Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (3).pdf/3

 THE

Life and Comical Tranſactions of

LOTHIAN TOM.

This Thomas Black, vulgarly called Lothian Tom becauſe of that country, was born four miles from Edinburgh, his father being a very wealthy farmer, who gave him a good education, which he was very aukward in receiving, being a very wild, croſs, miſchievous boy, When he was about ten years of age, he was al- moſt killed by the ſtroke of horſe foot, which his father had; who had a trick of kicking at every per. ſon that came in beltind him. But when Tom was got healed of the dreadful wound, whereof many thought he would have died, to be even with the horſe, he gets a clog or piece of tree, which was full of wooden pins; a thing which the ſhoemakers uſed to tann their leather upon; and with a rope, he tied it to the couple balk of the ſtaole, directly opposite to the horſe's tail, got upon the balk, and gives it a ſwing back, ſo that the pike in the end of it can with a full drive against the horſe's arſe, which is him to fling, and the more he truck and flung at it, it rebounded back again and struck him; the battle laſted with great fury for a long time, which was good diverfo to Tom, until his father hearing ſome diſturbance in the ſtable, came in to know the matter, and was ſurpriſed when he in to the poor horſe tan- ning his own hide, with his legs all cut and bloody, with kicking again the pikes of the tanner tool; ſo he cut the rope and the battle was ended, but the poor horse would never kick at any thing that came behind him afterwards, but always would run from it.