And at last day did come back, gray and drear.  He saw suddenly once more.  I think he must have been wandering the glen with his eyes shut, as one does shut them involuntarily against the hidden dangers of black night.  How different was daylight from what he had expected!  He looked, and then shut his dazed eyes again, for the darkness was less horrible than the day.  Had he indeed seen, or only dreamed that he saw?  Once more he looked to see what the world was like; and the sight that met his eyes was so mournful that he who had fought through the long night now sank hopeless and helpless among the heather.  The dog was not far away, and it, too, lost heart.  Gavin held out his hand, and Snap crept timidly toward him.  He unloosened his coat, and the dog nestled against him, cowed and shivering, hiding its head from the day, Thus they lay, and the rain beat upon them.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The glen at break of day.

My first intimation that the burns were in flood came from Waster Lunny, close on the strike of ten o’clock.  This was some minutes before they had any rain in Thrums.  I was in the school-house, now piecing together the puzzle Lord Rintoul had left with me, and anon starting upright as McKenzie’s hand seemed to tighten on my arm.  Waster Lunny had been whistling to me (with his fingers in his mouth) for some time before I heard him and hurried out.  I was surprised and pleased, knowing no better, to be met on the threshold by a whisk of rain.

The night was not then so dark but that when I reached the Quharity I could see the farmer take shape on the other side of it.  He wanted me to exult with him, I thought, in the end of the drought, and I shouted that I would fling him the stilts.

“It’s yoursel’ that wants them,” he answered excitedly, “if you’re fleid to be left alone in the school-house the nicht.  Do you hear me, dominie?  There has been frichtsome rain among the hills, and the Bog burn is coming down like a sea.  It has carried awa the miller’s brig, and the steading o’ Muckle Pirley is standing three feet in water.”

“You’re dreaming, man,” I roared back, but beside his news he held my doubts of no account.

“The Retery’s in flood,” he went on, “and running wild through Hazel Wood; T’nowdunnie’s tattie field’s out o’ sicht, and at the Kirkton they’re fleid they’ve lost twa kye.”

“There has been no rain here,” I stammered, incredulously.

“It’s coming now.” he replied.  “And listen:  the story’s out that the Backbone has fallen into the loch.  You had better cross, dominie, and thole out the nicht wi’ us.”

The Backbone was a piece of mountain-side overhanging a loch among the hills, and legend said that it would one day fall forward and squirt all the water into the glen.  Something of the kind had happened, but I did not believe it then; with little wit I pointed to the shallow Quharity.