Page 94 - The snake's pass
P. 94

—
        82   "      THE snake's pass.  —
                 .
        round again had to go back to where he had last stopped
        on the same  side.
         All this made the process very tedious, and the  day-
        was drawing to a close when we neared the posts set up
        to mark the bounds  of the two  lands.  Several times
        during the day Joyce had come up from his cottage and
        inspected our work,  standing  at his own  side  of the
        post.  He looked at me closely, but did not seem to re-
        cognize me.  I nodded  to him  once, but he did not
        seem to see my salutation, and I did not repeat  it.
         All day long I never heard the sweet voice; and as
        we returned  to Carnaclif after a blank day—blank in
        every sense of the word—the air seemed chiller and the
        sunset less beautiful than  before.  The  last words  I
        heard on the mountain were from Murdock  :
         " Nothin' to-morrow, Mr. Sutherland
                                  !  I've a  flittin'
        to make, but I pay the day  all the same;  I hould ye
        to your  conthract.  An' remember,  surr,  we're  in no
        hurry wid  the wurrk now, so  ye' 11 not need help any
        more."
         Andy made no remark  till we were well away from the
        hill, and then said, dryly  :
                                        ; ye luk
         " I'm afeerd yer 'an'r has had but a poor day
        as  if ye hadn't seen a bit  iv bog  at  all, at  all.  Gee
        up, ye ould Corncrake  !  the gintlemin does be hurryin'
        home fur  their  tay,  an'  fur more wurrk wid bogs to-
        morra  !
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