ing--and that had, in the course of
circumstances, been reduced to a kind of wild desperation, either by
chance-misfortunes, cares and trials, or, what is more likely, by his own
sinful, regardless way of life.

"It canna be helpit," he said, giving his head a bit shake; "it canna be
helpit, friends. Ay, Jess, ye were a gude ane in yere day, lass,--mony a
penny and pound have I made out of ye. Which o' ye can lend me a hand,
lads? Rin away for a gun some o' ye."

Here Thomas Clod interfered with a small bit of advice--a thing that
Thomas was good at, being a Cameraman elder, and accustomed to giving a
word. "Wad ye no think it better," said Thomas, "to stick her with a
long gully-knife, or a sharp shoemaker's parer? It wad be an easier way,
I'm thinking."

Dog on it! I could scarcely keep from shuddering when I heard them
speaking in this wild, heathenish, bloody sort of a manner.

"'Deed no," quo' Saunders Tram, at whose side I was standing, "far
better send away for the smith's forehammer, and hit her a smack or twa
betwixt the e'en; so ye wad settle her in half a second."

"No, no;" cried Tammie Dobbie, lending in his word, "a better plan than
a' that, wad be to make a strong kinch of ropes, and hang her."

Lovey ding! such ways of showing how to be merciful!! But the old Jockey
himself interfered. "Haud yere tongues, fules," was his speech;
"yonder's the man coming wi' a gun. We'll shune put an end to her. She
would have won for a hunder pounds, if she hadna broken her leg.--Wha'll
wager me that she wadna hae won? But she's the last of my stable, puir
beast; and I havena ae plack to rub against anither, now that I have lost
her. Gi'e me the gun and the penny candle. Is she loaded?" speired he
at the man that carried the piece.

"Troth is she," was the answer, "double charged."

"Then stand back, lads," quod the old round-shouthered horse-couper, and
ramming down the candle he lifted up the piece, cocking it as he went
four or five yards in front of the poor bleeding brute, that seemed,
though she could not rise, to know what he was about with the weapon of
destruction; casting her black eye up at him, and looking pitifully in
his face.

When I saw him taking his aim, and preparing to draw the trigger, I
turned round my back, not being able to stand it, and brizzed the flats
of my hands with all my pith against the opening of my ears;
nevertheless, I heard a faint boom; so, heeling round, I ob