Page:Amusing stories of animals.pdf/10

 carpet of herbage or heath, than the pavior's one, of hard uneven stones, and quite ignorant of the navigation of the Nith, descended the steps at bridge street, and entered the water nearly opposite to Mr R's shop door. In place of wading to cool their cloots, they were over head and ears in a moment, and plunged and spluttered and spluttered and plunged with their heads pointed up the stream. Some of them after a terrible tug got out, not far from the place where they entered, but the greater part were hurried by the flood to the edge of the Caul, and one of them after going right through the Gullet door plunged into the powerful eddy below, amidst sheets of spray, fitted to choke an elephant in place of a bullock. The remainder stuck for a moment on the top of the dam-head, and vigorously contended against their fate; but it would not do; comparing small things with great, the stream at this point was nearly as resistless as the falls of Niagara; and over, the whole in succession went, performing more than one sommerset before they gathered their four feet and got into rather smoother water. Even then only snouts and horns were seen, and the novelty of the sight was, if possible, heightened by the swimming prowess of a harmless pig, which had some how or other got afloat too, and which the spectators cheered on its watery course by repeatedly exclaiming "weel done wee thing—haud on, and you'll beat them a'." Some got out below the mills, some at Assembly-street, and some so far down as the horse