Page:New poems and variant readings, Stevenson, 1918.djvu/136

116 Between the beach and the sea-hill

I sat my lane and grat my fill—

I was sae clarty and hard and dark,

And like the kye in the cow park!

There fell a battle far in the north;

The evil news gaed back and forth,

And back and forth by brae and bent

Hider and hunter cam and went:

The hunter clattered horse-shoe-airn

By causey-crest and hill-top cairn;

The hider, in by shag and shench,

Crept on his wame and little lench.

The eastland wind blew shrill and snell,

The stars arose, the gloaming fell,

The firelight shone in window and door

When Mr. Frank cam here to shore.

He hirpled up by the links and the lane,

And chappit laigh in the back-door-stane.

My faither gaed, and up wi' his han'!

... Is this Mr. Frank, or a beggarman?

I have mistrysted sair, he said,

But let me into fire and bed;

Let me in, for auld lang syne,

And give me a dram of the brandy wine.