Page:Beauties of Burn's poems.pdf/48

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Then up gat fechtin Jamie Fleck,
 And he swore by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck,
 For it was a' but nonsense.
The auld gudman raught down the pock,
 And out a handfu' gied him:
Syne bad him slip frae 'mang the fock,
 Some time when nae ane see'd him,
And try't that night.

He marches thro' amang the stacks,
 Tho' he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks,
 And haurls at his curpin:
And every now and then, he says,
 'Hemp-seed I saw thee;
'And her that is to be my lass,
 'Come after me, and draw thee,
'As fast this night.

He whistl'd up Lord Lennox' march,
 To keep his courage cheery,
Altho' his hair began to arch,
 He was sae fley'd and eerie;
Till presently he hears a squeek,
 And then a grane and gruntle!
He by his shouther gae a keek,
 And tumbled wi' a wintle
Out-owre that night.

He roar'd a horrid murder-shout,
 In dreadful desperation!
And young and auld came rinnin-out,
 To hear the sad narration:
He swore 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
 Or crouchie Merran Humphie,