Without entering into minute comparisons, it may be truly said that Glen Ogle is one of the grandest and wildest of mountain passes in the highlands of Perthshire. Unlike the Trossachs, which Sir Walter Scott has immortalised in his “Lady of the Lake,” Glen Ogle is a wild, rugged3, rocky pass, almost entirely4 destitute5 of trees, except at its lower extremity6; and of shrubs7, except along the banks of the little burn which meanders8 like a silver thread down the centre of the glen. High precipitous mountains rise on either hand—those on the left being more rugged and steep than those on the right. The glen is very narrow throughout—a circumstance which adds to its wildness; and which, in gloomy weather, imparts to the spot a truly savage10 aspect. Masses of débris and fallen rocks line the base of the precipices11, or speckle the sides of the mountains in places where the slopes, being less precipitous than elsewhere, have served to check the fallen matter; and the whole surface of the narrow vale is dotted with rocks of various sizes, which have bounded from the cliffs, and, overleaping every obstacle, have found a final resting-place on a level with the little stream.
The road follows the course of the stream at the foot of the glen; but, as it advances, it ascends13 the mountains on the right, and runs along their sides until the head of the pass is gained. Here it crosses, by means of a rude stone bridge, a deep chasm15, at the bottom of which the waters of the burn leap and roar among chaotic16 rocks—a foretaste of the innumerable rushes, leaps, tumbles, and plunges17, which await them all down the glen. Just beyond this bridge is a small level patch of mingled19 rocky and mossy ground. It is the summit of the mountain ridge14; yet the highest peaks rise above it, and so hem18 it in that it resembles the arena20 of a rude amphitheatre. In the centre of this spot lies a clear, still lake, or tarn21, not more than a hundred yards in diameter. This is the fountain-head of two streams. From the pools and springs, within a stone’s cast of the tarn, arise the infant waters of the burn already mentioned, which, descending22 Glen Ogle, find their way to the Firth of Tay, through Strath Earn. From the opposite side of the tarn issues another brook23, which, leaping down the other side of the mountains, mingles24 its waters with Loch Tay, and finds its way, by a much more circuitous25 route, to the same firth. The whole region is desolate26 and lonely in the extreme, and so wild that a Rocky Mountain hunter, transported thither27 by fairy power, might find himself quite at home, except in the matter of big-horned goats and grisly bears. But, for the matter of that, he would find mountain sheep with very respectable horns in their way; and, as to bears, the hill-sides are bare enough to satisfy any hunter of moderate expectations.
Up to this elevated tarn, among the hoary28 mountain peaks, the Sudberry Family struggled one hot, sunny, lovely forenoon. Bent29 on a long and bold flight, they had travelled by the stage-coach to the foot of the glen, near the head of Loch Earn. Here they were deposited at the door of a picturesque30 white-washed house, which was styled the Inn, and from this point they toiled31 up the glen on foot, intoxicating32 themselves on the way with deep draughts33 of mingled excitement, fresh air, and romance.
The whole family were out upon this occasion, including Mrs Brown, Hobbs, and Peter. The delicate Tilly was also there, and to her Master Jacky devoted34 himself with an assiduity worthy35 of even a good boy. He took occasion several times, however, to tell Peter, in a grave way, that, whenever he felt tired, he would be glad to carry his basket for him, and himself too, for the matter of that, if he should get quite knocked up. He indemnified himself for these concessions36 on the side of virtue37 by inflicting38 various little torments39 on the bodies and minds of Mrs Brown and his mother, such as hiding himself at some distance ahead, and suddenly darting40 out from behind a rock with a hideous41 yell; or coming up behind with eyes staring and hair flying, and screaming “mad bull,” with all the force of his lungs.
Hector and Flora42 Macdonald were also of the party. George and Fred were particularly attentive43 to Flora, and Hector was ditto to Lucy. He carried her botanical box, and gave her a good deal of information in regard to plants and wild flowers, in which Lucy professed44 a deep interest, insomuch that she stopped frequently to gather specimens45 and listen to Hector’s learned observations, until they were more than once left a considerable way behind the rest of the party. Indeed, Lucy’s interest in science was so great that she unwittingly pulled two or three extremely rare specimens to pieces while listening to these eloquent46 discourses47, and was only made conscious of her wickedness by a laughing remark from Hector that she “must surely have the bump of destructiveness largely developed.”
