THE FLIGHT IN THE HEATHER

high, and at the first sight inaccessible. Even Alan
(though you may say he had as good as four hands)
failed twice in an attempt to climb them; and it was only
at the third trial, and then by standing on my shoulders
and leaping up with such force as I thought must have
broken my collar-bone,. that he secured a lodgment.
Once there, he let down his leathern girdle; and with the
aid of that and a pair of shallow footholds in the rock, I
scrambled up beside him.

Then I saw why we had come there; for the two
rocks, being both somewhat hollow on the top and slop-
ing one to the other, made a kind of dish or saucer,
where as many as three or four men might have lain
hidden.

All this while Alan had not said a word, and had run
and climbed with such a savage, silent frenzy of hurry,
that I knew that he was in mortal fear of some miscar-
riage. Even now we were on the rock he said nothing,
nor so much as relaxed the frowning look upon his face;
but clapped flat down, and keeping only one eye above
the edge of our place of shelter scouted all round the
compass. The dawn had come quite clear; we could
see the stony sides of the valley, and its bottom, which
was bestrewed with rocks, and the river, which went
from one side to another, and made white falls; but
nowhere the smoke of a house, nor any living creature
but some eagles screaming round a cliff.

Then at last Alan smiled.

‘‘ Ay,” said he, ‘‘now we have a chance;” and then
looking at me with some amusement, ‘‘ Ye’re no very
gleg! at the jumping,” said he.

1 Brisk.
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