e insult. But she, pulling me gently back, rebuked the
kilted stranger with a look, at which he instantly withdrew. In a few
minutes, however, the young chieftain returned to the charge. The widow
frowned, and wept, and declared that nothing on earth should ever tempt
her to such a breach of decorum. But the more she frowned, the more he
smiled, and pressed his suit: 'Just one reel,' he repeated, 'only one!
Allan of Mull, the best piper in the Isles, was only waiting her bidding
to strike up.' The plea was irresistible. 'Weel, weel,' sighed the
widow, rising, and giving him her hand, 'what maun be, maun be! But,
hech, sirs, let it be a lightsome spring, for I hae a heavy, heavy
heart!' The next minute the widow was capering away to a most
'lightsome' air--hands across--cast off--down the middle, and up again.
And a merrier dredgee," concluded the poet, "was never seen in Mull."

On another occasion, when he presented a copy of some verses, which he
had just finished, to a lady of our family, he described their origin as
follows: "Many long years ago, while I was sealed up in the Hebrides, I
became intimate with a family who had a beautiful parrot, which a young
mariner had brought from South America, as a present to his sweetheart.
This happened long before my arrival in Mull; and Poll for many years
had been a much-prized and petted favorite in the household. He was a
captive, to be sure, but allowed at times to be outside his cage on
_parole_; and, always observing good faith and gratitude for such
indulgences, they were repeated as often as appeared consistent with
safe custody. The few words of Gaelic which he had picked up in his
voyage to the north, were just sufficient, on his arrival, to bespeak
the good-will of the family, and recommend himself to their hospitality;
but his vocabulary was soon increased--he became a great mimic--he could
imitate the cries of every domestic animal--the voices of the servants:
he could laugh, whistle, and scold, like any other biped around him. He
was, in short, a match even for Kelly's renowned parrot: for although he
could not, or would not, sing 'God save the King,' he was a proficient
in 'Charlie is my Darling,' and other Jacobite airs, with which he never
failed to regale the company, when properly introduced.

"Poll was indeed a remarkable specimen of his tribe, and the daily
wonder of the whole neighborhood. Years flew by: and although kind
treatment had quite reconciled h