Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (7).pdf/3

 Comical Tranfadions of Lothian Tom. 3 more he flung and ftruck at it, it rebound- ed back again and ftruck him; the battle lafted with great fury for a long time, which was good diverfion for Tom, until his fa- ther, hearing fome difturbance in the ftable, came in to know the matter, and was fur- prifed, when he faw the poor horfe tanning his own hide, with his legs all cut and bloody, he cut the rope and the battle was ended, but the poor horfe would never kick at any thing that came behind him after- wards, but always ran from it. It happened one day that Tom went a fifhing, and brought home a few fmall fifh, which his grandmother’s cat fnapt up in the dark: fo Tom, to have juftice of the cat for fo doing, catches her, and puts her into a little tub, or cog, then fets her a-drift into a mill-dam, ordering her to go a fifhing for herfelf; then fets out two or three dogs up- on her, where a moft terrible fea-fight enfu- ed, as ever was feen on frefh water; for, if any of the dogs affayed to board her, by fet- ting in over their nofe, badrons came flying to that quarter, to repulfe him with her claws; then the veffel was like to be overfet by the weight of herfelf, fo fhe had to flee to the other, and finding the fame there, from thence to the middle, where fhe fat mewing, always turning herfelf about, comb- ing their nofes with her foot. The old wo- man, being informed of the dangerous fitu- ation of her dearly beloved cat, came run-