The next time I counted the full thousand , as slowly as I could , my heart beating so as to hurt me . And then it was out of all question . She was coming straight to Earraid ! I could no longer hold myself back , but ran to the seaside and out , from one rock to another , as far as I could go . It is a marvel I was not drowned ; for when I was brought to a stand at last , my legs shook under me , and my mouth was so dry , I must wet it with the sea-water before I was able to shout . All this time the boat was coming on ; and now I was able to perceive it was the same boat and the same two men as yesterday . This I knew by their hair , which the one had of a bright yellow and the other black . But now there was a third man along with them , who looked to be of a better class . As soon as they were come within easy speech , they let down their sail and lay quiet . In spite of my supplications , they drew no nearer in , and what frightened me most of all , the new man tee-hee 'd with laughter as he talked and looked at me . Then he stood up in the boat and addressed me a long while , speaking fast and with many wavings of his hand . I told him I had no Gaelic ; and at this he became very angry , and I began to suspect he thought he was talking English . Listening very close , I caught the word `` whateffer '' several times ; but all the rest was Gaelic and might have been Greek and Hebrew for me . `` Whatever , '' said I , to show him I had caught a word . `` Yes , yes -- yes , yes , '' says he , and then he looked at the other men , as much as to say , `` I told you I spoke English , '' and began again as hard as ever in the Gaelic . This time I picked out another word , `` tide . '' Then I had a flash of hope . I remembered he was always waving his hand towards the mainland of the Ross . `` Do you mean when the tide is out -- ? '' I cried , and could not finish .
`` Yes , yes , '' XXXXX he .
beating cried frightened lay marvel ran said say says spoke