None came , however , all passing by on the other side ; so that our rock continued to be our shield even in this new position . Presently we began again to get a little strength ; and as the soldiers were now lying closer along the river-side , Alan proposed that we should try a start . I was by this time afraid of but one thing in the world ; and that was to be set back upon the rock ; anything else was welcome to me ; so we got ourselves at once in marching order , and began to slip from rock to rock one after the other , now crawling flat on our bellies in the shade , now making a run for it , heart in mouth . The soldiers , having searched this side of the valley after a fashion , and being perhaps somewhat sleepy with the sultriness of the afternoon , had now laid by much of their vigilance , and stood dozing at their posts or only kept a look-out along the banks of the river ; so that in this way , keeping down the valley and at the same time towards the mountains , we drew steadily away from their neighbourhood . But the business was the most wearing I had ever taken part in . A man had need of a hundred eyes in every part of him , to keep concealed in that uneven country and within cry of so many and scattered sentries . When we must pass an open place , quickness was not all , but a swift judgment not only of the lie of the whole country , but of the solidity of every stone on which we must set foot ; for the afternoon was now fallen so breathless that the rolling of a pebble sounded abroad like a pistol shot , and would start the echo calling among the hills and cliffs . By sundown we had made some distance , even by our slow rate of progress , though to be sure the sentry on the rock was still plainly in our view . But now we came on something that put all fears out of season ; and that was a deep rushing burn , that tore down , in that part , to join the glen river . At the sight of this we cast ourselves on the ground and plunged head and shoulders in the water ; and I can not tell which was the more pleasant , the great shock as the cool stream went over us , or the greed with which we drank of it . We lay there -LRB- for the banks hid us -RRB- , drank again and again , bathed our chests , let our wrists trail in the running water till they ached with the chill ; and at last , being wonderfully renewed , we got out the meal-bag and made drammach in the iron pan . This , though it is but cold water mingled with oatmeal , yet makes a good enough dish for a hungry man ; and where there are no means of making fire , or -LRB- as in our case -RRB- good reason for not making one , it is the chief stand-by of those who have taken to the heather . As soon as the shadow of the night had fallen , we set forth again , at first with the same caution , but presently with more boldness , standing our full height and stepping out at a good pace of walking . The way was very intricate , lying up the steep sides of mountains and along the brows of cliffs ; clouds had come in with the sunset , and the night was dark and cool ; so that I walked without much fatigue , but in continual fear of falling and rolling down the mountains , and with no guess at our direction . The moon rose at last and found us still on the road ; it was in its last quarter , and was long beset with clouds ; but after awhile shone out and showed me many dark heads of mountains , and was reflected far underneath us on the narrow arm of a sea-loch . At this sight we both paused : I struck with wonder to find myself so high and walking -LRB- as it seemed to me -RRB- upon clouds ; Alan to make sure of his direction . Seemingly he was well pleased , and he must certainly have judged us out of ear-shot of all our enemies ; for throughout the rest of our night-march he beguiled the way with whistling of many tunes , warlike , merry , plaintive ; reel tunes that made the foot go faster ; tunes of my own south country that made me fain to be home from my adventures ; and all these , on the great , dark , desert mountains , making company upon the way . CHAPTER XXI THE FLIGHT IN THE HEATHER : THE HEUGH OF CORRYNAKIEGH Early as day comes in the beginning of July , it was still dark when we reached our destination , a cleft in the head of a great mountain , with a water running through the midst , and upon the one hand a shallow cave in a rock . Birches grew there in a thin , pretty wood , which a little farther on was changed into a wood of pines . The burn was full of trout ; the wood of cushat-doves ; on the open side of the mountain beyond , whaups would be always whistling , and cuckoos were plentiful .
From the mouth of the cleft we looked down upon a part of Mamore , and on the sea-loch that divides that country from Appin ; and this from so great a height as XXXXX it my continual wonder and pleasure to sit and behold them .
come falling get go hid let made makes pass showed