ndant water into the rocky bed of a stream,
which would go bubbling and foaming down to the sea.

The wafting away of the mist seemed to relieve him of a good deal of the
confusion, and, weary though he was, he found himself able to
distinguish his way, and creep along the pebbly margin of the black
loch, which lay so still and solemn beneath the starry sky.

All at once, after about an hour's laborious tramp down the weird glen,
with its wild crags, black as ink, towering up to right and left, he
suddenly caught sight of a gleam of light, and it struck him that he had
come near to the mouth of the glen, and that he could see a star low
down on the horizon.

The light was to his left, and the place was so horribly oppressive,
with the deep black lake on his right and the roar of water rapidly
growing louder, that he gladly struck off, as he felt, to where the
gorge bore round, or, as he soon made out, divided.

This led him away from the black lake, and he soon found that he was
scrambling along the bed of a little stream, which came, as it were,
straight from the low down star.

Then, as he walked on what grew to be a more and more painful track, it
struck him that it was strange that he could only see one star in that
opening.

A few minutes later, he fancied he could make out towering crags above
it, and that all was black darkness where he ought to be seeing more
light; and then he dropped suddenly upon his knees in the joy of his
heart, for there could be no mistake about the matter: it was not a star
which he could see, but a light, and, rising once more, he forgot
weariness, soreness, and pain, and began to tramp slowly on toward the
light.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT.

There were moments when Max began to feel doubtful; others when he
fancied it might be some deceptive marsh light; and then a great despair
came upon him, for, just as he had come to the hopeful conclusion that
there really was a cottage in the glen, where he could find rest, and
warmth, and food, the light suddenly disappeared, and he was in a
darkness which seemed to be, from the overshadowing mountains, even
deeper than the darkness of the mist.

That was but the fancy of the moment, for the stars gave him light
enough to slowly continue his way, but he stopped and hesitated as to
whether he should go on or go back.

The way along the edge of the loch was easy, and seemed to lead toward
the entrance of the gle