How far are we from Dalkeith ?" "Twa mile and a bittock," answered Tammie.

"But wait a wee .-- Up cam the two lights snoov-snooving, nearer and nearer; and I heard distinctly the sound of feet that werena men's--cloven feet, maybe--but nae wheels.

Sae nearer it cam and nearer, till the sweat began to pour owre my een as cauld as ice; and, at lang and last, I fand my knees beginning to gi'e way; and, after tot-tottering for half a minute, I fell down, my staff playing bleach out before me.

When I cam to mysell, and opened my een, there were the twa lights before me, bleez-bleezing, as if they wad blast my sight out.

And what did they turn out to be, think ye?
The de'il or spunkie, whilk o' them ?" "I'm sure I canna tell," said I.
"Naithing mair then," answered Tammie, "but twa bowets; ane tied to ilka knee of auld Doofie, the half-crazy horse-doctor, mounted on his lang- tailed naig, and away through the dark by himsell, at the dead hour o' night, to the relief of a man's mare seized with the batts, somewhere down about Oxenford." I was glad that Tammie's story had ended in this way, when out came another tramping on its heels.
"Do you see the top of yon black trees to the eastward there, on the braehead ?" "I think I do," was my reply.