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Chapter 3
SoIfastenedontheprintedwords,foryoucanmakeaprettygoodnumericalcypherifyouhaveakeywordwhichgivesyouthesequenceoftheletters.
Itriedforhours,butnoneofthewordsanswered.ThenIfellasleepandwokeatDumfriesjustintimetobundleoutandgetintotheslowGallowaytrain.TherewasamanontheplatformwhoselooksIdidn’tlike,butheneverglancedatme,andwhenIcaughtsightofmyselfinthemirrorofanautomaticmachineIdidn’twonder.Withmybrownface,myoldtweeds,andmyslouch,Iwastheverymodelofoneofthehillfarmerswhowerecrowdingintothethird-classcarriages.
Itravelledwithhalfadozeninanatmosphereofshagandclaypipes.Theyhadcomefromtheweeklymarket,andtheirmouthswerefullofprices.IheardaccountsofhowthelambinghadgoneuptheCairnandtheDeuchandadozenothermysteriouswaters.Abovehalfthemenhadlunchedheavilyandwerehighlyflavouredwithwhisky,sotheytooknonoticeofme.Werumbledslowlyintoalandoflittlewoodedglensandthentoagreatwidemoorlandplace,gleamingwithlochs,withhighbluehillsshowingnorthwards.
Aboutfiveo’clockthecarriagehademptied,andIwasleftaloneasIhadhoped.Igotoutatthenextstation,alittleplacewhosenameIscarcelynoted,setrightintheheartofabog.ItremindedmeofoneofthoseforgottenlittlestationsintheKarroo.Anoldstation-masterwasdigginginhisgarden,andwithhisspadeoverhisshouldersaunteredtothetrain,tookchargeofaparcel,andwentbacktohispotatoes.
