The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

674
^^^ Highland Monthly.
I got back in good time for the " five o'clock ;" there
was no sign of it, but that was to be expected. What
surprised me was the absence of that bustle and clamour
which I had left here in the morning. Tiiere were certainly
some men to be seen on the line, and in the joiners' and
blacksmiths' shops work was going on, but otherwise the
quietness was striking.
Going up to a navvy, who was wringing the rain out of
his cap, I asked him about Macdougall and the " five
o'clock," " Och," the man replied, " Macdougall and the
squad are off to Fort-William, and the ' five o'clock ' won't
be here the nicht."
The sun was setting in the west. The heavy grey clouds
were creeping nearer and nearer to the bedraggled earth.
The steady downpour of the last few hours grew steadier,^
and the evening was to be more dismal than the day. The
blacksmiths had begun to do up their fires for the night
and the joiners to lock their doors.
The man who had given me the information reached for
his hammer, and, swinging it carelessly over his shoulder,
betook himself to his bothy ; whilst I wandered aimlessly
back along the line with the full significance of the words
" the ' five o'clock '
'ill no be here the nicht," sinking deeper
and deeper into my heart,
Now that a sublime dismalness had been reached, a
soothing compensation of something so absurd in the tout
ensemble struck me as ludicrous in the extreme, so that I
laughed long and loudly. The beneficial influence of this
hilarit)' impelled me to enquire of the first comer where
in his estimation and looking at the matter from his
independent standpoint—he thought I should pass the
night ? The sudden directness of this query had a con-
fusing effect on his mind which took some time to correct.
Was I a gaffer ? Was I an office hand ? No ; not exactly,.
said I, in a hesitating sort of fashion. Wishing to impress
him with the idea that though not exactly either, I was
ncarl}- allied to both, and thereb)- possibl}- secure some
benefit.
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