Arrived at the tarn, each individual deposited his and her basket or bundle on a selected spot of dry ground, and the ladies began to spread out the viands48, while Mr Sudberry took the exact bearings of the spot by compass. While thus philosophically49 engaged, he observed that fish were rising in the tarn.
“Hallo! Hector; why, I see fish in the pond.”
“I’ll fish,” said Mr Sudberry.
“So will I,” cried George.
And fish they did for half an hour, at the end of which period they were forcibly torn away from the water-side and made to sit down and eat sandwiches—having caught between them two dozen of trout, the largest of which was about five inches long.
“Why, how did ever the creatures get up into such a lake?” inquired Mr Sudberry, eyeing the trout in surprise: “they could never jump up all the waterfalls that we have passed to-day.”
“I suppose they were born in the lake,” suggested Hector, with a smile.
“Born in it?” murmured Mr Sudberry, pondering the idea; “but the first ones could not have been born in it. How did the first ones get there?”
“The same way as what the first fishes came into the sea, of course,” said Jacky, looking very pompous51.
Unfortunately he unintentionally tried to perform that impossible feat52 which is called swallowing a crumb53 down the wrong throat, thereby54 nearly choking himself; and throwing his mother into a flutter of agitation55.
There was something so exhilarating in the atmosphere of that elevated region that none of the party felt inclined to waste much time over luncheon56. Mr Sudberry, in particular, was very restless and migratory57. His fishing propensities58 had been aroused, and could not be quieted. He had, in the course of a quarter of an hour, gobbled what he deemed it his duty to eat and drink, and, during the remainder of the meal, had insisted on helping59 everybody to everything, moving about as he did so, and thereby causing destruction to various articles of crockery. At last he declared that he was off to fish down the burn, and that the rest of the party would pick him up on their way back to the coach, which was to start from the inn at Loch Earn Head at five in the afternoon.
“Ay, ay; yes, yes,” from everybody; and away he went alone to enjoy his favourite sport.
The rest of the party scattered61. Some went to good points for sketching62, some to botanise, and others to ascend12 the highest of the neighbouring peaks. Mrs Brown and Hobbs were left in charge of the débris of luncheon, to the eating up of which they at once devoted themselves with the utmost avidity as soon as the others were gone.
“Come, this is wot I calls comfortable,” said Hobbs; (he spoke63 huskily, through an immense mouthful of sandwich.) “Ain’t it, Mrs Brown?”
“Humph!” said Mrs Brown.
It is to be remarked that Mrs Brown was out of temper—not that that was an unusual thing; but she had found the expedition more trying than she had anticipated, and the torments of mind and body to which Jacky had subjected her were of an uncommonly64 irritating nature.
“Wot,” continued Hobbs, attacking a cold tongue, “d’you think of the natives of this ’ere place?”
“Nothink at all,” was Mrs Brown’s prompt rejoinder.
Hobbs, who was naturally of a jolly, sociable66 disposition67, felt a little depressed68 at Mrs Brown’s repellent manner; so he changed his mode of address.
“Try some of this ’ere fowl69, Mrs Brown, it’s remarkably70 tender, it is; just suited to the tender lips of—dear me, Mrs Brown, how improvin’ the mountain hair is to your complexion71, if I may wenture to speak of improvin’ that w’ich is perfect already.”
“Get along, Hobbs!” said Mrs Brown, affecting to be displeased72.
“My dear, I’m gettin’ along like a game chicken, perhaps I might say like Dan, who’s got the most uncommon65 happetite as I ever did see. He’s a fine fellow, Dan is, ain’t he, Mrs Brown?”
“Ah!” said Hobbs, shaking his head, “strong language, Mrs Brown. But, admitting that, (merely for the sake of argument, of course), you cannot deny that they are raither clever brutes.”
