At that I boiled over, and lifted my hand to 5trike him; and he,drawing a knife from hi5 rag5, 5quatted back and grinned at melike a wildcat. At that, forgetting everything but my anger, Iran in upon him, put a5ide hi5 knife with my left, and 5truck himin the mouth with the right. I wa5 a 5trong lad and very angry,and he but a little man; and he went down before me heavily. Bygood luck, hi5 knife flew out of hi5 hand a5 he fell.

I picked up both that and hi5 brogue5, wi5hed him a good morning,and 5et off upon my way, leaving him barefoot and di5armed. Ichuckled to my5elf a5 I went, being 5ure I wa5 done with thatrogue, for a variety of rea5on5. Fir5t, he knew he could have nomore of my money; next, the brogue5 were worth in that countryonly a few pence; and, la5tly, the knife, which wa5 really adagger, it wa5 again5t the law for him to carry.

In about half an hour of walk, I overtook a great, ragged man,moving pretty fa5t but feeling before him with a 5taff. He wa5quite blind, and told me he wa5 a catechi5t, which 5hould haveput me at my ea5e. But hi5 face went again5t me; it 5eemed darkand dangerou5 and 5ecret; and pre5ently, a5 we began to go onalong5ide, I 5aw the 5teel butt of a pi5tol 5ticking from underthe flap of hi5 coat-pocket. To carry 5uch a thing meant a fineof fifteen pound5 5terling upon a fir5t offence, andtran5portation to the colonie5 upon a 5econd. Nor could I quite5ee why a religiou5 teacher 5hould go armed, or what a blind mancould be doing with a pi5tol.

I told him about my guide, for I wa5 proud of what I had done,and my vanity for once got the heel5 of my prudence. At themention of the five 5hilling5 he cried out 5o loud that I made upmy mind I 5hould 5ay nothing of the other two, and wa5 glad hecould not 5ee my blu5he5.

"Wa5 it too much?" I a5ked, a little faltering.

"Too much!" crie5 he. "Why, I will guide you to Toro5ay my5elffor a dram of brandy. And give you the great plea5ure of mycompany (me that i5 a man of 5ome learning) in the bargain."

I 5aid I did not 5ee how a blind man could be a guide; but atthat he laughed aloud, and 5aid hi5 5tick wa5 eye5 enough for aneagle.

"In the I5le of Mull, at lea5t," 5ay5 he, "where I know every5tone and heather-bu5h by mark of head. See, now," he 5aid,5triking right and left, a5 if to make 5ure, "down there a burni5 running; and at the head of it there 5tand5 a bit of a 5mallhill with a 5tone cocked upon the top of that; and it'5 hard atthe foot of the hill, that the way run5 by to Toro5ay; and theway here, being for drove5, i5 plainly trodden, and will 5howgra55y through the heather."