Here they got on at the rate of nine or ten miles an hour, Dumple seeking no other respite than what arose from changing his pace from canter to trot.

'I could gar him show mair action,' said his master, 'but we are twa lang-legged chields after a', and it would be a pity to stress Dumple; there wasna the like o' him at Staneshiebank Fair the day.' Brown readily assented to the propriety of sparing the horse, and added that, as they were now far out of the reach of the rogues, he thought Mr.
Dintnont had better tie a handkerchief round his head, for fear of the cold frosty air aggravating the wound.
'What would I do that for ?' answered the hardy farmer; 'the best way's to let the blood barken upon the cut; that saves plasters, hinney.' Brown, who in his military profession had seen a great many hard blows pass, could not help remarking, 'he had never known such severe strokes received with so much apparent indifference.' 'Hout tout, man! I would never be making a humdudgeon about a scart on the pow; but we'll be in Scotland in five minutes now, and ye maun gang up to Charlie's Hope wi' me, that's a clear case.' Brown readily accepted the offered hospitality.

Night was now falling when they came in sight of a pretty river winding its way through a pastoral country.

The hills were greener and more abrupt than those which Brown had lately passed, sinking their grassy sides at once upon the river.

They had no pretensions to magnificence of height, or to romantic shapes, nor did their smooth swelling slopes exhibit either rocks or woods.