216 SUSPECTED OF HOWKING TRICKS. 



cane on the ground with all the force and dignity of a 

 baillie. In the meantime our friend was so absorbed in 

 liis work that he seemed wholly unconscious of this 

 person's presence, till he was aroused by the little man 

 himself, who said, in a loud tone, and with an air of 

 consummate consequence, stamping a tombstone at the 

 same time with his stalF of office, — 



" Weel, friend, what may ye be doing here ? " 



Tintern, looking back over his shoulder, said, in his 

 absent manner, — "I think he must have been buried 

 at the eastern end of the Abbey ; am I right, my good 

 sir?" 



"Aye, aye — I thought so, — I ken weel eneuch 

 what ye're after ; ye are ane o' thae chiels that gang 

 aboot to raise the dead bodies o' the departed corpses ; — 

 Od, that's a gude yane !" 



Tintern {still sketchinfj, and speaking abstractedly,^ 

 " I'd give something to see old Michael Scott's tomb." 



" Nae dout ye would ; but I '11 tak' gude tent to hae 

 a sure hand or twae to watch yer howking tricks the 

 night." 



So saying, " the little round fat oily man " marched 

 off with great dignity, muttering, " Od, that's a gude 

 yane ! disturbing the dead bodies o' the corpses ! He 

 shall gang afore the Sherra'." 



It seems my unlucky friend was doomed to a continued 

 interruption of his studies ; for no sooner had the man in 

 office departed, than some old women came and stood 

 over him for a very considerable time, and occasionally 

 interrupted his view ; one of them at length said pithily 

 to her companions, — " Hech, sirs, this is idle wark ! 

 let's awa to the praaties." 



