ne at hand, he would be obliged to lift it to his
head, and do his best. To show the creature did not want sense, he
shoved, when he was done, the empty plate and the toom bottle through
beneath the door, mumbling some trash or other which no living creature
could comprehend, but which I dare say, from the way it was said, was the
telling me how much he was obliged for his supper and poor lodging. From
my kindness towards him, he grew more composed; but as he went back to
the corner to lie down, I heard him give two-three heavy sighs.--I could
not thole't, mortal foe though the man was of mine; so I gave the key a
canny thraw round in the lock, as it were by chance; and, wishing him a
good-night, went to my bed beside Nanse.

At the dawn of day, by cock-craw, Benjie and Tommy Staytape, keen of the
ploy, were up and astir, as anxious as if their life depended on it, to
see that all was safe and snug, and that the prisoner had not shot the
lock. They agreed to march sentry over him half an hour the piece, time
about, the one stretching himself out on a stool beside the kitchen fire,
by way of a bench in the guard-house, while the other went to and fro
like the ticker of a clock. I dare say they saw themselves marching him
after breakfast time, with his yellow jacket, through a mob of weans with
glowering een and gaping mouths, up to the Tolbooth.

The back window being up a jink, I heard the two confabbing. "We'll draw
cuts," said Benjie, "which is to walk sentry first; see, here's two
straws, the longest gets the choice."--"I've won," cried Tommy; "so gang
you in a while, and if I need ye, or grow frightened, I'll beat leather-
ty-patch wi' my buckles on the back-door. But we had better see first
what he is about, for he may be howking a hole through aneath the
foundations; thae fiefs can work like moudiwarts."--"I'll slip forret,"
said Benjie, "and gie a peep."--"Keep to a side," cried Tommy Staytape,
"for, dog on it, Moosey'll maybe hae a pistol; and, if his birse be up,
he would think nae mair o' shooting ye as dead as a red herring, than I
would do of taking my breakfast."

"I'll rin past, and gie a knock at the door wi' the poker to rouse him
up?" asked Benjie.

"Come away then," answered Tommy, "and ye'll hear him gie a yowl, and
commence gabbling like a goose."

As all this was going on, I rose and took a vizzy between the chinks of
the window-shutters; so, just as I got my neb to the hole, I saw Benjie,