that is, show thyself; in which case, it simply appears.  Others omit the harrowing, and say:  “Come after me and harrow thee.”—­R.B.]

     Then up gat fechtin Jamie Fleck,
     An’ he swoor by his conscience,
     That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
     For it was a’ but nonsense: 
     The auld guidman raught down the pock,
     An’ out a handfu’ gied him;
     Syne bad him slip frae’ mang the folk,
     Sometime when nae ane see’d him,
     An’ try’t that night.

     He marches thro’ amang the stacks,
     Tho’ he was something sturtin;
     The graip he for a harrow taks,
     An’ haurls at his curpin: 
     And ev’ry now an’ then, he says,
     “Hemp-seed I saw thee,
     An’ her that is to be my lass
     Come after me, an’ draw thee
     As fast this night.”

     He wistl’d up Lord Lennox’ March
     To keep his courage cherry;
     Altho’ his hair began to arch,
     He was sae fley’d an’ eerie: 
     Till presently he hears a squeak,
     An’ then a grane an’ gruntle;
     He by his shouther gae a keek,
     An’ tumbled wi’ a wintle
     Out-owre that night.

     He roar’d a horrid murder-shout,
     In dreadfu’ desperation! 
     An’ young an’ auld come rinnin out,
     An’ hear the sad narration: 
     He swoor ’twas hilchin Jean M’Craw,
     Or crouchie Merran Humphie—­
     Till stop! she trotted thro’ them a’;
     And wha was it but grumphie
     Asteer that night!

     Meg fain wad to the barn gaen,
     To winn three wechts o’ naething;^12
     But for to meet the deil her lane,
     She pat but little faith in: 

[Footnote 12:  This charm must likewise be performed unperceived and alone.  You go to the barn, and open both doors, taking them off the hinges, if possible; for there is danger that the being about to appear may shut the doors, and do you some mischief.  Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn, which in our country dialect we call a “wecht,” and go through all the attitudes of letting down corn against the wind.  Repeat it three times, and the third time an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the windy door and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the appearance or retinue, marking the employment or station in life.—­R.B.]

     She gies the herd a pickle nits,
     An’ twa red cheekit apples,
     To watch, while for the barn she sets,
     In hopes to see Tam Kipples
     That vera night.

     She turns the key wi’ cannie thraw,
     An’owre the threshold ventures;
     But first on Sawnie gies a ca’,
     Syne baudly in she enters: 
     A ratton rattl’d up the wa’,
     An’ she cry’d Lord preserve her! 
     An’ ran thro’ midden-hole an’ a’,
     An’ pray’d wi’ zeal and fervour,
     Fu’ fast that night.