PONY AHINT 217 



walking down hill ; and I went to meet him that 

 he might not miss us at the river. I came up to him 

 precisely at the turnpike by Newton, and over- 

 heard the following little dialogue between him and 

 the turnpike woman : 



' Here's twopence for you, good woman." 



' What for do ye gie me this ? ' 



' Why, for my horse, to be sure." 



" And whar may your horse be ? ' : 



' Where ? why here, behind me, my good dame." 



' It must be a gay piece ahint then, I'm thinking, 

 for I canna see the beast." 



At this he began to pull the bridle rein which he 

 had in his hand ; and, upon finding it very particu- 

 larly obedient, he looked round and found, true 

 enough, that the pony whom he fancied he had been 

 leading down hill, and was at the end of the said 

 bridle, had slipped out his head, and trotted back 

 the way he came. At this incident, he seemed 

 almost as much amused as we were ; though I 

 thought I saw a lurking appearance of distress in 

 his countenance, too, as having further to walk than 

 he had bargained for. 



Let us now see what the fishermen were doing. 

 Charles Purdie and Thomas Jamieson, whilst sitting 

 on a rock by the water-side, at length descried Tom 

 Purdie making up to them with his leister. 



' Well, Tom," said Jamieson, " I never knew ye 

 keep ahint afore, when there was any wark for the 

 leister. What makes ye so late, mon ? ' 



' Why, I cudna get awa' from Abbotsford ; there 

 was a gentleman wi' Sir Walter ; but wha he was I 



