ther; and I
could just see the ripple o' the waves and the fleece o' white clouds
far away, but naething else.

It was a while before I could do that, for I seemed to be covered wi'
dried grass and leaves above my chin as I lay there in a deep cleft in
the cliff side, mid a tangle of stalks an' roots, and dry driftsand,
that had got into my claes, and tilled my ears and eyes. I was like a
man paralysed, too; and had to move an inch at a time, till I could rub,
first my arms, an' then, when I had got upon one elbow, give my legs a
turn, and then my back. The first thing I did was to feel if the
necklace was on my wrist still; but it had gone; dropped off and lost in
the scuffle. Next I crawled to the edge of the hole, and peered down
the cliff side, and all round, as far as I could see, to look for the
body of Rory Smith, living or dead.

I could not tell how he had fallen; but unless he had clutched at the
long weed, or reached a cliff lower down, he'd hardly be alive after a
whole night; for, had he fallen on the beach, and been disabled, his
body was now under the water, above which the sea-birds wheeled and
piped in the bright morning air.

Perhaps he had cried out, and help had come, while I lay senseless.
However it was, I must get to the village and see what could be done.
The quickest way was to climb up to the path again, and so get toward
the long street o' Slievochan, nearer than going back to find uncle an'
Rab, who'd most likely be at Donald Miller's to look for me.

It was strange to think that I should have been fightin' for Maggie, an'
all the time was the only one that made no claim to be her lover. I
began to wonder whether, after all, the lassie might have understood me
different, and had been waitin' for me to speak out, preferrin' me to
Rab even, and wonderin' why I had his name always foremost. The thought
wasna' a good one, for I felt a kind of sudden fancy to win the girl,
even though I couldna say I loved her; indeed, I'd thought of her only
as a winsome child; and, lately, had never spoke of her to Rab, except
wi' caution, for I could see that the puir laddie was sair in airnest.
Somehow, the thought o' my bein' Maggie's lover, though I put it frae
me, caused me for a moment to wonder what she'd say to me if she saw me
all dusty, and with torn clothes and grimy face. This made me look at
my clothes, and, wi' a sort o' wonder, I found that my pilot coat had
got all brown at the back, wh