Midnight
He buttoned his coat , and trudged on . 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 .