But before she could speak, the answer came in another form, addressing itself to his nose instead of his ears. For out of the cottages floated clouds of smoke, pervading the air with a variety of scents--of burning oak-bark, of burning leather-cuttings, of damp fire-wood and peat, of the cooking of red herrings, of the boiling of porridge, of the baking of oat-cake, &c., &c. Happily for all the inhabitants, "thae deevils o' loons" had used no powder here. But the old woman, looking round when Alec spoke, and seeing that he was one of the obnoxious school-boys, broke out thus: "Gang an' tak the divot (turf) aff o' my lum, Alec, there's a good laad! Ye sudna play sic tricks on puir auld bodies like me, near brackin' in twa wi' the rheumateeze. I'm jist greetin' wi' the reek i' my auld een." And as she spoke she wiped her eyes with her apron. Alec did not wait to clear himself of an accusation so gently put, but was on the roof of Luckie Lapp's cottage before she had finished her appeal to his generosity. He took the "divot aff o' her lum" and pitched it half way down the brae, at the back of the cottage. Then he scrambled from one chimney to the other, and went on pitching the sods down the hill. At length two of the inhabitants, who had climbed up at the other end of the row, met him, and taking him for a repentant sinner at best, made him prisoner, much to his amusement, and brought him down, protesting that it was too bad of gentle-folk's sons to persecute the poor in that way. "I didn't do it," said Alec. "Dinna lee," was the curt rejoinder. "I'm no leein'." "Wha did it, than?" "I can guiss; an' it shanna happen again, gin I can help it." "Tell's wha did it, than." "I wonno say names." "He's ane o' them." "The foul thief tak him! I s' gie him a hidin'," said a burly sutor (shoemaker) coming up. "Thae loons are no to be borne wi' ony langer." And he caught Alec by the arm. "I didn't do it," persisted Alec. "Wha killed Rob Bruce's dog?" asked the sutor, squeezing Alec's arm to point the question. "I did," answered Alec; "and I will do yours the same guid turn, gin he worries bairns." "And quite richt, too!" said the sutor's wife. "Lat him gang, Donal. I'll be boun' he's no ane o' them." "Tell's a' aboot it, than. Hoo cam ye up there?" "I gaed up to tak the divot aff o' Lucky Lapp's lum. Spier at her. Ance up I thocht I micht gie the lave o' ye a gude turn, and this is a' I get for't." "Weel, weel! Come in and warm ye, than," said the shoemaker, convinced at last. So Alec went in and had a chat with them, and then went on to George Macwha's.