( 28 )
33. There were three lads murdered at Wigtown, and at the ſame time he was praying at Craigmyne, many miles diſtant: He cried out, There is a bloody ſacrifice put up this day at Wigtown. Theſe were the lads of Kirkelly: And thoſe who lived near, knew not of it, till it was paſt. I had this account from William M'Dougal, an old man in Ferrytown, near Wigtown, worthy of credit, who was preſent.
34 After this, in Auchengroech muirs, in Nithſdale, Captain John Matthiſon and others, being with him, they were alarmed that the enemies were coming fast upon them: They deſigned to put him into ſome hole, and cover him with heather, he not being able to run hard, by reason of his age; He desired them to forbear a little until he prayed, where he ſaid, Lord, we are ever needing at thy hand; and if we had not thy command to call on thee in the day of our distress, we wot not what would become of us: If thou hast any more work for us in the world, allow us the lap of thy cloak this day again: And if this be the day of our going off the ſtage, let us win comfortably through, and honeſtly off, and our ſouls will ſing forth thy praiſes thro' eternity, for what thou haſt done to us and for us. When ended, he ran alone a little, and came quickly back, ſaying, Lads, the bitterneſs of this blaſt is over; we will be no more troubled with them to-day. Foot and horſe came the length of Andrew Clark's, in Achengrooch, where they were covered with a dark mist: When they ſaw it, they roared like fleshly devils, and cried out, There is the confounded miſt again! we cannot get theſe damned whigs purſued for it. I had this account from the ſaid Captain John Matthison.
35. About this time he was in a houſe in the ſhire of Ayr (James Niſbet, yet living in the Caſtle of Edinburgh, can bear witneſs to the truth of this) and one night he was ſtanding before the fire, where he uttered ſome imprecations upon the curſed intelligencers, who had told
