he unforgettable; and love-sick
girls get catches of it and play pranks with their lovers. It is a
song so old that Adam heard it in the Garden before Eve came to comfort
him, so young that from it still flows the whole joy and sorrow of
earth.

Then it ceased, and all of a sudden the man was rubbing his eyes on the
hillside, and watching the falling dusk. "I have heard the Rime," he
said to himself, and he walked home in a daze. The whaups were crying,
but none came near him, though he looked hard for the bird that had
spoken with him. It may be that it was there and he did not know it,
or it may be that the whole thing was only a dream; but of this I
cannot say.

The next morning the man rose and went to the manse.

"I am glad to see you, Simon," said the minister, "for it will soon be
the Communion Season, and it is your duty to go round with the tokens."

"True," said the man, "but it was another thing I came to talk about,"
and he told him the whole tale.

"There are but two ways of it, Simon," said the minister. "Either ye
are the victim of witchcraft, or ye are a self-deluded man. If the
former (whilk I am loth to believe), then it behoves ye to watch and
pray lest ye enter into temptation. If the latter, then ye maun put a
strict watch over a vagrant fancy, and ye'll be quit o' siccan
whigmaleeries."

Now Simon was not listening but staring out of the window. "There was
another thing I had it in my mind to say," said he. "I have come to
lift my lines, for I am thinking of leaving the place."

"And where would ye go?" asked the minister, aghast.

"I was thinking of going to Carlisle and trying my luck as a dealer, or
maybe pushing on with droves to the South."

"But that's a cauld country where there are no faithfu' ministrations,"
said the minister.

"Maybe so, but I am not caring very muckle about ministrations," said
the man, and the other looked after him in horror.

When he left the manse he went to a Wise Woman, who lived on the left
side of the kirkyard above Threepdaidle burn-foot. She was very old,
and sat by the ingle day and night, waiting upon death. To her he told
the same tale.

She listened gravely, nodding with her head. "Ach," she said, "I have
heard a like story before. And where will you be going?"

"I am going south to Carlisle to try the dealing and droving" said the
man, "for I have some skill of sheep."

"And will ye bide there?" she asked.

"Maybe aye, and m