Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 18, 1907.djvu/487

Rh upon which a creature like a woman presented itself at the side of the boat; it had the face, arms, breasts, shoulders, etc., of a woman, and long hair hanging down the back, but the nether part from below the breasts was beneath the water, so that they could not understand the shape thereof: the two fishers who were within the boat, being surprised at this strange sight, one of them unadvisedly drew a knife, and thrust it into her breast, whereupon she cryed, as they judged, Alas, and the hook giving way she fell backward and was no more seen. The hook being big went in at her chin and out at the upper lip. The man who thrust the knife into her is now dead, and, as was observed, never prospered after this, but was still haunted by an evil spirit in the appearance of an old man, who, as he thought, used to say unto him, Will ye do such a thing who killed the woman; the other man then in the boat is yet alive in the isle of Burra" (p. 114).