THE GOLD OF FAIRNILEE. 253

 

a ‘“hurly gush.” And in winter they would
slide on the black, smooth ice of the boat-pool,
beneath the branches of the alders.

Or they would go out with Yarrow, the shep-
herd’s dog, and follow the track of wild
creatures in the snow. The rabbit makes
marks like **, and the hare makes marks
like “’ ; but the fox’s track is just as if you
had pushed a piece of wood through the snow
—a number of cuts in the surface, going
straight along. When it was very cold, the
grouse and black-cocks would come into the
trees near the house, and Randal and Jean
would put out porridge for them to eat. And
the great white swans floated in from the
frozen lochs on the hills, and gathered round
open reaches and streams of the Tweed. It
was pleasant to be a boy then in the North.
And at.Hallow E’en they would duck for
apples in tubs of water, and burn nuts in the
fire, and look for the shadow of the lady
Randal was to marry, in the mirror; but he
only saw Jean looking over his shoulder.

The days were very short in winter, so far
North, and they would soon be driven into the
house. Then they sat by the nursery fire;
and those were almost the pleasantest hours,
for the old nurse would tell them old Scotch
stories of elves and fairies, and sing them old
songs. Jean would crawl close to Randal and
hold his hand, for fear the Red Etin, or some