while afore yin wad ever come near you."

Thus the evening passed till some were lying below the table, unable to
sit up and take their round; and finally the closing hour arrived, and
all had to disperse.

Black Jock, again left to himself, deserted by all his company, and in
spite of all the drink he had consumed walking fairly steadily, stepped
out upon the country road, neither caring nor knowing in which direction
he went. His head bent forward upon his breast, or rolling occasionally
from side to side, seemed too heavy for his neck to support, as he
swayed from the center of the road to its margin.

The horrible staring eyes began again to infest his journey, and seemed
to accompany him wherever he went. He could not get away from them. Out
in the lonely night, the whole sky merry with stars, was alive with
staring eyes, that glared down upon him from above with a cold sinister
light. They looked at him from the hedgerows; they glared at him from
behind every bush or knoll by the wayside; they glowered at him from
behind the trees; and they even perched upon his shoulders and peeped at
him in accusation.

"Damn you!" he growled, striking at them as if he would brush them from
his sight; but still they followed and accused no matter where he
turned. He grew more and more irritated and alarmed, as they seemed to
multiply with every minute that passed; and he quickened his pace, but
in spite of his speed, they still pursued and multiplied.

Driven mad by the persistence of their stare, he rushed from side to
side of the road, striking at them, hitting out with his hands, and
kicking with his feet; but still they grew in numbers and in immensity.

He shook himself as if to free his body from them; he rushed ahead,
swearing and muttering; he growled and shouted, sometimes pleading to be
let alone, and sometimes roaring defiance to the night air; but still
the eyes held him relentlessly, implacably, and ever growing in numbers,
until it seemed as if the whole countryside were alive with them. They
came nearer and receded again; they swarmed round him in legions, then
withdrew behind the hedges to stare at him with wide-open lids. They
drew him onward, and he advanced cautiously. Then they rushed at him,
and retired again, as if driven back; but still they were there, just
round the bend of the road, just behind that bush, just over that hedge,
and behind that tree, glaring and looking at him, and ready to rush
for