IN GREAT BRITAIN. 251 



the sun had just reached his meridian. The plump o' a 

 stane half a hunder-wecht made him shift his quarters 

 and a sudden thocht struck him that he would make the best 

 o' his way to the Tweed, and thendoon to the sea at Berwick. 

 But I bore sae hard on him wi' an aughteen feet rod, tha 

 by the time he had swam twa miles and a' that time 

 though I aften saw his shadow, I seldom saw himsell 

 he was sae sair blawn that he cam to the surface o' his ain 

 accord, as if to tak breath and after that I had it a* my 

 ain way for he was powerless as a sheaf o } corn carried 

 doon in a spate and I launded him at the fuird, within 

 a few hunder yards o' Alt rive. Curious eneuch, wee 

 Jamie was sittin' by himsel' on the bank, switherin' about 

 wadin' across, and you may imagine the dear cretur's 

 Joy on seeing a twunty-pund fish the heaviest ever killed 

 wi' the rod in Yarrow floatin' in amang his feet. 



Tickler. You left him at home ? 



SJiep. Where else soud I hae left ? 



Tickler. Hem. 



SJiep. You really maun pit some flannen roun' that 

 thrott for at this time o' the year, when baith man and 

 horse is saft, inflammation rapidly arrives at its height 

 mortification without loss o' time ensues and within the 

 four-and-twenty hours I've kent a younger chiel than you, 

 sir, streekit oot 



Tickler. What? 



Shep. A corps. 



Tickler. Any more sport ? 



