`` And so he was to Alan , '' said he ; `` and by my troth , I found his way a very good one ! But ye see , David , the loss of the ship and the cries of these poor lads sat very ill upon the man ; and I 'm thinking that would be the cause of it . '' `` Well , I would think so , '' says I ; `` for he was as keen as any of the rest at the beginning . But how did Hoseason take it ? '' `` It sticks in my mind that he would take it very ill , '' says Alan . `` But the little man cried to me to run , and indeed I thought it was a good observe , and ran . The last that I saw they were all in a knot upon the beach , like folk that were not agreeing very well together . '' `` What do you mean by that ? '' said I. `` Well , the fists were going , '' said Alan ; `` and I saw one man go down like a pair of breeks . But I thought it would be better no to wait . Ye see there 's a strip of Campbells in that end of Mull , which is no good company for a gentleman like me . If it hadnae been for that I would have waited and looked for ye mysel ' , let alone giving a hand to the little man . '' -LRB- It was droll how Alan dwelt on Mr. Riach 's stature , for , to say the truth , the one was not much smaller than the other . -RRB- `` So , '' says he , continuing , `` I set my best foot forward , and whenever I met in with any one I cried out there was a wreck ashore . Man , they didnae stop to fash with me ! Ye should have seen them linking for the beach ! And when they got there they found they had had the pleasure of a run , which is aye good for a Campbell . I 'm thinking it was a judgment on the clan that the brig went down in the lump and didnae break . But it was a very unlucky thing for you , that same ; for if any wreck had come ashore they would have hunted high and low , and would soon have found ye . '' CHAPTER XIX THE HOUSE OF FEAR Night fell as we were walking , and the clouds , which had broken up in the afternoon , settled in and thickened , so that it fell , for the season of the year , extremely dark .
The way we went was over rough mountainsides ; and though XXXXX pushed on with an assured manner , I could by no means see how he directed himself .
Alan Campbells David Hoseason Mull Night XIX afternoon breeks mysel