walkacrossthehills，toask\"whatthedayoftheweekwas？\"Theyhadlostcount，andthemanhadattendedtohisworkonadaywhichthedameaverredtobetheSabbath。HedeniedthatitWAStheSabbath，andIbelievethatitturnedouttobeaTuesday。ThislittleincidentgivessomeideaofthedelightfulabsenceofpopulationinGlenAline。Butnowordscanpainttheutterloneliness，whichcouldactuallybefelt——theemptymoors，theemptysky。Theheapsofstonesbyaburnside，hereandthere，showedthatacottagehadonceexistedwherenowwasnohabitation。
Onesuchspotwasrathertobeshunnedbythesuperstitious，forhere，about1698，acottarfamilyhadbeenevictedbyendlessunaccountabledisturbancesinthehouse。Stoneswerethrownbyinvisiblehands——thoughoccasionally，bytheway，awhitehand，withnoapparentbodyattachedtoit，WASviewedbythecuriouswhocametothespot。Heavyobjectsofallsortsfloatedintheair；
rappingsandvoiceswereheard；theendwallwaspulleddownbyanunknownagency。Thestoryisextantinapiousoldpamphletcalled\"SadduceesDefeated，\"andagreatdealmoretothesameeffect——amasterpiecebytheparishminister，signedandattestedbytheotherministersoftheGlenKens。TheEdinburgheditionofthepamphletisrare；theLondoneditionmaybeprocuredwithoutmuchdifficulty。
Thesiteofthisruinedcottage，however，hadnoterrorsfortheneighbours，orratherfortheneighbour，myshepherd。Infact，heseemedtohaveforgottenthelegendtillIremindedhimofit，forIhadcomeacrossthetaleinmyresearchesintotheUnexplained。
Theshepherdandhisfamily，indeed，werequitedevoidofsuperstition，andinthisrespectveryunlikethenorthernHighlanders。However，thefallencottagehadnothingtodowithmyownlittleadventureinGlenAline，andImentionitmerelyasthemostnotableofthetinyruinswhichattestthepresence，inthepast，ofalargerpopulation。Onecannotmarvelthatthepeople\"flitted\"fromthemoorsandmorassesofGlenAlineintolessmelancholyneighbourhoods。Theverysheepseemedscarcerherethanelsewhere；grouse-diseasehaddevastatedthemoors，sportsmenconsequentlydidnotvisitthem；andonlyafewbarrenpairs，withcrow-pickedskeletonsofdeadbirdsintheheathernowandthen，showedthattheshootingshadonceperhapsbeenmarketable。Myshepherd\'scottagewasfourmilesfromthelittle-travelledroadtoDalmellington；longbadmilestheywere，acrossbogandheather。