CHAP. II. ] Takes Home the Adder. 59 
He was down upon it in an instant, and had it in his hand! 
He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very 
like an ask, but it was six or seven times longer. 
Having tightened his grip of the beast, for it was trying 
to wriggle out of his hand, he set out for home. He struck 
the Dee a little below where the Chain Bridge now stands, 
reaching the ford opposite Dee village, and prepared to 
cross it. But the water being rather deep at the time, he 
had to strip and wade across, carrying his clothes in one 
hand and the ‘‘eel” in the other. He had only one avail- 
able hand, so that getting off and on his clothes, and wad- 
ing the river breast-high, occupied some time. | 
On reaching the top of Carmelite Street, he observed his 
mother, Mrs. Kelmar, and some other women, standing to- 
gether at the street door. He rushed in among them with 
great glee, and, holding up his hand, exclaimed, “See, moth- 
er, sic a bonnie beastie P’'ve gotten!” On looking at the ob- 
ject he held in his hand, the conclave of women speedily 
scattered. They flew in all directions. Edward’s mother 
screamed, “The Lord preserv’s! what the sorrow’s that ye 
hae noo?’ “Oh, Megey, Meggy,” said Mrs. Kelmar, “ it’s 
a snake! Dinna let him in! For ony sake dinna let him 
in, or we'll a’ be bitten!” The entry door was then shut 
and bolted, and Tom was left out with the beast in his 
hand. 
Mrs. Kelmar’s husband then made his appearance. 
“What’s this, Tam, that has caused such a flutter among 
the wives?’ “Only this bit beastie.” Kelmar started 
back. ‘“ What, has it not bitten you?” “No!” “ Well,” 
he added, “the best thing you can do with it is to take it 
to Dr. Ferguson as fast as you can, for you can’t be allowed 
to bring it in here.” 
Dr. Ferguson kept a druggist’s shop at the corner of 
Correction Wynd, near the head of the Green. He had a 
number of creatures suspended in glass jars in his window. 
Boys looked in at these wonderful things. They were the 
