hout much pain--fly for your life, for I am a
gone man!"

Bloatsheet bounced through the kail-yard like a maukin, clamb over the
bit wall, and off like mad; while Blister was feeling Magneezhy's pulse
with one hand, and looking at his doctor's watch, which he had in the
other. "Do ye think that the poor lad will live, doctor?" said I to him.

He gave his head a wise shake, and only observed, "I dare say, it will be
a hanging business among us. In what direction do you think, Mansie, we
should all take flight?"

But I answered bravely, "Flee them that will, I'se flee nane. If I am
taken prisoner, the town-officers maun haul me from my own house; but,
nevertheless, I trust the visibility of my innocence will be as plain as
a pikestaff to the eyes of the Fifteen!"

"What, then, Mansie, will we do with poor Magneezhy? Give us your advice
in need."

"Let us carry him down to my own bed," answered I; "I would not desert a
fellow-creature in his dying hour! Help me down with him, and then flee
the country as fast as you are able!"

We immediately proceeded, and lifted the poor lad, who had now dwalmed
away, upon our wife's hand-barrow--Blister taking the feet, and me the
oxters, whereby I got my waistcoat all japanned with blood; so, when we
got him laid right, we proceeded to carry him between us down the close,
just as if he had been a sticked sheep, and in at the back door, which
cost us some trouble, being narrow, and the barrow getting jammed in;
but, at long and last, we got him streeked out above the blankets, having
previously shooken Benjie, and wakened him out of his morning's nap.

All this being accomplished and got over, Blister decamped, leaving me my
leeful lane, excepting Benjie, who was next to nobody, in the house with
the dying man. What a frightful face he had, all smeared over with blood
and powder--and I really jealoused, that if he died in that room it would
be haunted for evermair, he being in a manner a murdered man; so that,
even should I be acquitted of art and part, his ghost might still come to
bother us, making our house a hell upon earth, and frighting us out of
our seven senses. But in the midst of my dreadful surmises, when all was
still, so that you might have heard a pin fall, a knock-knock-knock, came
to the door, on which, recovering my senses, I dreaded first that it was
the death-chap, and syne that the affair had got wind, and that it was
the beagles come in search of me; s