Page:Gibby and the ghaist(NLS104184751).pdf/4

 His plaid he fasten'd, and he seiz'd his kent, And to they stay brae his stout heart he set, And bauldly met the blast:-lang, lang he gade Aften he fell, aft raise, and gade again, Till he dought scarce gang mair———when, poor body! Quite dowf and dozen'd, thro' the drift he saw A dim light blinkin', and at last a house; "Twas an auld biggin', that in per'lous times (Whan fowk rampag'd, and fought for iika Had been set there to keep aff sudden skaith An' in fieroe braliments, wi' weirlike wights, Had stontly stood, but now 'twas tumbling down O'ercome by Time, fell lown, that a'o'ercomes The moon just glimmerin' thro' a parted cloud Shaw'd Gibby what o' the auld wa's remained, And whare the creepin' woodbine spread its lea Light shaking wi' ilk blast o' wind that blew. Blythe, blythe was Gibby, (Bawty too was blyth) He chappit at the door, and gif he could, He wad ba'e whistled too:-but wi' the cauld Sae davert he-he could nae crook his mou'. The landlord cam'———" Wha's there?" ———"A friend," qno' Gibby, "Wha's wantin' lodgin', an' half dead wi' cauld-. "Waes me, man! for ye are come o'er late For ilka place I ha'e is already fu', But ae big room-'deed frien', I needna lie t'yne An' that has long been haunted by a bogle,