Scotland/Scots > Wilson's tales of the Borders and of Scotland > Volume 3

82
1ALES CF THE EOUDEKS.
must be observed, before he had carefully searched them,
to see whether or not there was anything about them to
reward him for the trouble of killing them. But in this
he was disappointed. On none of them was there any¬
thing of the smallest value.
“ ’Od, ye’ve been as pair’s mysel,” he said, on complet¬
ing his fruitless scrutiny into the pockets of the deceased.
“ Deil a bodle! No as muckle as wad supper a midge."
Having said this, he rose from the kneeling posture to
which his employment had reduced him, and, as we have
already said, resumed his march through the Middlemas
wood.
Leaving Willie to prosecute his journey, we request the
reader to return with us to Whinnyhill, where we shall find
a circumstance occurring which is intimately connected
with the denouement of our tale.
Shortly after the former’s departure from the place just
named, another stout carle of a mendicant appeared at the
laird’s gate. It was the dinner hour, and, as was then cus¬
tomary in the country, and is so still, we believe, in some
places, the doors were all carefully secured, and no egress
or ingress permitted, till the conclusion of the meal. To
this exclusion, however, the person now seeking admission
to the laird’s did not seem willing to submit; for he began
to thunder at the gate with an impetuosity and vehemence
that scarcely beseemed his very humble calling; and, as if
this was not enough, he shouted out at the top of his voice
to the inmates to open the gate to him.
Yet, however unbecoming his conduct, or however inso¬
lent it may be thought, it had the desired effect of procur¬
ing him the service he wanted.
The laird himself answered the call, though certainly
more for the purpose of letting out his wrath on the noisy
intruder, than to let him in.
“ My feth, friend,” he said, his anger greatly increased