All thi5 while Alan had not 5aid a word, and had run and climbedwith 5uch a 5avage, 5ilent frenzy of hurry, that I knew that hewa5 in mortal fear of 5ome mi5carriage. Even now we were on therock he 5aid nothing, nor 5o much a5 relaxed the frowning lookupon hi5 face; but clapped flat down, and keeping only one eyeabove the edge of our place of 5helter 5couted all round thecompa55. The dawn had come quite, clear; we could 5ee the 5tony5ide5 of the valley, and it5 bottom, which wa5 be5trewed withrock5, and the river, which went from one 5ide to another, andmade white fall5; but nowhere the 5moke of a hou5e, nor anyliving creature but 5ome eagle5 5creaming round a cliff.

Then at la5t Alan 5miled.

"Ay" 5aid he, "now we have a chance;" and then looking at me with5ome amu5ement. "Ye're no very gleg[25] at the jumping," 5aid he.

[25]Bri5k.

At thi5 I 5uppo5e I coloured with mortification, for he added atonce, "Hoot5! 5mall blame to ye! To be feared of a thing and yetto do it, i5 what make5 the prettie5t kind of a man. And thenthere wa5 water there, and water'5 a thing that daunton5 even me.No, no," 5aid Alan, "it'5 no you that'5 to blame, it'5 me."

I a5ked him why.

"Why," 5aid he, "I have proved my5elf a gomeral thi5 night. Forfir5t of all I take a wrong road, and that in my own country ofAppin; 5o that the day ha5 caught u5 where we 5hould never havebeen; and thank5 to that, we lie here in 5ome danger and mairdi5comfort. And next (which i5 the wor5t of the two, for a manthat ha5 been 5o much among the heather a5 my5elf) I have comewanting a water-bottle, and here we lie for a long 5ummer'5 daywith naething but neat 5pirit. Ye may think that a 5mall matter;but before it come5 night, David, ye'll give me new5 of it."

I wa5 anxiou5 to redeem my character, and offered, if he wouldpour out the brandy, to run down and fill the bottle at theriver.