lying there at Culverton, neglected perhaps, with
no son at hand to tend him, drove me nearly frantic.

"The afternoon dragged on, and towards dark the snow ceased to fall.
That was at least some comfort, for to battle through that storm in the
dark would have been an impossibility. As it was, my good horse was
even now ready to drop, and I was in little better plight. If either of
us failed it meant an entire night in the snow, and that would be little
short of certain death. It was a dreary prospect.

"However, as I say, the snow ceased to fall, and towards night the sky
overhead began to clear, until presently the moon shone out and lit up
the wintry scene. But for this light we might have lost our way
hopelessly, for the road lay over a heath, which being all covered in
snow, we had only the wayside posts to direct us and keep us on the
beaten track.

"It must have been near eight o'clock, sixteen hours since I had left
the assembly at Ogilby, when I caught sight in the moonlight of a small
cottage a little way removed from the road on our right. The sight of
this, the first habitation we had passed for hours, was welcome indeed.
I could scarcely stand with hunger, fatigue, and cold, and my brave
horse was stumbling at every step. Our only chance of reaching
Culverton that night was in seeking such rest and refreshment as this
place might afford, and I therefore gladly turned aside and led my weary
steed along the by-path that led up to it.

"It was a small tumbledown cottage, or rather barn, and my fond hopes as
to fire and refreshment were dashed at once. It was empty. The broken
door stood ajar, the roof was nearly fallen in, and everything within
and without testified that for weeks at any rate it had been deserted.
Still it had walls and a roof, and so if we were not to have board we
might at least for an hour or so help ourselves to lodgings.

"I led my horse in, and after much groping about was delighted to
discover in one corner of the hovel a sort of stall, which had evidently
at one time or other been occupied by a cow. The ground was still
strewn with a little old and very vile straw, which, however, was an
unexpected luxury to us both, and a mere mouthful of stale hay remained
in the trough. To these desirable quarters I conducted my faithful
companion, who without ceremony devoured the hay, and then, too
exhausted to stand, dropped into a recumbent posture, and lay stretched
on his side