Enter MUIRLAN.
Muir. Feth! Patie's spool jinks thro wi wondrous micht,
An ay it minds me o “the bridal nicht !”
I've rowth o sheets, sae ne'er fash your thumb—
O! gie's ae kiss before your minnie come.
Harry enters—Jeanie kens him—
Fast he grips her till his breast—
Willie gapes, an glowrs, an sanes him,
Rins an roars like one possest ;
Wild, wilyart fancies revel in his brain—
They baith rin aff an lea him a his lane.
Muir. O, murder, murder !—O !—I'll dee wi fear !
O Gaffer ! Mirren !—O, come here, come here !
Enter MIRREN, in haste.
Mir. The peesweep's scraichin owre the spunkie cairn
My heart bodes ill—O, William, whar's my bairn?
Muir. A. great red dragon, wi a warlock claw,
Has come, and wi your dochter flown awa ! ! !
Enter GAFFER, in haste.
Gaf. What awfu cry was that I heard within?
What maks you glowr, an what caus't a yon din?
Mir. A great big dragon, wi a red airn claw,
Has come, an wi oor dochter flown awa ! (Crying.)
Muir. Its head was covered wi a black aim ladle!
Black legs it had, an tail as sharp's a needle !
A great red ee stood stairin in its breast ! [1]
I'm like to swarf—O, twas a fearfu beast!
Mir. The craw that biggit in the stackyaird thorn,
Scraicht an forsook its nest when she was born ;
Three pyats [2] crost the kirk when she was christen'd,
I've heard it tauld, an trembl'd while I listen'd.
O, dule an wae! My dream's been redd richt sune !
Yestreen I dreamt twa mice had hol'd the mune.
Gaf. The swurd o Justice ne'er fa's unwrocht for
But come,—alive or deid, let's seek oor dochter.
Muir. I'll no be weel this month—O, what a fricht!
I'll no gang owre the Muir, my lane, this nicht. [Exeunt.
[1] The brass breastplate of the 75th had the figure of the Sphinx, and the words “Egmont-op-Zee” and “Egypt” upon it. The Egyptian SPHINX was the representation of half a woman and half a lion.—Ed.
[2] Magpies—Birds of ill-omen.