a
floating field of ice. The barque was thrown right upon it with one
side stove in; but nobody was killed. It was an awful night, Annie; but
I'm not going to tell you about it now. We made a rough sledge, and
loaded it with provisions, and set out westward, and were carried
westward at the same time on the floe, till we came near land. Then we
launched our boat and got to the shore of Greenland. There we set out
travelling southwards. Many of our men died, do what I could to keep
them alive. But I'll tell you all about it another time, if you'll let
me. What I want to tell you noo's this.--Ilka nicht, as sure as I lay
doon i' the snaw to sleep, I dreamed I was at hame. A' the auld stories
cam' back. I woke ance, thinkin' I was carryin' you throu' the water i'
the lobby o' the schuil, and that ye was greitin' upo' my face. And
whan I woke, my face was weet. I doobt I had been greitin mysel'. A'
the auld faces cam' roon' me ilka nicht, Thomas Crann and Jeames Dow
and my mother--whiles ane and whiles anither--but ye was aye there.

"Ae mornin', whan I woke up, I was my lane. I dinna ken richtly hoo it
had happened. I think the men war nigh-han' dazed wi' the terrible
cauld and the weariness o' the traivel, and I had sleepit ower lang,
and they had forgotten a' aboot me. And what think ye was the first
thocht i' my heid, whan I cam' to mysel', i' the terrible white
desolation o' cauld and ice and snaw? I wantit to run straucht to you,
and lay my heid upo' yer shouther. For I had been dreamin' a' nicht
that I was lyin' i' my bed at hame, terrible ill, and ye war gaein
aboot the room like an angel, wi' the glimmer o' white wings aboot ye,
which I reckon was the snaw comin' throu' my dream. And ye wad never
come near me; and I cudna speak to cry to ye to come; till at last,
whan my hert was like to brak 'cause ye wadna luik at me, ye turned wi'
tears i' yer een, and cam' to the bedside and leaned ower me, and--"

Here Alec's voice failed him.

"Sae ye see it was nae wonner that I wantit you, whan I fand mysel' a'
my lane i' the dreidfu' place, the very beauty o' which was deidly.

"Weel, that wasna a'. I got mair that day than I thocht ever to get.
Annie, I think what Thomas Crann used to say maun be true. Annie, I
think a body may some day get a kin' o' a sicht o' the face o' God.--I
was sae dooncast, whan I saw mysel' left ahin', that I sat doon upon a
rock and glowered at naething. It was awfu'. An' it grew waur and wau