dna hev been six able-bodied
men missin'.

"A' wes mad at them, because they never said onything when he wes
leevin', but they felt for a' that what he hed dune, an', a' think, he
kent it afore he deed.

"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
wud hae been drifted up again before morning. We've cleared awa the snow
at the back for the prayer; ye 'ill get in at the kitchen door.

"There's a puckle Dunleith men-----"

"Wha?" cried Jamie in an instant.

"Dunleith men," said Drumsheugh.

"Div ye mean they're here, whar are they?"

"Drying themsels at the fire, an' no withoot need; ane of them gied
ower the head in a drift, and his neeburs hed tae pu' him oot.

"It took them a gude fower oors tae get across, an' it wes coorse wark;
they likit him weel doon that wy, an', Jamie, man"--here Drumsheugh's
voice changed its note, and his public manner disappeared--"what div ye
think o' this? every man o' them has on his blacks."

"It's mair than cud be expeckit" said Jamie; "but whar dae yon men come
frae, Drumsheugh?"

Two men in plaids were descen