Subsequent to this creach, and in the time of Mr. Charles Campbell being Minister of Tiree, several galleys, or _bìrlinnean_, each with its complement of men, and in addition each with a pretending minister and his man, made their appearance on the coast of Tiree. In those days every minister took his man along with him, and in this case each minister but one took his man from the boat. Wandering open-air preachers were in those times called hillock ministers (_ministearan nan cnoc_), and the one to whom the story refers was to officiate at _Ceathramh Mhurdat_, or Fourth Part, called Murdat, now embraced in the farm of Hough,[9] and which was then thickly populated. Having sent due intimation round of his service, most of the people were drawn to hear him. His man was left behind to give him warning of any disturbance of the expedition which might occur. After he had been speaking for some time his man came in. The islanders had become aware of the nature of the invasion. The sheep and the horses were gathered at the back of the hill of Hough, and a band of the cattle-lifters had surrounded them for to drive them to the shore. A number who had not got to the preaching had observed this, and following them, took the sheep and horses from them. Immediately, the minister’s man ran with all possible speed to warn the preacher at Murdat. When he came to where the sermon was, the preacher concluded, and handing the book to his man, venturing to think that the people would not understand him, said, as if reading a line, “MacLellan, beloved friend, where did you leave the _Shockum sho?_”--_i.e._, the booty. (_Mhac-’ill-fhaolain, a dhuine ghaolaich, c’ àite an d’ fhàg thu an ’seogam seoth’?_). The incomer taking the book, and as if intoning the psalm, said, “Matters are worse than we thought; they have taken from us the plaintive bleaters” (_’s miosa tha na mar a shaoil: thug iad uainn an ’cirri-mèh’_): _cirri-mèh_ is but an imitation of the bleating of sheep, and is found used in different localities as a pet or ludicrous name for sheep. The people sang along with the precentor. They did not know but that the words may have been part of the psalm, when one who was smarter and more ready-witted than the rest got up and said, “We have been long enough here, these men are robbers, and not ministers.” The service was concluded, the people going to look after their cattle, and the minister and his man making their way with all speed to where the galleys lay. Before the people could overtake them, they got on board and made off, leaving their booty behind, and glad to escape with their lives. NOTES: [9] Pronounced Hoch. LOCHBUIE’S TWO HERDSMEN.