Page:History of the Haverel wives, or, The folly of witless women displayed (2).pdf/6

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blast, where the foul thief was raging in the air, and the de'il dang down a' the kail yard dykes, cutted the corn stacks, tirr'd the hou- ses, and blew giddy Willy's wig in the wall, they said it was some young minister it had rais'd the de'il, and for want o' a cock, a cat, or some unkirsen'd creature to gi'e him, they could na get him laid again, and he brake the bridle, slipped his head, and ran awa frae them.

 Jan. A deed woman I heard tell o' that, and how woud Willie M‘Neel met him on the steps in the mids o' the water, and shot him o'er, and thought to drown him, but he gade down the water like a meikle branded bill roaring, a' burning fire; but I hae mind the first time it the de'il came to this kintrey was on a Sunday, I was a wi' bit gaun lassie, my father an a' the men fouk was at the kirk, the ware twa o' them, a hummel'd ane an a horn'd ane, a goodman de'il, and a good wife de'il, as we took them to be, we ran a' into the house, and my mither barr'd the door, and hunted the dogs out at the byre hole thinking the de'il wad rin frae the dogs, but, na, na, they got up on their tae end like twa auld men, they were a' rugh lang hair like a pyet horse, wi' lang beards aneath their chin, and the meikle horn'd de'il box'd the dogs in at the hole again, we ran a' ben the house and grat, but our Jock wha was a little gabby gaun laddock, cry'd ay, mither, mither, what is the