But such feeling is made no part of Ochiltree's composition.

His mind wandered back to the scenes of his youth.
"I have kept guard on the outposts baith in Germany and America," he said to himself, "in mony a waur night than this, and when I ken'd there was maybe a dozen o' their riflemen in the thicket before me.

But I was aye gleg at my duty--naebody ever catched Edie sleeping." As he muttered thus to himself, he instinctively shouldered his trusty pike-staff, assumed the port of a sentinel on duty, and, as a step advanced towards the tree, called, with a tone assorting better with his military reminiscences than his present state--"Stand! who goes there ?" "De devil, goot Edie," answered Dousterswivel, "why does you speak so loud as a baarenhauter, or what you call a factionary--I mean a sentinel ?" "Just because I thought I was a sentinel at that moment," answered the mendicant.

"Here's an awsome night! Hae ye brought the lantern and a pock for the siller ?" "Ay-ay, mine goot friend," said the German, "here it is--my pair of what you call saddlebag; one side will be for you, one side for me;--I will put dem on my horse to save you de trouble, as you are old man." "Have you a horse here, then ?" asked Edie Ochiltree.
"O yes, mine friend--tied yonder by de stile," responded the adept.
"Weel, I hae just ae word to the bargain--there sall nane o' my gear gang on your beast's back." "What was it as you would be afraid of ?" said the foreigner.
"Only of losing sight of horse, man, and money," again replied the gaberlunzie.
"Does you know dat you make one gentlemans out to be one great rogue ?" "Mony gentlemen," replied Ochiltree, "can make that out for themselves-- But what's the sense of quarrelling ?--If ye want to gang on, gang on--if no--I'll gae back to the gude ait-straw in Ringan Aikwood's barn that I left wi' right ill-will e'now, and I'll pit back the pick and shule whar I got them." Dousterswivel deliberated a moment, whether, by suffering Edie to depart, he might not secure the whole of the expected wealth for his own exclusive use.

But the want of digging implements, the uncertainty whether, if he had them, he could clear out the grave to a sufficient depth without assistance, and, above all, the reluctance which he felt, owing to the experience of the former night, to venture alone on the terrors of Misticot's grave, satisfied him the attempt would be hazardous.