Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/694

384 safely home, where he locked the horses up at once. In the morning he went to the laird to make his loss known to him. The laird was much annoyed, and said it was a pity to lose so much money, but Donald said what about his life. The laird immediately answered that he could ill be spared, whereupon Donald delivered up to him his money safe and untouched, the wallet which he had thrown into the river being stuffed with the treasured-up scraps of paper and with stones. He also presented the robber's horse, and the saddle was found to be packed full of money.

(4) Three young men were coming home together, one having spent all his money but sixpence. He went into an inn on the way to spend that coin while his two friends went on. They were attacked by a robber and everything taken from them. The third young man, following behind, saw all taking place. He cut a large branch off a tree, and as the robber approached him, he struck him off his horse and beat him till stunned. He then made off with the robber's horse and found in the saddle his friends' purses and much more money. He soon overtook his friends, who were now as poor as they imagined him to be. He took them into the next inn and disclosed all that had taken place, restoring to them their purses.

(5) A young man from Uig had gone to Edinburgh in the days when tea was quite unknown in the island and very dear even in the capital. As a great treat, he sent a pound of this luxury to his mother in Uig. The good lady, never having seen such a thing, had no idea what to do with it, so she boiled the leaves, threw away the liquor and invited her neighbours to a feast of the boiled leaves and butter.

(6) Two young women, in the earliest days of emigration to America, determined to go there. One of them, a poor good girl, could only manage to pay her way through the generous help of the neighbours. The other, being well-to-do, paid her own expenses. On arriving at their journey's end, the well-to-do girl, ashamed of her companion's poor appearance, gave her the slip and went on alone. The poor girl, at the end of her resources, sat down by the wayside to consider her position. A gentleman seeing her, asked her if she would take service in his house.