long.

II. THE ROAD TO THE KIRK

The clean red farm-cart rattled into the town of Cairn Edward at five
minutes past eleven. The burghers looked up and said, "Hoo is the
clock?" Some of them went so far as to correct any discrepancy in their
time-keepers, for all the world knew that the Drumquhat cart was not a
moment too soon or too late, so long as Saunders had the driving of it.
Times had not been too good of late; and for some years--indeed, ever
since the imposition of the tax on light-wheeled vehicles--the
"tax-cart" had slumbered wheelless in the back of the peat-shed, and the
Drumquhat folk had driven a well-cleaned, heavy-wheeled red cart both to
kirk and market. But they were respected in spite of their want of that
admirable local certificate of character, "He is a respectable man. He
keeps a gig." One good man in Whinnyliggate says to this day that he
had an excellent upbringing. He was brought up by his parents to fear
God and respect the Drumquhat folks!

Walter generally went to church now, ever since his granny had tired of
conveying him to the back field overlooking the valley of the Black
Water of the Dee, while his mother made herself ready. He was fond of
going there to see the tents of the invading army of navvies who were
carrying the granite rock-cuttings and heavy embankments of the
Portpatrick Railway through the wilds of the Galloway moors. But Mary
M'Quhirr struck work one day when the "infant," being hungry for a
piece, said calmly, "D'ye no think that we can gang hame? My mither will
be awa' to the kirk by noo!"

On the long journey to church, Walter nominally accompanied the cart.
Occasionally he seated himself on the clean straw which filled its
bottom; but most of the time this was too fatiguing an occupation for
him. On the plea of walking up the hills, he ranged about on either side
of the highway, scenting the ground like a young collie. He even
gathered flowers when his grandfather was not looking, and his mother or
his "gran," who were not so sound in the faith, aided and abetted him by
concealing them when Saunders looked round. The master sat, of course,
on the front of the cart and drove; but occasionally he cast a wary eye
around, and if he saw that they were approaching any houses he would
stop the cart and make Walter get in. On these occasions he would fail
to observe it even if Walter's hands contained a posy of wild-flowers as
big as his head. His blindness was remark