Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

438 KYLE RICH*
boat was ashore in an instant, the men clashed into the
house, and in a minute three of them re-appeared, each
with a larg-e cask of whisky on his shoulder, followed by
Mrs. Nicholson, wringing her hands, scolding and cry-
ing, all in regular set terms, and then by Mr. Nicholson,
threatening them with robbery and revenge. But the
style and colour of our long boat told too probable a story
while the application of the talismanic chalk dazzled the
eyes of both. " Ye're neither gentlemen nor excisemen,"
said Mr. Nicholson; "Ye're rogues and thieves," cried
the wife ; when lo ! the awful image of the cutter ap-
peared, Avith the crown and anchor at the gaff end, gently
drifting up the strait. How do you do, Mr. Nicholson,
said the boatswain ; I hope your grass is recovered :
good evening to you, Mrs. Nicholson, said Niell, I hope
breakfast will be ready the next time I come. " Sorrow
gang wi' ye all," said Mrs. Nicholson. " The deil flee awa
with the gangers—I kent weel he was na a gentleman."
Putting aside the question of retribution in this case,
which is merely supplementary and incidental matter,
the moral of my history lies open to the day, as much
as if it were a real fable. I do not relate it to you because
It was an adventure, amid a dearth of matter " to elevate
and surprise," as Bayes speaks, but because it is a specimen
of character. It is one that cannot be changed too
soon, as it surely gives as little pleasure to the seller as
to the buyer. How it is to be rectified is another matter.
But should any future patriotic Sassanach and writer of
tours, desirous of reforming the race of the Meg Dods,
and of bringing on himself the poisoned dirk of some
Mac Nicol, produce into open day the contents of his journal,
he will perhaps take courage by recollecting how
Wales has been rectified in a few of these points, by
means of « The Book," as it is there called. When the
tourists first discovered their way to that country, they
;