Page:Ancient and modern history of Buck-haven in Fife-shire (4).pdf/7

Rh It happened on a dark winter morning, that two of the wives were going to Dyſart to ſell their fiſh, and near the road ſide, there happened to be a Tinker's aſs tedder'd, and the poor aſs ſeeing the

wives coming with their creels, thonght it was the tinkers coming to ſlit or relieve him, fell a crying; the two wives threw their fiſh away, and ran home like mad perſons, crying, they had ſeen the de'il, ay the very horn'd de'il, an' that he had fpoken to them and cried after them, but they didna ken what he ſaid, for it was a worſe words than a Highlandman's; the whole town was in an uproar, ſome would go with picks and ſpades and hagg him a' in pieces, others wad gang and catch him in a ſtrong net, and then they could either hang him or drown him. Na, na, co' Wiſe Willy, we manna caſt out wi' him at the firſt, as he's gotten the twa burdens o' fiſh, he'll ebles gang his wa' an no faiſh nae mair, he's o'er ſouple to be catch'd in a net, a' yoor pith 'ill neither hang him nor drown him, an the kintrey he comes frae is a' het coals, he'll never burn, we'll go to him in a civil manner, and ſee what he wants: get out Eppie the ale-wife, and lingle-tail'd Nancy, wi' the bible and the ſaum-book; ſo aff they came in a croud, either to kill the de'il or catch him alive, and as they came near the place, the aſs fell a crying, which cauſed many of them to faint and run back: Na, na, co' Willie, that's no the de'il's words ava', its my lord's