Part 36 (2/2)
”Gude save's!” I snarled; ”wha'gar ye mak' sic' a splore? Hoo daur ye tak'
on ye till misca' a body sae sair's ye dae, ye bletherin' coof?
Hae ye gat oot the wrang side yir bed the morn?-ir d'ye tak' me fir a rief-randy?--ir wha' the de'il fashes ye the noo? Ye ken, A was compit doon ayont the boondary, an' A thocht A wad dauner owre an' hae a wee bit crack wi' ye the nicht A wantit tae ken wha' like er s firbye; bit sin' yir sae skrunty, ye maun tak' yir do awa' bock till ma ain comp Heh!” And I turned aith unconcealed resentment and conte down his buckets, and slapping the back of his neck ”Ye ken, A'm sae owrecam wi' thir awfu'
in; cain, an' rest yirsel'” The Irresistible had scored this time
Such is life
I helped Tommy out of his embarrassment by an occasional 'Ay, etic and cordialme to a seat, he filled a billy with so it on the crook
”An' wha' dae they ca' ye?” he asked, turning his back to the fire, and surveying me with a kindly interest whichin a fowl-house
”Tah interrupted by a fit of coughing as I pronounced my surname
”Ye'll no be yin o' the M'Calluerly
”A kent them weel”
I shook my head ”An' wha' dae they ca' yirsel'?” I asked
”Ta-anither Tam, ye ken An' whaur ye frae? Wha' pairt o' the kintra was ye born in syne?” A boggy-looking place for a rity safely across; however, I replied,
”Ye'se aiblins be acquent wi' yon auld sang:--
Braw, braw lads on Yarrow braff, That wander through the bloomin' heather
Aweel, A was born on the braes o' Yarra Ye ken, the ti wi' owans fine Ay,h
”D'ye ken-A wadna' thocht ye was a Selkirksheer mon A wad hae thocht ye was frae Lanarksheer, ir aiblins frae”--
”Whaur micht ye be frae yirsel'?” I interrupted desperately
He seemed about to reply, but checked himself, and looked at me absently; then he turned to the fire, took his canister from the shelf, andinto the fire till recalled to hi of the billy; then a triumphant smile invaded his stern features; he took the billy off the crook, threw the tea into it, clapped both hands on e froh hoose an' a leigh A' firbye ma bony sel', The lad o' Ecclefechan!
”Ha-ha-ha! The lad o' Ecclefechan, ye ken-no the lass o' Ecclefechan!
Losh!+ A hae whiles laffit ey near daft at yon! The lad o' Ecclefechan!”
He gave way to another burst of hilarity, in which I sincerely joined
”A henna' thocht aboot yon a tow the dew of merriment from his eyes; ”bit ye hae brocht it bock the nicht
The lad o' Ecclefechan! ha-ha-ha! Ay, mun; A'm frae Ecclefechan, an'