Listening very close , I caught the word `` whateffer '' several times ; but all the rest was Gaelic and might have been Greek and Hebrew for me . `` Whatever , '' said I , to show him I had caught a word . `` Yes , yes -- yes , yes , '' says he , and then he looked at the other men , as much as to say , `` I told you I spoke English , '' and began again as hard as ever in the Gaelic . This time I picked out another word , `` tide . '' Then I had a flash of hope . I remembered he was always waving his hand towards the mainland of the Ross . `` 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 XXXXX ; being all bog , and brier , and big stone .
English Gaelic Ross beggar-man first hour islet left neaps whateffer