The tediousness and pain of these hours upon the rock grew only the greater as the day went on ; the rock getting still the hotter and the sun fiercer . There were giddiness , and sickness , and sharp pangs like rheumatism , to be supported . I minded then , and have often minded since , on the lines in our Scotch psalm : -- `` The moon by night thee shall not smite , Nor yet the sun by day ; '' and indeed it was only by God 's blessing that we were neither of us sun-smitten . At last , about two , it was beyond men 's bearing , and there was now temptation to resist , as well as pain to thole . For the sun being now got a little into the west , there came a patch of shade on the east side of our rock , which was the side sheltered from the soldiers . `` As well one death as another , '' said Alan , and slipped over the edge and dropped on the ground on the shadowy side . I followed him at once , and instantly fell all my length , so weak was I and so giddy with that long exposure . Here , then , we lay for an hour or two , aching from head to foot , as weak as water , and lying quite naked to the eye of any soldier who should have strolled that way . None came , however , all passing by on the other side ; so that our rock continued to be our shield even in this new position . Presently we began again to get a little strength ; and as the soldiers were now lying closer along the river-side , Alan proposed that we should try a start . I was by this time afraid of but one thing in the world ; and that was to be set back upon the rock ; anything else was welcome to me ; so we got ourselves at once in marching order , and began to slip from rock to rock one after the other , now crawling flat on our bellies in the shade , now making a run for it , heart in mouth . The soldiers , having searched this side of the valley after a fashion , and being perhaps somewhat sleepy with the sultriness of the afternoon , had now laid by much of their vigilance , and stood dozing at their posts or only kept a look-out along the banks of the river ; so that in this way , keeping down the valley and at the same time towards the mountains , we drew steadily away from their neighbourhood . But the business was the most wearing I had ever taken part in . A man had need of a hundred eyes in every part of him , to keep concealed in that uneven country and within cry of so many and scattered sentries . When we must pass an open place , quickness was not all , but a swift judgment not only of the lie of the whole country , but of the solidity of every stone on which we must set foot ; for the afternoon was now fallen so breathless that the rolling of a pebble sounded abroad like a pistol shot , and would start the echo calling among the hills and cliffs . By sundown we had made some distance , even by our slow rate of progress , though to be sure the sentry on the rock was still plainly in our view . But now we came on something that put all fears out of season ; and that was a deep rushing burn , that tore down , in that part , to join the glen river . At the sight of this we cast ourselves on the ground and plunged head and shoulders in the water ; and I can not tell which was the more pleasant , the great shock as the cool stream went over us , or the greed with which we drank of it . We lay there -LRB- for the banks hid us -RRB- , drank again and again , bathed our chests , let our wrists trail in the running water till they ached with the chill ; and at last , being wonderfully renewed , we got out the meal-bag and made drammach in the iron pan . This , though it is but cold water mingled with oatmeal , yet makes a good enough dish for a hungry man ; and where there are no means of making fire , or -LRB- as in our case -RRB- good reason for not making one , it is the chief stand-by of those who have taken to the heather .
As soon as the shadow of the XXXXX had fallen , we set forth again , at first with the same caution , but presently with more boldness , standing our full height and stepping out at a good pace of walking .
Alan afternoon burn day fire hour look-out meal-bag night sultriness