Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (6).pdf/4

 4 woman, being informed of the dangerous ſituation of her dearly beloved cat, came running with a long pole to beat off the dogs and haul her aſhore. What now? ſays Tom If you be going to take part with my ene- mies, you ſhall have part of their reward then gives the old woman ſuch a puſh that ſhe tumbled into the dam over head and ears be fide her beloved cat, and would undoubtedly have periſhed in the water, had not one o the people who was there looking at the di- verſion come to her relief. 3. After this, Tom was ſent to the ſchool to keep his hand out of an ill turn: And having an canker'd, crab witted fellow for his Dominie, they were always at vari- ance: for, when Tom got his whips, which he often deſerved, he was ſure to be revenged upon his Maſter again for it. So Tom per- ceiving his Maſter had a cloſe ſtool in a lit- tle cloſet within the ſchool, where he went and eafſed himſelf when need was, Tom gets a pennyworth of gun powder, and ſprinkled it on the ground directly before the fear, and lays a little of it along in a train to the fire fide ; then obſerving when his Maſter went into it, as he was looking down his breeches, ſets fire to the train, which blew i all about his Maſer's bare hips, and ſcorched him terribly, beſides the fright; for which