Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE TALE OF THE SOLDIER. 277
the floor. " Poor man," said John, " the cold is on
thee." John laid himself stretched in the bed, and
he left the bodach to toast himself at the fireside ; but
about the crowing of the cock he went away*.
The gentleman came well early in the mornrug.
" What rest didst thou find Johnf
" Good rest," said John " thy father was not the
man that would frighten me."
" Right, good John, thou shalt have two hundred
' pund,' and lie to-night in the castle."
" I am the man that will do that," said John; and
that night it was the very like. There came three
tawny women, and a dead man's kist with them
amongst them. They threw it up to the side of the
fireplace, and they took tlieir soles out (of that).
John arose, and ^\^th the heel of his foot he broke
the head of the kist, and he dragged out of it the old
hoary man ; and as he did the night before he set him
sitting in the big chair, and gave him pipe and baccy,
and he let them fall. " Oh ! poor man," said John,
" cold is on thee." Then lie gave him a cogie of drink,
and he let that fall also. " Oh ! poor man, thou art
cold."
The bodach Avent as he did the night before;
"but," said John to himself, " if I stay here this night,
and that thou shouldst come, thou shalt pay my pipe
and baccy, and my cogie of drink."
The gentleman came early enough in the morning,
and he asked, " What rest didst thou find last night,
John?" "Good rest," said John, "it was not the
hoary bodach., thy father, that Avould put fear on me."
" Och ! " said the gentleman, " if thou stayest to-
night thou shalt have three hundred ' piimi.' "
" It's a bargain," said John.
AVhen it was a while of the night there came four