J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

258 WEST HIGHLAM) TALES.
it feels. I will put tlie rope about my neck, and do thou hang
me, and when I have had enough, I will grin and then thou shalt
let me down."
So the first thief was hanged, and when the rope tightened
he grinned horribly, and was let down by his comrade as they
had agreed.
" Well," said he, " What was it like? "
"Not so bad as I expected," said the other. "Now I will
hang thee and when thou hast enough, whistle."
So the second agreed, and he was strung up in his turn, and
he grinned too ; but because he would not whistle, his friend let
him hang, and when he was tired of waiting, he emptied his
pockets and left him there.
" Have you any more of that story," said I.
" No ; but I have one about a smith's servant," said MacCraw.
There was once, long ago, a smith in Eirinn, and he had a
servant who was very clever at stealing ; he could steal anything.
His master was working with an Uachdaran, gentleman, and
the gentleman came to the smithy to have his " powney " shod,
(the Engli.sh word powney is commonly used in Island Gaelic),
and he and the smith were well with each other, and they began
to talk, and the smith to boast of his apprentice, and how well he
could steal. At last he offered to bet that the lad could steal
the gentleman's horse, and the gentleman wagered five notes
that he would not. The smith laid down the money and the bet
was made, and they told this to the lad.
Well, the gentleman went home, and he sent his gillies to
watch the powney, and the lad went and he bought himself three
bottles of whisky, and when the night came he went to the
"square" (this word has also crept into Gaelic, and is applied
to a set of farm buildings) of the gentleman, and he laid him-
self down amongst the litter, and he began to snore and snort
and pretend to be drunk. So out came one of the watchmen to
see what was the matter, and he began to handle the drunken
man, and presently he felt a bottle in his pocket ; then he drew
it out and he told the others, and they drank it all up. Then they
said,
" Let us see if there is not another bottle in the other pocket."
So they went and they rolled over the drunken man, who kept