s
directed to the house of a man named Giles, who had been occupied for
years among the neighbouring sheep-walks.

Giles listened to his story with open eyes. "Thee bi'st coom over t'
Razor along Devil's Way," said he in amazement; "then thee bi'st just
the plookiest young chap I've seen for many a day."

"We must get back over it, too, to reach them," said Walter.

"O ay; I be'ant afear'd of t' Razor; I've crossed him many a time, and
I'll take a bit rope over and help they other chaps. We'll take a
lantern, too. Don't you be afeared, sir, we'll get 'em all right," he
said, observing how anxious and excited Walter seemed to be.

"Come, then," said Walter, "quick, quick! I promised to come back to
them at once. You shall be well paid for your trouble."

"Tut, tut," said the man, "the pay's naught. Why, I'd come if it were
only a dumb sheep in danger, let alone a brace of lads like you."

They set off with a lantern, a rope, and some food, and Giles was
delighted at the quick and elastic step of the young mountaineer. The
lantern they soon extinguished. It was not needed; for though the sun
had now set, a glorious full moon had begun to pour her broad flood of
silver radiance over the gloomy hills by the time they had reached
Bardlyn rift.

"There ain't no call for _you_ to cross again, sir," said the man; "I'll
just go over by myself, and look after the young gentlemen."

"O, let me come, I must come!" said Walter. "The mist's quite off it
now, so that it's just as easy under this moonlight as when I came; and,
besides, if you take a coil of the rope in your hand I'll take hold of
the other end."

"Well, you're the right sort, and no mistake," said the man. "God bless
you for a brave young heart! And, truth tell, I'll be very glad to have
ye with me, for they do say as how poor old Waul's ghost haunts about
here, and it 'ud be fearsome at night. I know that there's One as keeps
them as has a good conscience, but yet I'll be glad to have ye all the
same."

The moonlight flung on every side the mysterious and gigantic shadows of
rocks and hills, seeming to glimmer with a ghastly hue as it fell and
struggled into the black depths of the untrodden rift; but habit made
the Devil's Way seem nothing to the mountain shepherd, and he protected
Walter (who twined round his wrist one end of the rope) from the danger
of stumbling, as effectually as Walter protected him from all ghostly
fears. When they reac