With a sigh of relief Murdo saw at last the cottage of the Gilchrists, sole house on the easter side of Tornideon.
Not a word had he said hitherto to Nial as to the taking of the corpse to Ardoch-beag. If the dwarf had thought of a destination at all, apart from Màm-Gorm, it was doubtless of the minister's house, which lay three miles beyond Ardoch-beag, at the far end of Inverglas.
But suddenly he waked to the knowledge that Murdo was off the road, and on the path leading to the byres of the widow Anabal.
What was the meaning of it? he asked; but Murdo would not hear. As they stopped at the ring-stone, between the byre and the cottage, he went up to the shepherd.
"Why will you be doing this thing, Murdo MacMurdo?" he demanded.
At first the man gloomed upon him, then he smiled grimly.
"Wait."
Having said this, Murdo strode to the doorway of the cot. He knocked; there was no answer. He knocked again; again no answer. Then he opened the door. He did not expect to see Alan, but he was sure the woman Anabal would be in. There was no trace of her. The bed had not been slept in. The peats were black in the fireplace. Yet, strange to say, an open Bible lay on the low deal table, and on the near page was a pair of horn spectacles.
It was very strange. Well, he would search everywhere, both but and ben, out-houses and byre and stable.
There was not even a dog about the place.