There may be roads for them that know that country well; but for my part

I had no better guide than my own nose, and no other landmark than Ben

More.

I aimed as well as I could for the smoke I had seen so often from the

island; and with all my great weariness and the difficulty of the way

came upon the house in the bottom of a little hollow about five or

six at night. It was low and longish, roofed with turf and built of

unmortared stones; and on a mound in front of it, an old gentleman sat

smoking his pipe in the sun.

With what little English he had, he gave me to understand that my

shipmates had got safe ashore, and had broken bread in that very house

on the day after.

"Was there one," I asked, "dressed like a gentleman?"

He said they all wore rough great-coats; but to be sure, the first of

them, the one that came alone, wore breeches and stockings, while the

rest had sailors' trousers.

"Ah," said I, "and he would have a feathered hat?"

He told me, no, that he was bareheaded like myself.

At first I thought Alan might have lost his hat; and then the rain came

in my mind, and I judged it more likely he had it out of harm's way

under his great-coat. This set me smiling, partly because my friend was

safe, partly to think of his vanity in dress.

And then the old gentleman clapped his hand to his brow, and cried out

that I must be the lad with the silver button.

"Why, yes!" said I, in some wonder.

"Well, then," said the old gentleman, "I have a word for you, that you

are to follow your friend to his country, by Torosay."

He then asked me how I had fared, and I told him my tale. A

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