Page:Life of Mansie Wauch tailor in Dalkeith (1).pdf/20

20 ain dear hames and firesides, to fight for? The fief that wadna gie eutcut [sic]-and-thrust for his eountrycountry [sic], as lang as he had a breath to draw, or a leg to stand on, should be tied neck and heels, without benefit o’ clergy, and thrown ower Leith pier, to swim for his lifclife [sic] like a mangy dog!

It was sometime in thcthe [sic] blasty month of MarehMarch [sic], the weather being rawish and rainy, wi’ sharp frosty nights, that lcftleft [sic] all the window-soles whitewashed ower with frost-rind in the morning, that, as I was going out in the dark, afore lying doun in my bed, to gie a look into the hen-house door, and loeklock [sic] the coal cellar, so that I might pit the bit key intil my breek pouches, I happened to gie a keek in, and, lo and behold, the awfu’ apparition of a man wi’ a yellow jacket, lying sound asleep on a great lump o’ parrot-coal in a eornercorner [sic].

In the hurry of my terror and surprise, at seeing a man with a yellow jacket, and a blue foraging-cap in such a situation, I was like to drap the guid two-penny candle, and feint clean away; but comming to mysell in a jiffy, I determined, in case it might be a high-way rubber, to thraw about the kcykey [sic], and, rinning up for the firclockfirelock [sic], shoot him through the head instantly, if found neeessarynecessary [sic]. In turning round the key, the lock being in want of a feather o’ oil, made a noise, and waukened the puir wrctchwretch [sic], who jumping to the soles of his feet in despair, ericdcried [sic] out in a voice that was like to break my heart, though I coudna make out ae word of his paraphernally. It minded me, by a’ the world, of a wheen eats fussing and feighting through ither, and whiles