"Thank God," he exclaimed, "we shall get round Halket-head!--that person must have passed it;" thus giving vent to the feeling of hope, though he had suppressed that of apprehension.
"Thank God, indeed!" echoed his daughter, half audibly, half internally, as expressing the gratitude which she strongly felt.
The figure which advanced to meet them made many signs, which the haze of the atmosphere, now disturbed by wind and by a drizzling rain, prevented them from seeing or comprehending distinctly .-- Some time before they met, Sir Arthur could recognise the old blue-gowned beggar, Edie Ochiltree.

It is said that even the brute creation lay aside their animosities and antipathies when pressed by an instant and common danger.

The beach under Halket-head, rapidly diminishing in extent by the encroachments of a spring-tide and a north-west wind, was in like manner a neutral field, where even a justice of peace and a strolling mendicant might meet upon terms of mutual forbearance.
"Turn back! turn back!" exclaimed the vagrant; "why did ye not turn when I waved to you ?" "We thought," replied Sir Arthur, in great agitation, "we thought we could get round Halket-head." "Halket-head!--the tide will be running on Halket-head by this time like the Fall of Fyers!--it was a' I could do to get round it twenty minutes since--it was coming in three feet abreast.

We will maybe get back by Bally-burgh Ness Point yet.

The Lord help us!--it's our only chance.