The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 2 of 2)

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales, Vol. II (of 2), by James Hogg
The Brownie of Bodsbeck has no Chapter IV. and two Chapters III.
THE BROWNIE OF BODSBECK; And other Tales.
Edinburgh: Printed by James Ballantyne & Co.
BY JAMES HOGG, AUTHOR OF “THE QUEEN’S WAKE,” &c. &c.
“What, has this thing appeared again to-night?”
IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II.
EDINBURGH; PRINTED FOR WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, PRINCE’S-STREET: AND JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET, LONDON. 1818.


Next morning Davie Tait was early astir, and not having any thing better to do, he took his plaid and staff and set out towards Whithope-head, to see what was become of his five scores of ewes, the poor remains of a good stock. Davie went slowly up the brae towards Riskinhope-swire, for the events of last night were fresh in his mind, and he was conning a new prayer to suit some other great emergency; for Davie began to think that by fervent prayer very great things might be accomplished—that perhaps the floods might be restrained from coming down, and the storms of the air from descending; and that even the Piper Hill, or the Hermon Law, might be removed out of its place. This last, however, was rather a doubtful point to be attained, even by prayer through the best grounded faith, for, saving the places where they already stood, there was no room for them elsewhere in the country. He had, however, his eye fixed on a little green gair before him, where he was determined to try his influence with heaven once more; for his heart was lifted up, as he afterwards confessed, and he was hasting to that little gair to kneel down and ask a miracle, nothing doubting.
Let any one guess, if he can, what Davie Tait was going to ask. It was not that the rains and storms of heaven might be restrained, nor that the mountains might be removed out of their places; but Davie was going to pray, that “when he went over at the Hewn-gate-end, as soon as he came in sight of Whithope, he might see all his master’s ewes again; all his old friends, every one of which he knew by head-mark, going spread and bleating on their old walk from the Earl Hill all the way to the Braid-heads.” So intent was Davie on this grand project, that he walked himself out of breath against the hill, in order to get quickly at the little gair to put his scheme in execution; but, as he sagely observed, it had been graciously fore-ordained that he should not commit this great folly and iniquity. He paused to take his breath; and in pausing he turned about, as every man does who stops short in climbing a hill. The scene that met Davie’s eye cut his breath shorter than the steep—his looks were rivetted on the haugh at Chapelhope—he could scarcely believe his own eyes, though he rubbed them again and again, and tried their effects on all things around.—“Good Lord!” said Davie, “what a world do we live in! Gin a hale synat had sworn, I coudna hae believed this! My sooth but the Brownie o’ Bodsbeck has had a busy night!”