it
was in sight. Charlotte said it was a great pity it was so
ruined, and Robert wished he could see where the drawbridge used
to be.

Now there began to be a great bustle in the ship, for they were
getting near Edinburgh, where they were to land. At last
Edinburgh was in sight. It is the capital city of Scotland, just
as London is of England, and it is very beautiful. They saw it
quite plain from the sea, with hills behind it and on each side
of it, of many forms; some bare and rocky, others clothed with
trees. When they came quite opposite to it, a gun was fired in
the ship. It made such a noise that everybody started, and some
of the ladies screamed. Charlotte and Helen did not like it; but
Robert did very much indeed. Very soon afterwards they came up to
a fine pier, stretching out into the sea, and there they all
landed.

"So now they were in Scotland," said Willie.

They found their uncle's carriage waiting for them, and it took
them to his house in the country, about fifteen miles off.

Well, at this place they were very happy. There was plenty of
green grass to play about upon, and there were large, spreading
trees, and sheep, and cows, and horses, and ponies; and there was
a nice garden, with plenty of fruit and flowers. But what I am
going to tell you most about is a little river that ran along
just outside the garden wall; because this little river was the
cause of a curious adventure, that happened in the month of
September, after they had been several weeks in this pleasant
place.

This river was narrow, and rather deep in some places; but in
others it was broader, and very shallow. It was so shallow in
dry weather that you could cross it without wetting your feet,
by choosing some part where there were large stones standing up,
and where there was not much water. But then you must go
steadily. Charlotte could do it very easily; Helen generally
stopped short, after she had placed her foot on the second stone,
and turned back; but as to Robert, he jumped from stone to stone,
and a day hardly ever passed that he did not go souse into the
water, and get quite wet half up his legs. The proper way to
cross was by a long plank, laid from one bank to the other, or
by a little wooden bridge not far off.

You would hardly think that such a little gentle river as this
could suddenly swell into a foaming flood, and do all manner of
mischief. But so it was.

This river rose, or began to flow, among a rang