`` I 'm not a patient man , David . '' `` I never said you were , '' said I , which was exactly the rude , silly speech of a boy of ten . Alan made no answer at the time , but his conduct answered for him . Henceforth , it is to be thought , he quite forgave himself for the affair at Cluny 's ; cocked his hat again , walked jauntily , whistled airs , and looked at me upon one side with a provoking smile . The third night we were to pass through the western end of the country of Balquhidder . It came clear and cold , with a touch in the air like frost , and a northerly wind that blew the clouds away and made the stars bright . The streams were full , of course , and still made a great noise among the hills ; but I observed that Alan thought no more upon the Kelpie , and was in high good spirits . As for me , the change of weather came too late ; I had lain in the mire so long that -LRB- as the Bible has it -RRB- my very clothes `` abhorred me . '' I was dead weary , deadly sick and full of pains and shiverings ; the chill of the wind went through me , and the sound of it confused my ears . In this poor state I had to bear from my companion something in the nature of a persecution . He spoke a good deal , and never without a taunt . `` Whig '' was the best name he had to give me . `` Here , '' he would say , `` here 's a dub for ye to jump , my Whiggie ! I ken you 're a fine jumper ! '' And so on ; all the time with a gibing voice and face . I knew it was my own doing , and no one else 's ; but I was too miserable to repent . I felt I could drag myself but little farther ; pretty soon , I must lie down and die on these wet mountains like a sheep or a fox , and my bones must whiten there like the bones of a beast . My head was light perhaps ; but I began to love the prospect , I began to glory in the thought of such a death , alone in the desert , with the wild eagles besieging my last moments . Alan would repent then , I thought ; he would remember , when I was dead , how much he owed me , and the remembrance would be torture . So I went like a sick , silly , and bad-hearted schoolboy , feeding my anger against a fellow-man , when I would have been better on my knees , crying on God for mercy .
And at each of XXXXX 's taunts , I hugged myself .
Alan Balquhidder Cluny Kelpie Whig fellow-man mire night shiverings torture