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XI.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell;
She lea'es them gashin at their cracks,
And slips out by hersel:

She through the yard the nearest taks,
An' to the kiln she goes then,

An' darklins grapit for the bauks,
And in the blue-clues throws then,
Right fear't that night.

XII.

An' aye she win't, an' aye she swat,
I wat she made nae jaukin;
Till something held within the pat,
Guid L-d! but she was quakin!
But whether 'twas the deil himsel,
Or whether 'twas a bauk-en',
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,
She didna wait on talkin

To spier that night.

XIII.

Wee Jennie to her Grannie says,
'Will ye go wi' me, grannie?
I'll eat the apple at the glass,
I gat frae uncle Johnie:'
She fuff't her pipe wi' sic a lunt,
In wrath she was sae vap'rin,
She notic't na, an aizle brunt
Her braw new worset apron

Out-thro' that night.

XIV.

'Ye little skelpie-limmer's face!
How daur you try sic sportin,
As seek the foul Thief ony place,
For him to spae your fortune?
Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!
Great cause ye hae to fear it;
For monie a ane has gotten a fright,
An' liv'd an' di'd deleeret

On sic a night.

XV.

'Ae hairst afore the Sherra-moor,

I mind't as weel's yestreen, I was a gilpey then, I'm sure

I wasna past fyfteen:

The simmer had been cauld an' wat,

An' stuff was unco green;

An' aye a rantin kirn we gat,

An' just on Halloween

It fell that night.

XVI.

'Our stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen,

A clever, sturdy fallow;

His sin gat Eppie Sim wi' wean,
That liv'd in Achmacalla:

He gat hemp-seed11, I mind it weel,

An' he made unco light o't; But monie a day was by himsel,

He was sae sairly frighted

That vera night.'

F

XVII.

Then up gat fechtin Jamie Fleck,

An' he swoor by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
For it was a' but nonsense:

The auld guidman raught down the pock,
An' out a handfu' gied him;
Syne bad him slip frae 'mang the folk,
Sometime when nae ane see'd him,
An' try't that night.

XVIII.

He marches thro' amang the stacks,
Tho' he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks,
An' haurls at his curpin:
An' ev'ry now an' then he says,
'Hemp-seed I saw thee,

An' her that is to be my lass,

Come after me, and draw thee,
As fast this night.'

XIX.

He whistl'd up Lord Lenox' march
To keep his courage cheery;
Altho' his hair began to arch,
He was sae fley'd an' eerie:
Till presently he hears a squeak,
An' then a grane an' gruntle;
He by his shouther gae a keek,
An' tumbl'd wi' a wintle

Out-owre that night.

[graphic]

Till presently he hears a squeak,
An' then a grane an' gruntle;, Poems. p. 98.

DRAWN BY R WESTALL R.A. ENGRAVED BY W. FINDEN. PUBLISHED BY

JOHN SHARPE, DUKE STREET. PICCADILLY;

AUG1 1824.

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