26 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



however, taken to task by a bigoted old woman 

 in the neighbourhood, who called the cards the 

 "devil's books." She told me one night before 

 setting off to play with my companions, as usual, 

 that, if I looked under the table, I would see the 

 devil ; and I recollect that I several times peeped 

 to see if he were indeed there. When we were 

 done playing, two of the gamesters, as was custo- 

 mary, set me across part of the fell towards home. 

 I was, however, much surprised at their suddenly 

 leaving me without saying good night, or making 

 any reply to my shouting after them, and they 

 were soon out of sight. This was at a place called 

 the " Sand Holes," which I then left, and was 

 turning towards home, when, behold ! to my utter 

 amazement, I saw the devil ! It was a clear 

 moonlight night ; I could not be mistaken his 

 horns his great white, goggle eyes, and teeth, 

 and tail his whole person stood fairly before 

 me ! As I gazed, I thought the hair lifted the 

 hat on my head. He stood, and I stood, for some 

 time; and, -I believe, if he had then come up to 

 me, I must have dropped down. Certain it is, 

 however, that desperation succeeded fear. I moved 

 aside, and he did the same. I involuntarily got my 

 "jackleg knife,"* and, if he had then approached 

 me, he to a certainty would have been stabbed. 

 I slipped off my clogs, made a start in a bending 



[* Compare Burns on "Captain Grose's Peregrinations": 

 "The knife that nicket Abel's craig 



He'll prove you fully 

 It was a faulding jocteleg, 



Or lang-kail gullie." 



The name "jackleg " or jocteleg is said to be derived from Jacques 

 de Liege, the cutler who first made or invented it.] 



