Page:The Cottagers of Glenburnie - Hamilton (1808).djvu/146

 child's voice in the hollow, exclaiming, "Come on, ye muckle brute! ye had as weel come on! I'll gar ye! I'll gar ye! That's a gude beast now; come awa! That's it! Ay, ye're a gude beast now."

As the last words were uttered, a little fellow, of about ten years of age, was seen issuing from the hollow, and pulling after him, with all his might, a great long-backed clumsy animal of the horse species, though apparently of a very mulish temper.

"You have met with a sad accident," said Mr Stewart; "how did all this happen!"

"You may see how it happened, plain eneugh," returned the boy; "the brig brak, and the cart couppet."

"And did you and the horse coup likewise?" said Mr Stewart.

"O aye, we a' couppet thegether, for I was riding on his back."

"And where is your father, and all the rest of the folk?"