TOM PURDIE GETS A FLEG. 201 



the callant's back and thrawing him and the clod- 

 waster on my shouther and stilting the water as I had 

 done in the daylight. I kent fu' weel the place where 

 the big redd was, and blew up about thirty step below, 

 sae that the light might be at the best when we came 

 foment it. Sandy held the light weel ; his eyn were 

 glenting in his head wi' eagerness ; and just when we 

 cam to the tail o' the redd, I saw the muckle kipper 

 lyin' like a flain wedder. I had, as I thought, the ad- 

 vantage on my side, for the brae was three or four feet 

 aboon the water, and I strack him wi' a' my pith. 

 Whither the mid grain had stracken him on the back 

 fin, I took nae time then to consider ; but the fourteen 

 pund waster stottit off his back as if he had been a bag 

 o' wool. 



" A cauld sweet cam' owre me, an' I believe every hair 

 on my body crap. I was dead sure it was the deil liim- 

 seV that had been permitted to throw himsel' in my way 

 for breaking the Sabath ! For I had begun to tye up 

 the lights as soon as I shook up the callant ; an' it was 

 hardly twal o'clock. I pu'd the burnin' light out o' his 

 hand, and dash'd it in the Queed, threw him on my 

 back as fast as I could, an' was hardly able to stilt the 

 water again for vera dread. 



" I needna' say we were soon in our beds ; and I took 

 the callant in aside me, for he was to the full as feard, 

 poor fellow, as I was, • — an' mair. For when I got 

 time, an' turn'd calm eneugh to consider, I began to see 

 it could na weel be auld clutie, for I could mind o' 

 seein' the verra een, an' gib an' teeth and the gapin' 

 mouth o' the kipper. And by and by, I cam' to be 



