18 Nates and Sketches. 



jointly, as we find them at any time during the four 

 hundred and fifty years preceding 1 720, and presumably 

 also the common pasture, with the common fold, wherein 

 each husbandman put his cattle along with cattle belong- 

 ing to the others, each occupier having however his own 

 arable rigs. 



Up to a considerably later date the practice of " run 

 rig" cultivation was pursued more or less ; and for its 

 smooth working " good neighbourhood" must certainly 

 have been essential. It was a curious system, and gave 

 scope for queer, and at times amusing results. A good 

 story enough was wont to be told some sixty odd years 

 ago, of two neighbours on a farm in the lower part of 

 Aberdeenshire Eastertown and Westertown let us say. 

 Their " hyeucks" had "kempit" side by side through the 

 hairst till only one run-rig field was left to " shear." It 

 was gloamin, and the harvest moon beginning to peep 

 over the eastern hills when Wastie descried a form, 

 which he judged to be that of his pawky neighbour 

 Eastie, passing along the head-rig on the skyline, and 

 stooping down at every dozen paces. "Ay, an' ye 

 wud like to hae klyock first," thought "Wastie to him- 

 self as he quietly followed the trail to find that Eastie 

 was with great pains sticking up " a bit knablick stane" 

 at the top of every second rig, the rigs so marked being 

 of course those that belonged to himself. With equal 

 care he lifted each of these marks and transferred it to 

 the next alternate rig, and then slipped leisurely home 

 to bed to await the result next morning. It was 

 precisely as Wastie had anticipated. At the hour 

 appointed, Eastie's " hyeucks" had gone out to take 

 " klyock" by the light of the moon, and so have the 

 pleasure of accomplishing a stolen march on Wastie. 

 They had duly shorn their " stent ;" only that through 

 the small piece of dexterous manipulation of the way 

 marks just mentioned, daylight revealed the fact that 

 it was Wastie who had got " klyock" not Eastie ! 



