J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular rhymes of Scotland

RHYMES ON PLACES. 23
quantity of meal required for the same purpose, as for his
prophecies to become untrue.
The following legend, which appeared in the notes to the
uniform edition of the Waverley Novels, may, it is hoped,
allowably be introduced at this place : —
' Now, it chanced many years since, that there lived on
the Borders a jolly, rattling horse- cowper, who was re-
markable for a reckless and fearless temper, which made
him much admired, and a little dreaded, amongst his
neighbours. One moonlight night, as he rode over Bowden
Moor, on the west side of the Eildon Hills, the scene of
Thomas the Rhymer's prophecies, and often mentioned in
his story, having a brace of horses along with him which
he had not been able to dispose of, he met a man of vener-
able appearance and singularly-antique dress, who, to his
great surprise, asked the price of his horses, and began to
chaffer with him on the subject. To Canobie Dick, for so
shall we call our Border dealer, a chap was a chap, and
he would have sold a horse to the devil himself, without
minding his cloven hoof, and would have probably cheated
Old Nick into the bargain. The stranger paid the price
they agreed on, and all that puzzled Dick in the transac-
tion was, that the gold w^hich he received was in unicorns,
bonnet-pieces, and other ancient coins, which would have
been invaluable to collectors, but w-ere rather troublesome
in modern currency. It was g'old, however, and therefore
Dick contrived to get better value for the coin than he
perhaps gave to his customer. By the command of so good
a merchant, he brought horses to the same spot more than
once ; the purchaser only stipulating that he should always
come by nig-ht, and alone. I do not know whether it was
from mere curiosity, or whether some hope of gain mixed
Avith it ; but after Dick had sold several horses in this way,
he began to complain that dry bargains were unlucky, and
to hint, that since his chap must live in the neighbourhood,
he ought, in the courtesy of dealing, to treat him to half a
mutchkin.
" You may see my dwelling if you will," said the stranger;
" but if you lose courage at what you see there, you will
rue it all your life."
' Dick, however, laughed the warning to scorn ; and
having alighted to secure his horse, he followed the stranger