Spaniards, not Atholemen; in truth, forgotten everything
he should have recollected. In this happy state of obfuscation, Donald
continued to roar, to drink, and to talk away precisely as he was wont
to do in Rory M'Fadyen's "public" in Kilnichrochokan. From being
oratorical, Donald became musical, and insisted on having a song from
some of his friends; but failing to make his request intelligible, he
volunteered one himself, and immediately struck up, in a strong nasal
twang, and with a voice that made the whole house ring:--

"Ta Heelan hills are high, high, high,
An' ta Heelan miles are long;
But, then, my freens, rememper you,
Ta Heelan whisky's strong, strong, strong!
Ta Heelan whisky's strong,

"And who shall care for ta length o' ta mile,
Or who shall care for ta hill,
If he shall have, 'fore he teukit ta way,
In him's cheek one Heelan shill?
In him's cheek one Heelan shill?

"An' maype he'll pe teukit twa;
I'll no say is no pe tree;
And what although it should pe four?
Is no pussiness you or me, me, me--
Is no pussiness you or me."

Suiting the action to, at least, the spirit of the song, Donald tossed
off another bumper of the alcohol, which had the rather odd effect of
recalling him to some sense of his situation, instead of destroying, as
might have been expected, any little glimmering of light on that subject
which he might have previously possessed. On discussing the last glass
of brandy--

"Now, lads," said Donald, "I must pe going. It's gettin late, and I must
find oot my brother Tuncan Gorm, as decen' a lad as between this and
Eddernahulish." Having said this, and paid his reckoning, Donald began
shaking hands with his friends, one after the other, previous to leaving
them; but his friends had no intention whatever of parting with him in
this way. Donald had incautiously exposed his wealth when settling with
the landlord; and of his wealth, as well as his wine, they determined on
having a share. The ruffians, in short, having communicated with each
other, by nods and winks, resolved to dog him; and, when fitting place
and opportunity should present themselves, to rob and murder him.
Fortunately for Donald, however, they had not exchanged intelligence so
cautiously as to escape his notice altogether. He had seen and taken
note of two or three equivocal acts and motions of his friends; but had
had suffic