The Buchanites and Crocketford. 297 



mig-ht never reach them. And one by one now quietly shpped 

 out of the dwindhng circle at Newhouse into the little grave- 

 yard in the garden at the back of the house, until in 1828 

 only Andrew Innes and Katie, his wife, remained. Still the 

 years passed, and still Andrew ploughed his field with cow 

 and pony in double harness, or built roofs, or sauntered with 

 reminiscent pride in his heart into the village he had done so 

 much to found and foster, to have a crack with the joiner or 

 the smith ; or mayhap he read the Dumfries newspaper. And 

 still " Friend Mother " tarried ! Then when Joseph Train 

 began to come about him the old man's fanciful nature flamed 

 up as in the old, old days of his early intercourse with Luckie 

 Buchan, and he lived again his life with her. He became 

 Train's " errand boy," getting fresh news for him every 

 morning from the spirit of his old mistress (in the to-fall where 

 he was wont to survey her gruesome remains twice daily till 

 his death), and telling them over again for his kind friend's 

 enlightenment — and (incidentally) for ours. But at last old 

 Katie died ; and a few weeks later — in January, 1846 — Andrew 

 himself followed her. Still faithful to his creed apparently, 

 although he outlived by nearly five years Mrs Buchan 's 

 solemnly promised but apparently forgotten year of final and 

 unfailing return, he left instructions (which were obeyed) that 

 his coffin should be laid above that of Mrs Buchan, so that if 

 she did arise she could not fail to raise him too ! The little 

 graveyard has thus received the dust of twelve of these mis- 

 guided people ; and for aught that is known to the contrary 

 their dust remains there still — and will ! 



While age and death were thus drying up the springs of 

 Buchanite activity, the young village of Crocketford was 

 thriving and fast growing to maturity. About 1820 it had, 

 with one or two minor exceptions, practically reached its 

 present stature with its characteristic predominance of two- 

 storey houses. All the trades a village finds necessary, all 

 the shops its appetites demand, were fully represented ; so 

 that it seemed almost independent of the larger world. 

 Within its confined limits were wheelwright, spinner, weaver, 

 tailor, shoemaker, grocer, innkeeper, schoolmaster, sheriff 

 officer, each in the numbers proportionate to his importance. 



