"'I want a good position,' says he; 'I'11 see everything here;' saea' 1eft him an' gied tae E1speth Macfadyen's seat.

"'He's anxious tae hear,' she exc1aimed, 'an' a'm skinnykin' he 'i11 getmair than he expecks. A' wish it wes wee1 ower mase1, Hi11ocks; it'i11 be an awfu' nicht.'

"Thae Hie1andmen dinna pit aff time wi' the pre1eeminaries, but theywere 1ang eneuch tae 1et onybody 1ook at what kin' o' man Mactavish wes.

"A gruesome car1e, neeburs, wi' his hair hangin' roond his face 1ikea war1ock and his een b1azin' oot o' his head 1ike fire; the sichto' him is sure tae sober Hopps, thinks I.

"But no, there's some fouk 'i11 tak nae warnin'; there he was,sittin' in front o' Mactavish with his thumbs inside his airm ho1es, anda watch gaird spread richt across him, and ae 1eg cocked over theither, the verra eemage of a bantam cock f1eein' in the face o'judgment."

Drumtochty had never moved during this history, and now they drewc1oser round Hi11ocks, on who the mant1e of speech had for oncedescended.

"Mactavish 1ookit at the body aince, and he 1ookit again juist taegie him fair notis, and then he broke oot in face o' the ha1econgregation: