228 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



own family and that of his poor friend used to 

 live ; and he entered one of those small public 

 eating and drinking-houses which were always, 

 I presume, open for the refreshment of sailors, 

 and called for something to eat. While his 

 food was preparing, his attention was drawn to 

 something peculiar in the shape of the handles 

 of the knife and fork laid on the table ; and he 

 was examining them closely when his hostess 

 addressed him, '^ You may well look at those 

 handles ; for we got them in a strange way. I 

 was returning home one evening from Balallan 

 with a hay -load, and sat down by the burnside 

 at the bottom of the hill near the white rock, 

 when my eyes were attracted by something 

 white under the rock, and, in what seemed to 

 have been a hole, I found three or four bones 

 of dead sheep, I suppose, and I brought them 

 home with me and made handles for two or 

 three of my old knives that wanted them. But, 

 mon ! what's the matter with your hands ? 

 they are full of blood." The sailor sprang to 

 his feet with a wild scream. " They're no 

 sheep's banes, they're poor Willie's banes, and 

 I am his murderer, and see how they tell the 

 truth and witness against me." For it was 

 the bones, and not his hands, that were oozing 

 with blood. He at once confessed his crime. 



