racter. I was the stouter man o' the twa, however, and wad sune hae
laid my antagonist on the breadth o' his back, but for his neebor, who,
now rendered furious by the blow which I had gien him, sprang on me like
a tiger; and, between them I was borne to the groun', the twa fa'in on
the tap o' me. Here, again, however, the battle was renewed. I continued
to kick and box richt and left, wi' a vigour that made me still
formidable to my enemies; while they, to do them justice, lent me kicks
and blows in return, that nearly ca'ed the life out o' me. There, then,
were we a' three rowin on the floor, sometimes ane uppermost an'
sometimes anither, wi' oor faces streamin o' blude, and oor coats a'
torn in the most ruinous manner. It was an awfu' scene, and such a ane
as hadna been seen often in that office before, I dare say. As micht be
expected, we had a numerous audience, too The office was filled wi'
folk, the door was choked up wi' them, and there was an immense crowd in
the street, and clusters at the window, a' tryin to get a sicht or a
knowledge o' what was proceedin within. Baith the commotion and the
concourse, in fact, was tremendous--just appallin to look at. But this
was a state o' matters that couldna last lang. My assailants havin ca'ed
in the assistance o' a couple o' great, big, stout fallows o' porters, I
was finally pinned to the floor, whan my hauns bein secured by a pair o'
handcuffs, I was raised to my feet, again collared by the twa officers,
and a cry havin been made to clear the road, I was led oot o' the office
in procession; a messenger on each side o' me, the twa porters ahint,
and ane before, openin a passage through the crowd, whose remarks, as I
gaed alang, were highly flatterin to me:--

"What an awfu'-like ruffian!" said ane. "What a murderous-lookin
scoonril!" said anither.

"What's he been doin?" inquired a third.

"Robbin the mail-coach," answered a fourth; "and they say he has
murdered the guard an' twa passengers."

"Oh! the monster!" exclaimed an auld wife, whom this piece of accurate
information had reached; "the savage, bloody monster! Was ever the like
heard tell o'! The gallows is owre guid for him."

In short, I heard mysel, as I was led alang, charged wi' every crime
that human wickedness is capable o', although I perceived that the
robbery o' the mail, and the murders o' the guard and passengers, was
the favourite and prevailing notion; a notion which, I presumed, had
arisen fr