Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 1

296 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
the edge of his palm, and cast his head oif. Then he
opened again where were the carl and the girl, and the
carl was kissing the girl. He struck him a stroke of
the edge of his pahn, and he cast his head off.
" I would not for much," said the Earl, " that a
hound and a carl should be killed at my court."
" Give five merks twice over for each one of them,
and T vàW put the heads on them," said the Chamjjion.
" Thou slialt get that," said the southern Earl.
He got the five merks twice over, and he put the head
on the hound and the carl as they were before ; and
though they should be alive till now, the hound would
not have touched a hare, nor the carl a girl, for fear
their heads should be taken ofF.
(in the morrow, after their meat in the morning,
h(^ went hunting with the Earl. When they were
amongst the Avood, they heard a loud voice in a knoll
(or a bush).
"Be this from me," said Dust of Dust, " I must go
to see the foot of the carl ]\Iac(_'eochd. He went out —
'' And moved as sea-henps o' sea-heaps,
And as playballs 0' playballs ;
As a furious winter wind —
So swiftly, sprucely, cheerily,
Right jjroudly,
Through glens and high tops,
And no stop made he
Until he reached
The house of the Carl MacCeochd."
He struck at the door. " Who 's that Ì " said the
carl MacCeochd.
" I," said he, " am the leech's lad."
" Well," said the carl, " many a bad black leech
is coming, and they are not doing a bit of good to me."
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