The Glen at Break of Day 349

to me, and falling every few steps. The poor
brute was discoloured almost beyond recognition ;
and when at last it reached me, it lay down at my
feet and licked them. I stepped over it and ran
on recklessly to Gavin. At first I thought he
was dead. If tears rolled down my cheeks, they
were not for him.

I was no strong man, even in those days, but I
carried him to the schoolhouse, the dog crawling
after us. Gavin I put upon my bed, and I lay
down beside him, holding him close to me, that
some of the heat of my body might be taken in
by his. When he was able to look at me, how-
ever, it was not with understanding, and in vain
did my anxiety press him with questions. Only
now and again would some word in my speech
strike upon his brain and produce at least an
echo. To “Did you meet Lord Rintoul’s dog-
cart?” he sat up, saying, quickly :

* Listen, the dog-cart !”

“ Egyptian” was not that forenoon among the
words he knew, and I did not think of mention-
ing “hill.” At “rain” he shivered; but “ Spit-
tal’? was what told me most.

“‘ He has taken her back,” he replied, at once,
from which I learned that Gavin now knew as
much of Babbie as I did.

I made him as comfortable as possible, and,
despairing of learning anything from him in his
present state, I let him sleep. Then I went out
into the rain, very anxious, and dreading what he
might have to tell me when he woke. I waded
and jumped my way as near to the farm as! dared
go, and Waster Lunny, seeing me, came to the