ss of prideful man. But
Tammie had gotten his drappikie, and the tongue of the body would not lie
still a moment; so he blethered on from one thing to another, as we
jogged along, till I was forced at the last to give up thinking, and
begin a twa-handed crack with him.

"Have you your snuff-box upon ye?"--said Tammie. "Gi'e me a pinch."

Having given him the box, I observed to him, that "it was beginning to
grow dark and dowie."

"'Deed is't," said Tammie; "but a body can now scarcely meet on the road
wi' ony think waur than themsell. Mony a witch, de'il, and bogle,
however, did my grannie see and hear tell of, that used to scud and
scamper hereaway langsyne like maukins."

"Witches!" quo' I. "No, no Tammie, all these things are out of the land
now; and muckle luck to them. But we have other things to fear; what
think ye of highway robbers?"

"Highway robbers!" said Tammie. "Kay, kay; I'll tell ye of something
that I met in wi' mysell. Ae dark winter night, as I was daundering hame
frae Pathhead--it was pitmirk, and about the twall--losh me, I couldna
see my finger afore me!--that a stupid thocht cam into my head that I wad
never wun hame, but be either killed, lost, murdered, or drowned, between
that and the dawing. All o' a sudden I sees a light coming dancing
forrit amang the trees; and my hair began to stand up on end. Then, in
the next moment--save us a'!--I sees anither light, and forrit, forrit
they baith cam, like the een of some great fiery monster, let loose frae
the pit o' darkness by its maister, to seek whom it might devour."

"Stop, Tammie," said I to him, "yell wauken Benjie. How far are we from
Dalkeith?"

"Twa mile and a bittock," answered Tammie. "But wait a wee.--Up cam the
two lights snoov-snooving, nearer and nearer; and I heard distinctly the
sound of feet that werena men's--cloven feet, maybe--but nae wheels. Sae
nearer it cam and nearer, till the sweat began to pour owre my een as
cauld as ice; and, at lang and last, I fand my knees beginning to gi'e
way; and, after tot-tottering for half a minute, I fell down, my staff
playing bleach out before me. When I cam to mysell, and opened my een,
there were the twa lights before me, bleez-bleezing, as if they wad blast
my sight out. And what did they turn out to be, think ye? The de'il or
spunkie, whilk o' them?"

"I'm sure I canna tell," said I.

"Naithing mair then," answered Tammie, "but twa bowets; ane tied to ilka
knee of