Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

RAIN AND LACK OF RAIN 233had the drought. The Tay had not been so lowfor a century, and the Tummel Water during thepast week had uncovered a certain white rock,as itreceded, which had not been seen above thesurface since 1826.of caterpillars in June.There had also been a plagueBut there I cut him short,for I am not at all sure that caterpillars can beclassed as weather.I could not quite understand his manifestdespondency. For it was a wonderful summer,the hotels were full, Dunkeld was prosperousgroceries were clearly in demand. But when Iput itgroceries.to him I learned that his heart was not inHe was a fisherman, and that was thesecret of his despair.I reflected afterwards thatthat hardly covered the case of the caterpillars,but I had no time to go back and ask him aboutthat.A few days later, near Balloch, we found ourselvesat camping time in a countrybereft oflevel spaces, and had to pull up a steep little lane,leading to a farm at the hill-top. The lanebecame altogether too steep, but we managed todraw in at the side of it, among the trees by"It was a capital seat," but far froma spring.level. We contrived, however, by building upthe back wheels with flat stones for the best part