Agnews of Lochnaw

1684.] THE SKIN CROFT. 423
going straight up to the "bloody Cla verse" with an air of assumed
simplicity, said, whiningly, " Oh man, I'm terribly ill off for
tobacco ;" begging for a little piece. Claverhouse was completely
deceived ; he took no notice of his request ; but looking sternly
and searchingly at him, said, "Have you seen the laird?"
M'Meiken promptly replied with perfect truth, " Oh aye ! he
was in the house not a minute before I left it."
Quite unsuspiciously, Claverhouse spurred his horse, and
eager for his victim, galloped to the house, which his troopers
instantly surrounded. Long before he arrived there, the laird
was in a place of safety ; but the dragoons ransacked his house,
made free of his larder, and regaled themselves much to their
satisfaction. The repast over, they proceeded deliberately to
kill the whole stock about the premises, but as the booty was
too bulky to be carried off bodily, they carefully flayed the reek-
ing carcases and then spread out the skins to dry ; these were so
numerous that they literally carpeted a large piece of ground not
far from the house. Geography assists to perpetuate the memory
of this misdeed, as the spot is mapped down and known by
the name of the " Skin Croft."
M'Meiken's wife was reputed as great a culprit as her husband,
and the soldiers considered her as desirable a prize. She had not
assisted at the breakfast above mentioned, but a party returning
suddenly to Miltonise, surprised the good lady in her kitchen.
She was in the act of making white and black puddings, the latter
a dainty dish in which blood and suet are principal ingredients ;
one of these with an extra proportion of the liquid she tied up
and secured under her dress as the troopers entered. Assuming a
halting gait she begged them to use her gently, as she was suffer-
ing from a bloody flux ; her entreaties had little weight, and
the soldiers having satisfied their appetites, and pocketed
everything worth carrying away, bound her hand and foot and
mounted her behind a stalwart trooper, the smartest and most
dapper of the party. Leaving little behind them " the Locusts,"
as they were well called, rode merrily off, intending to lodge
their prize in jail. As they straggled about over the hill-side, the