap- 
kins coming beloAv our chins — and each taking a strong 
staff in his hand, we set out on the attempt. 
No sooner was the door closed behind us than we lost 
sight of each other — seeing there was none — it was im- 
possible for a man to see his hand held up before him, 
and it Avas still two hours till day. We had no means of 
keeping together hut by following to one another’s voices, 
nor of working our Avay save by groping Avith our staves 
before us. It soon appeared to me a hopeless concern, for 
ere ever we got clear of the houses and haystacks, we had 
to roll ourselves over two or three wreaths which it was 
impossible to Avade through ; and all the Avhile the Avind and 
drift were so violent, that every three or four minutes Ave 
Avere obliged to hold our faces down between our knees, to 
recover our breath. 
We soon got into an eddying Avind that Avas altogether 
insufferable, and atthe same time we Avere struggling among 
snow so deep, that our progress in the Avay we purposed 
going Avas indeed very equivocal, for Ave had, by this 
time, lost all idea of east, west, north, or south. Still Ave 
Avere as busy as men determined on a business could be, 
and persevered on Ave knew not whither, sometimes roll- 
ing over the snow, and sometimes Aveltering in it to the 
chin. The folloAving instance of our successful exertions 
marks our progress to a tittle. There was an inclosure 
around the house to the westward, which we denomi- 
nated the park, as is customary in Scotland. When Ave 
went away, Ave calculated that it was tAvo hours until day — 
the park did not extend above 300 yards — and Ave were 
still engaged in that park when day-light appeared. 
When we got free of the park, we also got free of the 
eddy of the wind — it was norv straight in our faces — Ave 
went in a line before each other, and changed places every 
three or four minutes, and at length, after great fatigue, we 
reached a long ridge of a hill, where the snow vvas thin- 
