246 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



aince saw her in her ain proper shape ; and she had a 

 lang neb, and a muckle mouth, and a red petticoat on, 

 and she held a leister under her oxter, as if she waur 

 gaun to the burnin' ; and wha kens but she may live 

 till this day ? for her deid body was never found, nor 

 the corpse-light* seen. There are three towers on the 

 muir a c long way aboon the Elfin Glen ; ye'll hae seen 

 them yersel' ; an' Meg used to live in ane o' these 

 towers by turns : no one kent in which she was, an' 

 nobody cared to speer. At nightfall she would come 

 doon the glen to seek thae grey stanes-J* that the fairies 

 cast their cantrips with, and muckle scaith she wrought 

 rottin' the sheep of ae body, and takin' the milk frae 

 the kye o' anither; so the lads waylaid her wi' flails, 

 and pitchforks, and sic-like gear. They chased her a' 

 the nicht in the glen, up an' doun the braes an' thickets, 

 and through the water ; but they could never grip her, 

 an' they cam' back at skreigh o' day wi' torn plaids an' 

 broken shins, all covered wi' mire ; an' some o' them 

 had a sair sickness afterwards, and repentit that they 

 ever meddled wi' her." 



" Oh, of course ; but what became of her at last. 

 Charlie ? " 



* When a dead body was lost, it was supposed that a light ap- 

 peared over it at night, to indicate its position. 



t These fairy stones, as they are called, are to be found in the Elfin 

 Glen, where the Maid of Avenel is said to have appeared. This 

 romantic spot belongs to Lord Somerville, and is in the ornamental 

 grounds belonging to his house called the Pavilion. The stones are 

 of a grey colour, and of various curious shapes, sometimes closely 

 resembling articles in common use, such as tea-cups, saucers, etc. ; 

 they are supposed to contain some charm, and are constantly sought 

 for to this day by all sorts of people. 



