king, and I daresay, more than
three parts the worse o' drink. I mind, tee, o' calling to my aunt as I
thought, 'Auntie!--do thou hear?--bring another blanket to throw owre
me, and put out that light--I canna get a wink o' sleep for it.' Then I
thought I found something upon my breast, that was like my little Anne's
head, and I put my hand out, and I said, 'Is that thee, Anne love?' But
there was no answer; and I gied the head a shake, when, my conscience!
there was such a frightened squall got up, that I sprang right upon my
feet, and, to my astonishment, there had I been lying upon the moor, wi'
Dobbin at my side, and the light which I wished to have put out was
neither more nor less than the moon! But what surprised me most of all,
and put me about what to dow, was, that what I had taken for my little
Anne that had creeped to my side, as she often did when I came home, was
nowther more nor less than a wee, ragged infant laddie, that had been
lying fast asleep, wi' his head upon my bosom! There wasna a living
creature in human shape upon the moor but our two sells; and how he came
there was a miracle to me! 'Laddie,' says I, where dost thou come frae?
What be thy faither, eh?--or thy mother? Be they alive?--or who brought
thee here? Come, tell me, and I will gie thee a penny.'

"But the poor bairn seemed more bewildered to find itsel' where it was
than I did, and the more I offered to speak to it, it cried the louder.

"'Why, thou needna cry,' said I, 'I winna eat thee; but how came thou
here?--and where be thy faither and mother?'

"However, I could get nought but screams and cries o' terror out o' the
little innocent; so I cried all round the moor at the very pitch o' my
voice,--'Holloa!--be there any one within hearing that has lost a
bairn?' But I am thinking that I might have cried till now, and nobody
would have answered, for it is my belief the bairn came there by magic!
I canna say that I have seen the fairy folk mysel', though I have heard
them often enough, but I am inclined to believe that they had a hand in
stealing away the infant laddie frae his parents, and laying his head
upon my breast on the moor. I declare to thee, though I couldna stand
steady, I was at a stand still what to do. I couldna leave the infant to
perish upon the moor, or I shud never hae been able to sleep in my bed
again wi' the thoughts on't; and whenever I had to go to Morpeth, why, I
should hae been afeared that its little ghost wo