`` Do you mean when the tide is out -- ? '' I cried , and could not finish . `` Yes , yes , '' said he . `` Tide . '' At that I turned tail upon their boat -LRB- where my adviser had once more begun to tee-hee with laughter -RRB- , leaped back the way I had come , from one stone to another , and set off running across the isle as I had never run before . In about half an hour I came out upon the shores of the creek ; and , sure enough , it was shrunk into a little trickle of water , through which I dashed , not above my knees , and landed with a shout on the main island . A sea-bred boy would not have stayed a day on Earraid ; which is only what they call a tidal islet , and except in the bottom of the neaps , can be entered and left twice in every twenty-four hours , either dry-shod , or at the most by wading . Even I , who had the tide going out and in before me in the bay , and even watched for the ebbs , the better to get my shellfish -- even I -LRB- I say -RRB- if I had sat down to think , instead of raging at my fate , must have soon guessed the secret , and got free . It was no wonder the fishers had not understood me . The wonder was rather that they had ever guessed my pitiful illusion , and taken the trouble to come back . I had starved with cold and hunger on that island for close upon one hundred hours . But for the fishers , I might have left my bones there , in pure folly . And even as it was , I had paid for it pretty dear , not only in past sufferings , but in my present case ; being clothed like a beggar-man , scarce able to walk , and in great pain of my sore throat . I have seen wicked men and fools , a great many of both ; and I believe they both get paid in the end ; but the fools first . CHAPTER XV THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON : THROUGH THE ISLE OF MULL The Ross of Mull , which I had now got upon , was rugged and trackless , like the isle I had just left ; being all bog , and brier , and big stone . There may be roads for them that know that country well ; but for my part I had no better guide than my own nose , and no other landmark than Ben More . I aimed as well as I could for the smoke I had seen so often from the island ; and with all my great weariness and the difficulty of the way came upon the house in the bottom of a little hollow about five or six at night . It was low and longish , roofed with turf and built of unmortared stones ; and on a mound in front of it , an old gentleman sat smoking his pipe in the sun . With what little English he had , he gave me to understand that my shipmates had got safe ashore , and had broken bread in that very house on the day after . `` Was there one , '' I asked , `` dressed like a gentleman ? ''
He said they all wore rough great-coats ; but to be sure , the XXXXX of them , the one that came alone , wore breeches and stockings , while the rest had sailors ' trousers .
Earraid English More beggar-man brier first hour islet shellfish smoking