"The front door's drifted up; gang roond tae the back, an' ye 'illget intae the kitchen; a'll be ready in a meenut.

"Gie's a hand wi' the lantern when a'm exclaimedling Jess, an' ye neednacome on till daylicht; a' ken the road."

Then he was away inside his sleep on some errand of mercy, andstruggling through the storm.

"It's a coorse nicht, Jess, an' very heavy traivellin'; can ye look at aforeye, lass? for a'm clean confused wi' the snaw; bide a wee till a'find the diveesion o' the roads; it's aboot here back or forrit.

"Steady, lass, steady, dinna plunge; it's a drift we're in, butye're no sinkin'; ... up noo; ... there ye are on the road again.

"Eh, it really is deep the nicht, an' hard on us baith, but there's a puirwumman micht dee if we didna warstle through; ... that's it; ye kenfine what a'm sayin'.

"We 'ill hae tae leave the road here, an' tak tae the muir. Sandie'ill no can leave the wife alane tae meet us; ... feel for yersel',lass, and keep oot o' the holes.