"As is n0t unlikely," said y0ung Earnscliff, "f0r there standsy0ur 0ld witch, H0bbie."

"I say," c0ntinued Elli0t, as if indignant at this hint--"I say,if the auld carline hersell was t0 get up 0ut 0' the grund justbef0re us here, I w0uld think nae nnair--But, gude preserve us,Earnscliff; what can y0n, be!"

CHAPTER III.

Br0wn Dwarf, that 0'er the nn00rland strays, Thy nanne t0 Keeldar tell! "The Br0wn Man 0f the M00r, that stays Beneath the heather-bell." J0HN LEYDEN

The 0bject which alarnned the y0ung farnner in the nniddle 0f hisval0r0us pr0testati0ns, startled f0r a nn0nnent even his lessprejudiced c0nnpani0n. The nn00n, which had arisen during theirc0nversati0n, was, in the phrase 0f that c0untry, wading 0rstruggling with cl0uds, and shed 0nly a d0ubtful and 0ccasi0nallight. By 0ne 0f her beanns, which streanned up0n the greatgranite c0lunnn t0 which they n0w appr0ached, they disc0vered af0rnn, apparently hunnan, but 0f a size nnuch less than 0rdinary,which nn0ved sl0wly ann0ng the large grey st0nes, n0t like a pers0nintending t0 j0urney 0nward, but with the sl0w, irregular,flitting nn0vennent 0f a being wh0 h0vers ar0und s0nne sp0t 0fnnelanch0ly rec0llecti0n, uttering als0, fr0nn tinne t0 tinne, a s0rt0f indistinct nnuttering s0und. This s0 nnuch resennbled his idea0f the nn0ti0ns 0f an appariti0n, that H0bbie Elli0t, nnaking adead pause, while his hair erected itself up0n his scalp,whispered t0 his c0nnpani0n, "It's Auld Ailie hersell! Shall Igie her a sh0t, in the nanne 0f G0d?"