The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

628 Ihe Highland Monthly
By way of marked contrast to this luxuriance
might be seen a small group of navvies in their
labour-stained moleskins, who hung about, though at a
respectful distance, striving to kindle damp tobacco ; to
button their jackets as close to the throat as the scarce
buttons would admit of; to turn up the remnant of twoinch
collars as near to their ears as a five-inch neck would
allow, and to bury their hands and as much of their arms
as far down as possible into their trousers' pockets ;
.
for the
morning v/as one of those, alas, too frequent now-a-days,
wintry and sloppy, and cold and damp. The spot where
they stood was an obscure and dreary one in the central
highlands of Inverness-shire. It had been raining for a
fortnight, and that it would rain that day was as sure as
this tale is true, if indeed the rain had not already begun
to come down.
That he of the ulster and umbrella is the writer of this
sketch will be guessed by those curious on the point. Let
me disclose myself! The initials of my name will be
found at the end of this article, and my full dignity and
titles in the roll of fame by whomsoever is fortunate enough
to possess a copy.
I had business at an obscure highland retreat some-
where in or near the Rannoch Muir, and my handiest
means of getting there was, I was told, to get passage by
fear or favour in the workmen's train up the West Highland
line, then as now in process of construction, and of which
the portion from Fort-William to some few miles beyond
the head of Loch Treig, was finished enough to admit of
so-called " trains" being sent so far daily, carrying workmen
and plant. By favour of a friend—an employe of the
contractor's—by name the extraordinary one of Macdougall,
I readily procured the necessary authority, and
accordingly I took my seat in the train on the particular
morning in question, and under the circumstances already
described.
The rolling-stock consisted of an engine and a covered-
in van. The former was the puffiest, smokiest, jerkiest,