264 MAKERSTOUN 



and set his familiar demon to pile up a mountain on the 

 south of the monastery. The first scoop of the demon's 

 shovel brought enough earth and rocks from the Cheviots 

 to form one of the three existing peaks of Eildon ; a second 

 peak was added with the second scoop ; but of the third 

 shovelful he spilt half on the return trip, which satis- 

 factorily accounts for the inferior size of Eildon's third 

 cone, and also for the lone peak of Ruberslaw, represent- 

 ing the spilt material. The demon's carelessness saved 

 their sunshine for the monks. Michael was very angry 

 with the awkward imp, and rushed at him with a big 

 stick. The imp fled to the river, embarked in his shovel, 

 and shot downstream, with Michael after him in a boat. 

 True, Thomas of Ercildoune also joined in the chase, 

 together with some monks, eager to share the fun; so 

 you see there can hardly be much doubt of what happened 

 in presence of so many witnesses otherwise, where would 

 be the value of evidence ? 



Down went the three craft, the shovel leading down 

 past weird Bemersyde, past leafy Dryburgh, through the 

 great woods of Mertoun, over Rutherford, and so to 

 Makerstoun. Here dwelt a witch, a close ally of Michael's, 

 who flew out of the Corbie Craig in the form of a raven, 

 and reminded him, with warning croak, that he had done 

 wrong to go afloat, inasmuch as running water was fatal 

 to all enchantment. So the wizard, landing at once, 

 found his power return to him. He used it to cast a bar 

 of rock across the river, so that the flow should be stopped 

 and the fugitive's boat be left a-dry. But in his excite- 

 ment he stood with one foot in the water, and at that 

 spot the whole volume of the river gathered together, 

 forming the Trows, which may be seen at this day, and 



