Page:Life of Mansie Wauch tailor in Dalkeith (1).pdf/24

24 and if I need ye, or grow frightened, I’ll beat leather-ty-patch wi’ my knuckles on the back door. But we had better see first what he is about, for he may be howking a hole through aneath the foundations; thae fiefs can work like moudiewards.’—‘I’ll slip forrit,’ said Benjie, ‘and gie a peep,’—‘Keep to a side,’ cried Tammy Bodkin, ‘for, dog on it, Moosey’ll maybe hae a pistol;—and, if his birse be up, he would think nae mair o’ shooting ye as dead as a mawkin than I would do of taking my breakfast.

‘I’ll rin past, and gie a knock, at the door wi’ the poker to rouse him up?’ askit Benjie.

‘Come away then,’ answered Tammie, ‘and ye’ll hear him gie a yowl, and commence gabbling like a goose.’

As all this was going on, I rose and took a vizzy between the ehinkschinks [sic] of the window-shutters; so, just as I got my neb to the hole, I saw Benjie, as he flew past, give the door a drive, His consternation, on finding it flee half open, may be easier imagined than deseribeddescribed [sic], for, expecting the FrenehmanFrenchman [sic] to bounccbounce [sic] out like a roaring lion, they hurried like mad into the house, eoupingcouping [sic] the creels ower ane anither, Tammie spraining his thumb against the back door, and Benjie’s foot going into Tammie’s coat poeketpocket [sic], which it carried away with it, like a cloth sandal; what beeame o’ the French vagrant is a matter o’ surmise,—-nae mortal kens.

FINIS.