The hours went and went.

He could not be far from Cairncarque, and hoped by break of day to be, if not within sight of it, at least within accurate hearing of it.
Midnight was not long past when a pale old moon came up, and looked drearily at him.

For some time he had been as if walking in a dream; and now the moon mingled with the dream right strangely.
Scarce was she above the hill when an odd-shaped cloud came upon her; and Cosmo's sleep-bewildered eyes saw in the cloud the body and legs of James Gracie's cow, straddling across the poor, withered heel-rind of the moon.

Then another cloud, high among the stars, began to drop large drops of rain upon his head.

"That's the reid gowd rainin'," he said to himself.