ese were
unco sounds, of the calling of the solans, and the plash of the sea and
the rock echoes, that hung continually in our ears. It was chiefly so in
moderate weather. When the waves were anyway great they roared about the
rock like thunder and the drums of armies, dreadful but merry to hear;
and it was in the calm days that a man could daunt himself with
listening--not a Highlandman only, as I several times experimented on
myself, so many still, hollow noises haunted and reverberated in the
porches of the rock.

This brings me to a story I heard, and a scene I took part in, which
quite changed our terms of living, and had a great effect on my
departure. It chanced one night I fell in a muse beside the fire and
(that little air of Alan's coming back to my memory) began to whistle. A
hand was laid upon my arm, and the voice of Neil bade me to stop, for it
was not "canny musics."

"Not canny?" I asked. "How can that be?"

"Na," said he; "it will be made by a bogle and her wanting ta heid upon
his body."[13]

"Well," said I, "there can be no bogles here, Neil; for it's not likely
they would fash themselves to frighten solan geese."

"Ay?" says Andie, "is that what ye think of it? But I'll can tell ye
there's been waur nor bogles here."

"What's waur than bogles, Andie?" said I.

"Warlocks," said he. "Or a warlock at the least of it. And that's a
queer tale, too," he added. "And if ye would like, I'll tell it ye."

To be sure we were all of the one mind, and even the Highlander that had
the least English of the three set himself to listen with all his might.

THE TALE OF TOD LAPRAIK

My faither, Tam Dale, peace to his banes, was a wild, sploring lad in
his young days, wi' little wisdom and less grace. He was fond of a lass
and fond of a glass, and fond of a ran-dan; but I could never hear tell
that he was muckle use for honest employment. Frae ae thing to anither,
he listed at last for a sodger and was in the garrison of this fort,
which was the first way that ony of the Dales cam to set foot upon the
Bass. Sorrow upon that service! The governor brewed his ain ale; it
seems it was the warst conceivable. The rock was proveesioned frae the
shore with vivers, the thing was ill-guided, and there were whiles when
they but to fish and shoot solans for their diet. To crown a', thir was
the Days of the Persecution. The perishin' cauld chalmers were all
occupeed wi' sants and martyrs, the saut of the yearth, of whi