UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. 113 



beast was gone a-the-gither. For twa days he lookit 

 ower aw the green grazings, where ablins she might have 

 strayed ; aweel, on the third day, he saw the gathering of 

 the ravens, and the waving of the wings, and the wheeling 

 aboot in the air, and heard the hoarse croakings; and 

 when he wun to the place, there war his bonny beast 

 stuck fast, stark deid, a wee bit to the wast of war yer 

 honor stands the noo ; and the foul birds had pickit out his 

 e'en, and eat his flesh. They say that if Sandy had found 

 the cow when the hide was fresh, and had takken it afF, 

 and wrapped himsel in it, mony strange things would he 

 have heard that nicht on the moor. Wha can say what 

 thae birds may be, gin they were in their ain proper 

 shape." 



"All this is excellent comfort, my good friend; but 

 why did you bring me here, to devote me to your bog 

 kelpies, do you wish to see another beastie lost, and 

 food for the raven ? " 



" God bless you, sir, haud up, and dinna be afeard, ye 

 shall no come to harm ; tak my hond, and joost feel the 

 moss a wee bit afore ye trust till it. Sandy, mon, gang 

 for rat a step or twa." 



Sandy did as he was desired, and a loud splashing was 

 almost immediately heard, like to the falling back of a 

 muckle salmon, when he attempts to spring up the falls of 

 the Garry. 



" Sandy, mon, I'm thinking ye're got intill the burn." 



" It's na burn ava', its joost a deep pool. Ye mun keep 

 mair to the wast. Its fearfu' dark, ond as sure as deid the 

 evil spirit is abraid, he could no have harmed me in 

 the burn, for you ken he has nae power in rinnin water. 



i 



