lad,
I dare say, poor thing, to find itself so near home. We heard the water,
far down below, roaring and hushing over the rocks, and thro' among the
Duke's woods--big, thick, black trees, that threw their branches, like
giant's arms, half across the Esk, making all below as gloomy as
midnight; while over the tops of them, high, high aboon, the bonnie wee
starries were twink-twinkling far amid the blue. But there was no end to
Tammie's tongue.

"Weel," said he, "speaking o' the brig, I'll tell you a gude story about
that. Auld Jamie Bowie, the potato merchant, that lived at the Gate-end,
had a horse and cart that met wi' an accident just at the turn o' the
corner yonder; and up cam a chield sair forfaughten, and a' out of
breath, to Jamie's door, crying like the prophet Jeremiah to the auld
Jews, 'Rin, rin away doun to the Cow Brig; for your cart's dung to
shivers, and the driver's killed, as weel as the horse!'

"James ran in for his hat; but, as he was coming out at the door, he met
another messenger, such as came running across the plain to David, to
acquaint him of the death of Absalom, crying, 'Rin away doun, Jamie, rin
away doun; your cart is standing yonder, without either horse or driver;
for they're baith killed!'

"Jamie thanked Heaven that the cart was to the fore; then, rinning back
for his stick, which he had forgotten, he stopped a moment to bid his
wife not greet so loud, and was then rushing out in full birr, when he
ran foul of a third chield, that mostly knocked doun the door in his
hurry. 'Awfu' news, man, awfu' news,' was the way o't, with this second
Eliphaz the Temanite. 'Your cart and horse ran away--and threw the
driver, puir fellow, clean owre the brig into the water. No a crunch o'
him is to be seen or heard tell of; for he was a' smashed to pieces!!
It's an awfu' business!'

"'But where's the horse? and where's the cart, then?' askit Jamie, a
thought brisker. 'Where's the horse and cart, then, my man? Can ye tell
me ought of that?'

"'Ou,' said he, 'they're baith doun at the Toll yonder, no a hair the
waur.'

"'That's the best news I've heard the nicht, my man.--Goodwife, I say,
Goodwife; are ye deaf or donnart? Give this lad a dram; and, as it
rather looks like a shower, I'll e'en no go out the night.--I'll easily
manage to find another driver, though half a hundred o' the blockheads
should get their brains knocked out.'

"Is not that a gude ane noo?" quo' Tammie, laughing.