"He hed juist ae faut, tae ma thinkin', for a' never jidged the waur
o' him for his titch of rochness--guid trees hae gnarled bark--but he
thotched ower little o' himsel'.

"Noo, gin a' hed asked him hoo mony fouk wud come tae his beerial, he
wud hae said, 'They 'ill be Drumsheugh an' yersel', an' may be twa or
three neeburs besides the minister,' an' the fact is that nae man in oor
time wud hae sic a githerin' if it werena for the storm.

[Illustration]

"Ye see," said Jamie, who had been counting heads all morning, "there's
six shepherds in Glen Urtaeh--they're shut up fast; an' there micht hae
been a gude half dizen frae Dunleith wy, an' a'm telt there's nae road;
an' there's the heich Glen, nae man cud cross the muir the day, an' it's
aucht mile round;" and Jamie proceeded to review the Glen in every
detail of age, driftiness of road and strength of body, till we arrived
at the doctor's cottage, when he had settled on a reduction of fifty
through stress of weather.

[Illustration: "ANE OF THEM GIED OWER THE HEAD IN A DRIFT, AND HIS
NEEBURS HAD TAE PU' HIM OOT,"]

Drumsheugh was acknowledged as chief mourner by the Glen, and received
us at the gate with a labored attempt at everyday manners.

"Ye've hed heavy traivellin', a' doot, an' ye 'ill be cauld. It's hard
weather for the sheep an' a'm thinkin' this 'ill be a feeding storm.

"There wes nae use trying tae dig oot the front door yestreen, for it