Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 3).djvu/18

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
10
TALES OF MY LANDLORD.

neck into a tether for ony Kettledrummle in the country side.—Aweel," continued Cuddie, relieving himself by detailing his misfortunes, without being scrupulous concerning the degree of attention which his companion bestowed on his narrative, "just as I was wearying for the tail o' the preaching, cam word that the dragoons were upon us—Some ran, and some cried stand, and some cried down wi' the Philistines—I was at my mother to get her awa' sting and ling or the red-coats cam up, but I might as weel hae tried to drive our auld fore-a-hand ox without the goad—de'il a step wad she budge.—Weel, after a', the cleugh we were in was strait, and the mist cam thick, and there was gude hope the dragoons wad hae missed us if we could hae held our ain tongues; but, as if auld Kettledrummle himsel hadna made din aneuch to waken the very dead, they behoved a' to skirl up a psalm that ye wad hae heard as far as Lanrick!—Aweel, to mak a lang tale short, up cam my young Lord Evandale, skelping as fast as his