et every thoroughfare and short cut. And Aberdeen began
to know him. He was very soon recognized as trustworthy, and had pretty
nearly as much to do as he could manage. Shargar, therefore, was all
over the city like a cracker, and could have told at almost any hour
where Dr. Anderson was to be found--generally in the lower parts of
it, for the good man visited much among the poor; giving them almost
exclusively the benefit of his large experience. Shargar delighted in
keeping an eye upon the doctor, carefully avoiding to show himself.

One day as he was hurrying through the Green (a non virendo) on a
mission from the Rothieden carrier, he came upon the doctor's chariot
standing in one of the narrowest streets, and, as usual, paused to
contemplate the equipage and get a peep of the owner. The morning
was very sharp. There was no snow, but a cold fog, like vaporized
hoar-frost, filled the air. It was weather in which the East Indian
could not venture out on foot, else he could have reached the place by
a stair from Union Street far sooner than he could drive thither. His
horses apparently liked the cold as little as himself. They had been
moving about restlessly for some time before the doctor made his
appearance. The moment he got in and shut the door, one of them reared,
while the other began to haul on his traces, eager for a gallop.
Something about the chain gave way, the pole swerved round under the
rearing horse, and great confusion and danger would have ensued, had
not Shargar rushed from his coign of vantage, sprung at the bit of the
rearing horse, and dragged him off the pole, over which he was just
casting his near leg. As soon as his feet touched the ground he too
pulled, and away went the chariot and down went Shargar. But in a moment
more several men had laid hold of the horses' heads, and stopped them.

'Oh Lord!' cried Shargar, as he rose with his arm dangling by his side,
'what will Donal' Joss say? I'm like to swarf (faint). Haud awa' frae
that basket, ye wuddyfous (withy-fowls, gallows-birds),' he cried,
darting towards the hamper he had left in the entry of a court, round
which a few ragged urchins had gathered; but just as he reached it he
staggered and fell. Nor did he know anything more till he found the
carriage stopping with himself and the hamper inside it.

As soon as the coachman had got his harness put to rights, the doctor
had driven back to see how the lad had fared, for he had felt the
car