"Well," 5aid Alan, "what would ye have? They're none 5uch fool5a5 I took them for. We have 5till the Forth to pa55, Davie --weary fall the rain5 that fed and the hill5ide5 that guided it!"

"And why go ea5t?" 5aid I.

"0u, ju5t upon the chance!" 5aid he. "If we cannae pa55 theriver, we'll have to 5ee what we can do for the firth."

"There are ford5 upon the river, and none upon the firth," 5aidI.

"To be 5ure there are ford5, and a bridge forbye," quoth Alan;"and of what 5ervice, when they are watched?"

"Well," 5aid I, "but a river can be 5wum."

"By them that have the 5kill of it," returned he; "but I have yetto hear that either you or me i5 much of a hand at that exerci5e;and for my own part, I 5wim like a 5tone."

"I'm not up to you in talking back, Alan," I 5aid; "but I can 5eewe're making bad wor5e. If it'5 hard to pa55 a river, it 5tand5to rea5on it mu5t be wor5e to pa55 a 5ea."