I A Gossip on a Sutherland Hill-side 289 



made ; at last he gruppit the thing, and he and 

 John had strength enough to put it out at the 

 door, when it raised a long, long, sad screeching 

 wail, and again called out in Gaelic, " My bed ! my 

 bed ! " and then all was silent. They never saw 

 what it was like, either of them, but John Pope said 

 it left a powerfu' smell o' brimstone.' 



* Donald ! Donald ! keep out of the regions of 

 Bogledom, and tell me how much longer I am to 

 wait here. What with being wet, and what with 

 being dried, I am getting as stiff as Jack's father.' 



' I can weel believe it, sir ; but how stiff was Jack's 

 father ? ' 



' Listen, and I will tell you : — 



' Jacke (quoth his father), how shall I ease take ? 

 If I stand, my legs ache, and if I kneele, 

 My knees ache, and if I goe, then my feet ache ; 

 If I lie, my back acheth, and if I sit, I feel 

 My hips ache ; and leane I never so weel, 

 My elbows ache. Sir (quoth Jack), pain to exile, 

 Since all these ease not, best ye hang awhile ! ' 



' 'Deed did he ! and an ill-raised laddie he must 

 have been ; though it would have been safe advice 

 enough here, with no tree nearer than Lairg. But we 

 must be off. There's Jeemie standing and thinking, 

 and Clebric pulling and snuffing, just up the corrie. 

 He's a sharp laddie, Jeemie, and understands what 

 he is told ; not like that big donnart we had last 

 year, who came up to Corrie Venchnich, and plow- 

 thered about all day, and then came back with- 



U 



