BORDER RAIDERS 251 



wielding their long leisters, with the streaks of light 

 that glared partially upon them, and surrounded 

 as they were by the shades of night, you might 

 almost have fancied yourself in the realms below, 

 with Pluto and his grim associates, embarked on 

 the Stygian lake. But as the sports began, and as 

 the Scotch accent prevailed, the illusion passed 

 away ; for no poet, that I am aware of, has made 

 the above swarthy and mysterious personages 

 express themselves in the language of Tweedside ; 

 nor could one fancy salmon in the Styx, though 

 they might well disport in the streams of the 

 happy fields beyond. 



"Now, my lads," says the master, "take your 

 places. Tom, stand you next to me; Sandy, go 

 on the other side of Tom ; and do you, Jamie, 

 keep in the middle, and take tent to cap the boats 

 well over the rapids. Rob, do you and Tom 

 Purdie keep good lights and fell the fish. Halloo, 

 Tom, you have smuggled a leister into the boat 

 for your own use." 



" Ay, ay, that have I, joust for mine ain dever- 

 sion, ye ken." 



" Well, well, you may just keep it, for you are 

 a stout chiel, and it would be hard work to get it 

 from you ; besides, no one can use it more dexter- 

 ously than yourself. Now, then, we will push the 

 boat up the cheek of the stream till we come to 

 the head of it. That will do. Now shoot her 

 across the gorge, and down she goes merrily, broad- 

 side foremost, according to rule. Cap, Charlie, 

 cap, man ! we are drifting down like mad ; keep 

 back your end of the boat." 