“I do deny it,” retorted Mrs Brown, taking a savage bite out of the leg of a chicken, as if it represented the whole Celtic race. “Don’t they talk the most arrant74 stuff?—specially that McAllister, who is forever speakin’ about things that he don’t understand, and that nobody else does!”
“Speak for yourself; ma’am,” said Hobbs, drawing himself up with as much dignity as was compatible with a sitting posture75.
“I do speak for myself. Moreover, I speak for some whom I might name, and who ain’t verra far away.”
“If, ma’am, you mean that insinivation to apply—”
“I make no insinivations. Hand me that pot of jam—no, the unopened one.”
Hobbs did as he was required with excruciating politeness, and thereafter took refuge in dignified76 silence; suffering, however, an expression of lofty scorn to rest on his countenance77. Mrs Brown observed this, and her irate78 spirit was still further chafed79 by it. She meditated80 giving utterance81 to some withering82 remarks, while, with agitated83 fingers, she untied84 the string of the little pot of cranberry-jam. Worthy Mrs Brown was particularly fond of cranberry-jam. She had put up this pot in her own basket expressly for her own private use. She now opened it with the determination to enjoy it to the full, to smack85 her lips very much and frequently, and offer none of it to Hobbs. When the cover was removed she gazed into the pot with a look of intense horror, uttered a piercing shriek86, and fell back in a dead faint.
This extraordinary result is easily accounted for. Almost every human being has one grand special loathing87. There is everywhere some creature which to some individual is an object of dread—a creature to be shrunk from and shuddered88 at. Mrs Brown’s horror was frogs. Jacky knew this well. He also knew of Mrs Brown’s love for cranberry-jam, and her having put up a special pot. To abstract the pot, replace it by a similar pot with a live frog imprisoned89 therein, and then retire to chuckle90 in solitude91 and devour92 the jam, was simple and natural. That the imp9 had done this; that he had watched with delight the deceived woman pant up Glen Ogle with the potted frog on her arm and perspiration93 on her brow; that he had asked for a little cranberry-jam on the way, with an expression of countenance that almost betrayed him; and that he had almost shrieked94 with glee when he observed the anxiety with which Mrs Brown—having tripped and fallen—opened her basket and smiled to observe that the pot was not broken; that the imp, we say, had been guilty of all this, was known only to himself; but much of it became apparent to the mind of Hobbs, when, on Mrs Brown’s fainting, he heard a yell of triumph, and, on looking up, beheld95 Master Jacky far up the heights, clearly defined against the bright sky, and celebrating the success of his plot with a maniacal96 edition of the Highland2 fling.
At a quarter-past four all the party assembled at the inn except Mr Sudberry.
Five arrived—no Mr Sudberry. The coach could not wait! The gentlemen, in despair, rushed up the bed of the stream, and found him fishing, in a glow of excitement, with his basket and all his pockets full of splendid trout.
The result was that the party had to return home in a large wagon97, and it was night when at last they embarked98 in their boat and rowed down their own lake. It was a profound calm. The air was mild and balmy. There was just enough of light to render the surrounding mountains charmingly mysterious, and the fatigues99 of the day made the repose100 of the boat agreeable. Even Mrs Sudberry enjoyed that romantic night-trip on the water. It was so dark that there was a tendency to keep silence on landing to speak in low tones; but a little burst of delight broke forth101 when they surmounted102 the dark shoulder of the hill, and came at last in sight of the windows of the White House, glowing a ruddy welcome home.
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1
ogle
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| v.看；送秋波；n.秋波，媚眼 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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meanders
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| 曲径( meander的名词复数 )； 迂回曲折的旅程 | |
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imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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tarn
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| n.山中的小湖或小潭 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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mingles
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| 混合，混入( mingle的第三人称单数 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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circuitous
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| adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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46
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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47
discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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50
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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51
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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52
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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crumb
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| n.饼屑，面包屑，小量 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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migratory
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| n.候鸟，迁移 | |
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propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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arrant
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| adj.极端的；最大的 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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77
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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chafed
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| v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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80
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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81
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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82
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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83
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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84
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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85
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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86
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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87
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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88
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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89
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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91
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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92
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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93
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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94
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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95
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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96
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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97
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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98
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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99
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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100
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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101
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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102
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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