My Boyhood and Youth 



saying, "I'll sink that bell and plague the 

 Abbot of Aberbrothok." So he cut the rope, 

 and down went the bell "with a gurgling sound ; 

 the bubbles rose and burst around," etc. Then 

 "Ralph the Rover sailed away; he scoured the 

 seas for many a day; and now, grown rich with 

 plundered store, he steers his course for Scot- 

 land's shore." Then came a terrible storm with 

 cloud darkness and night darkness and high 

 roaring waves. "Now where we are," cried the 

 pirate, "I cannot tell, but I wish I could hear 

 the Inchcape bell." And the story goes on to 

 tell how the wretched rover "tore his hair," 

 and "curst himself in his despair," when "with 

 a shivering shock" the stout ship struck on the 

 Inchcape Rock, and went down with Ralph 

 and his plunder beside the good priest's bell. 

 The story appealed to our love of kind deeds 

 and of wildness and fair play. 



A lot of terrifying experiences connected 

 with these first schooldays grew out of crimes 

 committed by the keeper of a low lodging- 

 house in Edinburgh, who allowed poor home- 

 16] 



