There was no sound other than the loud voice of
the water, talking only of its return to the sea. When he came to the
cave he pushed aside the masking growth and entered. Dark and barren
here, with the ashes of an old fire! For one moment, as it were
distinctly, he saw Ian. He stood so clear in the mind's eye that it
seemed that one intense effort might have set him bodily in the
cavern. But the central strength let the image go. Alexander moved the
ashes of the fire with his foot, shuddered in the place of cold and
shadow, and, stooping, went out of the cave and on upon his search for
Elspeth Barrow.
He sought the glen through, and at last, at the head, he came to
Mother Binning's cot. Her fire was burning; she was standing in the
door looking toward him.
"Eh, Glenfernie! is there news of the lassie?"
"None. You've got the sight. Can you not _see_?"
"It's gane from me! When it gaes I'm just like ony bird with a broken
wing."
"If you cannot see, what do you think?"
"I dinna want to think and I dinna want to say. Whaur be ye gaeing
now?"
"On over the moor and down by the Kelpie's Pool."
"Gae on then. I'll watch for ye coming back."
He went on. Something strange had him, drawing him. He came out from
the band of trees upon the swelling open moor, bare and brown save
where the snow laced it.
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