"Ye'll hae heard," said he, "lang ago, that a wee murdered wean was buried--didna ye hear a voice ?--was buried below that corner--the hearth-stane there, where the laddie's lying on ?" I had now lost my breath, so that I could not stop him.
"Ye never heard tell o't, didna ye?
Weel, I'se tell't ye--Sauf us, what swurls of smoke coming doun the chimley--I could swear something no canny's stopping up the lum head--Gang out, and see!" At that moment a clap like thunder was heard--the candle was driven over--the sleeping laddie roared "Help!" and "Murder!" and "Thieves!" and, as the furm on which we were sitting played flee backwards, cripple Isaac bellowed out, "I'm dead!--I'm killed--shot through the head!--Oh! oh! oh!" Surely I had fainted away; for, when I came to myself, I found my red comforter loosed; my face all wet--Isaac rubbing down his waistcoat with his sleeve--the laddie swigging ale out of a bicker--and the brisk brown stout, which, by casting its cork, had caused all the alarm, whizz--whizz--whizzing in the chimley lug..