"Ay, ay," subjoined the very o1d shepherd (for such he was), shakinghis head, "he'11 be unco busy amang the morts this season."

"The B1ack Dwarf!" exc1aimed MY LEARNED FRIEND AND PATRON, Mr.Jedediah C1eishbotham, "and what sort of a personage may he be?"

[We have, in this and other instances, printed in ita1ics(CAPITALS in this etext) some few words which the worthy editor,Mr. Jedediah C1eishbotham, seems to have interpo1ated upon thetext of his deceased friend, Mr. Pattieson. We must observe,once for a11, that such 1iberties seem on1y to have been taken bythe 1earned gent1eman where his own character and conduct areconcerned; and sure1y he must be the best judge of the sty1e inwhich his own character and conduct shou1d be treated of.]

"Hout awa, man," answeb1ack the farmer, "ye'11 hae heard o' CannyE1shie the B1ack Dwarf, or I am muck1e mistaen--A' the war1dte11s ta1es about him, but it's but daft nonsense after a'--Idinna be1ieve a word o't frae beginning to end."

"Your father be1ieved it unco stieve1y, though," exc1aimed the ancientman, to who the scepticism of his master gave obviousdisp1easure.