But if we stave on straight to the auld Brig of Stirling , I 'll lay my sword they let us pass unchallenged . '' The first night , accordingly , we pushed to the house of a Maclaren in Strathire , a friend of Duncan 's , where we slept the twenty-first of the month , and whence we set forth again about the fall of night to make another easy stage . The twenty-second we lay in a heather bush on the hillside in Uam Var , within view of a herd of deer , the happiest ten hours of sleep in a fine , breathing sunshine and on bone-dry ground , that I have ever tasted . That night we struck Allan Water , and followed it down ; and coming to the edge of the hills saw the whole Carse of Stirling underfoot , as flat as a pancake , with the town and castle on a hill in the midst of it , and the moon shining on the Links of Forth . `` Now , '' said Alan , `` I kenna if ye care , but ye 're in your own land again . We passed the Hieland Line in the first hour ; and now if we could but pass yon crooked water , we might cast our bonnets in the air . '' In Allan Water , near by where it falls into the Forth , we found a little sandy islet , overgrown with burdock , butterbur and the like low plants , that would just cover us if we lay flat . Here it was we made our camp , within plain view of Stirling Castle , whence we could hear the drums beat as some part of the garrison paraded . Shearers worked all day in a field on one side of the river , and we could hear the stones going on the hooks and the voices and even the words of the men talking . It behoved to lie close and keep silent . But the sand of the little isle was sun-warm , the green plants gave us shelter for our heads , we had food and drink in plenty ; and to crown all , we were within sight of safety . As soon as the shearers quit their work and the dusk began to fall , we waded ashore and struck for the Bridge of Stirling , keeping to the fields and under the field fences . The bridge is close under the castle hill , an old , high , narrow bridge with pinnacles along the parapet ; and you may conceive with how much interest I looked upon it , not only as a place famous in history , but as the very doors of salvation to Alan and myself . The moon was not yet up when we came there ; a few lights shone along the front of the fortress , and lower down a few lighted windows in the town ; but it was all mighty still , and there seemed to be no guard upon the passage . I was for pushing straight across ; but Alan was more wary . `` It looks unco ' quiet , '' said he ; `` but for all that we 'll lie down here cannily behind a dyke , and make sure . '' So we lay for about a quarter of an hour , whiles whispering , whiles lying still and hearing nothing earthly but the washing of the water on the piers . At last there came by an old , hobbling woman with a crutch stick ; who first stopped a little , close to where we lay , and bemoaned herself and the long way she had travelled ; and then set forth again up the steep spring of the bridge . The woman was so little , and the night still so dark , that we soon lost sight of her ; only heard the sound of her steps , and her stick , and a cough that she had by fits , draw slowly farther away . `` She 's bound to be across now , '' I whispered .
`` Na , '' said XXXXX , `` her foot still sounds boss * upon the bridge . ''
Alan Shearers Stirling Strathire butterbur hours pancake twenty-first twenty-second unco