"What, lad?" says he to the boy: "What's the matter, billy? What are ye lying yammering there for? Eh?" "Daddy's good boy fa'en," says the child; "O take ye up! take ye up!" "Poor deevil!" says Will, wi' his muckle een wauling till they were like to come out; "Poor deevil! Indeed and I will take ye up, though I should get nae mair o' the spoil for my share but yoursel." Will fauldit a blankit, and rowed the callant carefully up in't like a web. He didna come weel behand at rowing up a bairn; but he did as he could, and had the sense to leave the head out, which was a main concern. Just at that very moment, when Will was at the thrangest, by comes ane o' the Olivers in a great haste wi' his sword drawn, and it was a' bloody. Now, thinks I to mysel', the puir bairn's gane; for I saw what kind o' chap he was that Oliver. Will unluckily had the boy's head out o' the blanket, and was busy speaking to him without regarding ony thing else; and ere ever he was aware Oliver heaved his bloody sword, and was just coming down wi' a swap on the boy's neck, and he wad hae cuttit it through like a kail castock. Will's e'e caught a glimpse o' the sword as it was coming down, and with a dash of his elbow he drove it aside. "Eh? What are ye about, min?" said Will, speaking over his shoulder, and keeping his body between Oliver's sword and the child. "Ooh? What are ye about min?" returned the other, mimicking Will's voice and manner: "Hae ye nought ado but to work on a dirty English paddock like that? Cut the neck o't." "Will I, min?" says Laidlaw: "I'll see you d--d first, and a' the Olivers atween Jed head and Tyot stane--humph? A bonnie trick to come and meddle wi' me and my bit bairn!" Oliver went away laughing at Laidlaw, leaving him to manage his nursing concern as he could. I had witnessed Will's undaunted bravery, and yet I canna say but I was as weel pleased wi' this bit kind turn as ought I had seen him do. I think I see him yet wi' the child in his arms foussomly rowed up in a blanket, like a web--the head o' the boy out, a great neuk o' the blanket hinging down to the ground, and Will glowring back at Oliver's face: "Eh? What are ye about, min? A bonnie story, to come and meddle wi' me and my bit bairn!" Ha! ha! ha! Honest Laidlaw! I can never forget him and his bairn. "Cut the neck o't," says the other. "Will I, min? I'll see you d--d first," says Will. Ha! ha! ha! ha!--But then his look! that was the best sport ava; wi' his bendit face and muckle great wulcat een turned o'er his shoulder. "Cut the neck o't," says Oliver. They that had seen Laidlaw then! ha! ha! ha! "Will I, min?" Ha! ha! ha! * * * * *