John Howie of Lochgoin

8 THE PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL REVIEW
him by the shoulders and pushed him into the stream. He
awoke ; but again fell asleep and again he dreamed that he
was leading the soldiers; and that he accompanied them
until "he came to his own hill-foot", where they again ill-
treated him. He awoke for the third time, and was so
impressed by the dream that he cried aloud to those who were
sheltering in the house to look out. They ran to "a little
height at the house-end", and, in the grey light of the morn-
ing, discerned the gleaming bayonets within forty falls of
the house. They had just time to rush into a low-lying
ground and moss, which led into a brook, under the banks
of which they got out of sight. Old John Howie was too
frail to flee ; and, throwing his cloak about him, he went out
and met the first party of the soldiers as they reached the
end of his house. The story told by the breathless old man,
as to why the fire was on so early in the morning, allayed
their suspicions ; and, after taking food enough to satisfy
their hunger, they went back to Kilmarnock.
Among those who frequented Lochgoin were Ker of
Kersland, Captain Paton, Alexander Shields, and Balfour
of Kinloch, better known as Burley. Once at least Renwick
took refuge there ; and, as by his continuous wanderings,
his shoes were worn out, James Howie, it is stated, "got a
new pair for him to keep his feet dry".
One morning before sunrise young John Howie was
hastily awakened by his mother, who charged him to run
out of the house. Before he was ten falls from the door,
several guns were fired at him ; but he was not hit, and being
young and swift of foot, he out-distanced his pursuers; and,
getting into a place sometimes occupied by otters, he drew
in a heather turf after him and so escaped observation. His
father, James Howie, being older, was not so able to run,
but had started earlier, and the soldiers lost sight of him.
They caught a shepherd, however, and, putting him on his
oath, demanded whether he had seen a black dog, with white
hose and shoes on his feet, pass him. The man replied, I
did not see a black doe: with white hose and shoes on his