ry about the sheep's-head. It was placed on a plate
before me at dinner-time. The servant was out o' the room, naebody was
looking, and I whupped it into my apron. Little Sandy wanted a piece,
and, turning round for it, and missing the head, 'Ah, mother!' he cried,
'our Grizzy has swallowed a sheep's-head, bones and a', in a
moment!'--'Wheesht, laddie!' said my mother; 'eat ye next ane
then.'--'Oh, ye greedy Grizzy!' said Sandy, shaking his little nieve in
my face, 'I'll mind you for this.'--'I'm sure Sandy will ne'er forget
me,' said I, and slipped away out to hide the sheep's-head in my own
room; and as soon as I thought naebody was astir, I creeped out quietly
by the window, and got down here behint the hedges; and I'll come every
nicht, faither. But last nicht the troopers were still about the house."

In spite of his misery, Sir Patrick laughed at the ingenuity of his
beloved and heroic daughter; then wept and laughed again, and pressed
her to his bosom.

He had passed many weeks in this cheerless dungeon, with no companion
during the day save a volume of Buchanan's Psalms; but every night he
was visited by his intrepid daughter, who at once supplied him with
food, and beguiled the hours of his solitude. He was sitting in the
gloomy cell, conning over his favourite volume--the stone at the
aperture had been pushed aside a few inches to admit the light more
freely, and the weeds at the entrance were now bowed down and withered
by the frost--a few boys were playing in the churchyard, and tossing a
ball against the kirk. Being driven from the hand of an unskilful
player, it suddenly bounded into the aisle. Sir Patrick started, and the
book dropped from his hand. Immediately the aperture was surrounded by
the boys, and the stone removed. They stood debating who should enter,
but none had sufficient courage. At length one more hardy than the rest
volunteered to enter, if another would follow him. The laird gave
himself up as lost, for he knew that even the tale of a schoolboy would
effect his ruin. He was aware he could disperse them with a single
groan; but even that, when told to his enemies, might betray him. At
length three agreed to enter, and the feet of the first already
protruded into the aisle. Sir Patrick crept silently to its farthest
corner, when the gruff voice of the old gravedigger reached his ear,
shouting--

"The mischief's in the callants, and nae guid. What are ye doing there?
Do ye want the ghaist