good warranty."

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked.

"Nae harm," said he, "nae harm ava'. Ye'll have strong freens, I'm

thinking. Ye'll be richt eneuch yet."

There began to fall a greyness on the face of the sea; little dabs

of pink and red, like coals of slow fire, came in the east; and at

the same time the geese awakened, and began crying about the top of

the Bass. It is just the one crag of rock, as everybody knows, but

great enough to carve a city from. The sea was extremely little,

but there went a hollow plowter round the base of it. With the

growing of the dawn I could see it clearer and clearer; the

straight crags painted with sea-birds' droppings like a morning

frost, the sloping top of it green with grass, the clan of white

geese that cried about the sides, and the black, broken buildings

of the prison sitting close on the sea's edge.

At the sight the truth came in upon me in a clap.

"It's there you're taking me!" I cried.

"Just to the Bass, mannie," said he: "Whaur the auld saints were

afore ye, and I misdoubt if ye have come so fairly by your

preeson."

"But none dwells there now," I cried; "the place is long a ruin."

"It'll be the mair pleisand a change for the solan geese, then,"

quoth Andie dryly.

The day coming slowly brighter I observed on the bilge, among the

big stones with which fisherfolk ballast their boats, several kegs

and baskets, and a provision of fuel. All these were discharged

upon the crag. Andie, myself, and my three Highlanders (I call

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