Gallawa Gossip.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 72

Gallawa Gossip.

(Continued.) THE BIDDABLE lf-iX. Ve.ra weel, than : Vhun .feemit gned liame he tek the wiip a' aboot it. "The harden't wratc-h !"_ says the : "ne micht hae ;v deem w*an o' Ins am yit !"' "What's tae be dune noo, Maggie?" 60V3 he. "Did ye lift the siller again?" says she. "Deed no, las*.," s>ays he; "it's yonner yet for ooht I ken." "Awa wi ye, than, an get thae trocts,' quo fehe. •'Whuther they let us or no?" pays he. "Whurhcr thry let ye or no!" quo she. •Ye eanna get them r.aogat" ehe, an ye left big siller for thc-m. Your wean's o' mair aeroont nor his -hoof-,; U the wean dec* for want o' them, it'll be like nmrderm yer am. bail n "W.-el, Maggie," he. "A had kin <>' doots n't. A ihoiiit it ivus jna duty tae let tlif t^an t'ff, r.v.ther than ta!» thrnn v.liun !:o wudua ri<- th.frn : it jco-t looklt hkf rnliboi y, je kfn. " "Hubbeiy be liang't." fcays. the \vife. "Whaur gat he onv luht tae them rnair nor ve'' It wud he a warn- lobhery, Am thmk"in, tae voh a puir miiber o' her wean, an' that's what he.-, ctthn. Awa wi ye! Or, 1! ye'i flcj'i for him. u,i°- nae the fLh)n wan, „.," All Rang mv-el Lord, Jeemie ! I tiKc'it th'Tf wus 111.11 r in ye." "Cani.ie. Maygie. rnnnie,' cpio .Teem=. "Mm ye the bed. If y s ac it't. viHit. Am i,o (arm whii ?!••> - il\ wrang. "'in girnn \^ lap" a- ye j\r»pio\< o'l. it <li>:i;i maitter t.\.' me if e\er\ buddy el-e diMia It'll bo for ti.e inau tiutt coine= at ween me ..n the ii-h : an Am '-avin't. Sap aff garrl Jeems tae the water wi the h-invan in liv-s haun, an no far ahint him the Ueid keeper aa foncr itlifr yin 3 ; an the yerjA fii^t Ibxavt h& jsu'i oot a im&jjaxr

'A bad beginnin," sa3'3 he ; an ho toot it aff the heuk an threw't iut^.s the water again. Next throw he brung oot a fine troot. "That's liker the thiug," says he. "All haud on by you," an he laid it doon aside him. Than ho tried again, an gruppit .an it her. '"Joosfc what A wanted," says he aa he toob it aff the heuk. "Am for hame noo." As he screw' t the en aff the fishin-wan, an lifted the troots tae put them in his pooch. "Nae sac fast, Jeemie Forsyth," says tho heid keeper, jumpin forrit. "Ye'r my prisoner.' "Prisoner be hang't !" says Jeemie. "Stan oot o* my gate, wull ye ! A pey't for the fish, an they'r mine, an ma unwcel wean'll be eatin them in haf an oor in spite o' a.' the five o' ye." The keeper's crooded roun tae kep him, but he lifted the butt of the wan, an said: "Noo, boys. A k>n ye'r only daem your duty tae that auld rip ; but yo hao a duty tae yersels forbye, an Am telfin ye, mm, All brain tho first man that maks a mint tae kep me." They cam olosin in. "Verra weel, than," says he : '"come on, if ye wull. Nae man e\ er said Jeemie Forsyth. didna keep his word." On they came. "Yell bettor let me through, boys. Am no wantin' tae hurt ony o' ye ; yo michfc hae unwell weans yirsels some day." At this time Mr M'ttomeral was slinkin up aboot them, watchin the keeper, an he scraich't oot3-j-"Seize him, men ! Seize him ! Knock him down, th& dem'd poacher. Have no mercy on him!" As the keepers turnt fae look. Jamie made a brainge through them, an gat awa — an they didna try verra hard tae grup him — an rieht by whaur M'Gomeral was stannin. Mr M'Gomeral gruppit him by the coat, an hel on. Jeemie ■squeezed his haun lows.c, an eaid — "Ye aul rip ! dae ye want mo tae kill ye? They're no lookin for ye doon by joost yet. They'll need a new supply o' brumetane first." Then ho took him by the collar an the breeks, an savin, "Yell be naethin the waur o' a dook, Am rfcinkin," threw him inta the water, an gaed his ffa'a hame. THR PUKISHIIEN-T. Kirtle wark cloddin magistrates in yo water. Aboot an hoor efter, wha cam© braingin intae Jamie Forsyth'9 but the laird, the constable, an the keepers ! withoot ever chappin at the door or onythin. Maggie was sittin at tho fire on the creepie, wi the unweel wean in her lap, row't up in a half blanket, an Jeemie was doon on his knee 3 aside them, thrang stappin the fish intae the wean's mooth wi hia fingers, lookin as happy as a fule, seem the wean eatin't an enjO3-in't. Up steps M'Gomeral, an points tae Jeemie. "Constable," says he, in a pompous voice, for he had gotten on a suit o' gran claes by this time, "apprehend that villain for poaching and attempted murder!" "An wha may yo be?" sa.ys Jeemie, risin, "comin intae ony man's hoose this way, withoot chappin. Be gaun wi yersel this minute, or All clod ye througii the door." "Constable, do your duty!" cries M'Gomeral. "His duty's on the ither side o' the water, no here," says Jeemie ; "an the suner he gaes back till his duty the better it'll be for a' o' ye." An he bundle't them oot ower the door^tane. "Noo, gentlemen," says lie, "an you, yo aul reprobate ! if ye hae oeht agin me ye can tak oot a summons. A ken the law as weel as ony o' ye. Glide day, boys!" An he gaed in an sneckit the door, and; gaed on feedin the gorb, an it mendit everyday efter. The summonses cam iv due cooi'BO, yin. for assault, an yin for poachin ; an Jeemiegat aff for the poachin, but was fined for cloddin Castlefolfy intae the water. Whun. the coort was skailin, the laird made some impudent remark tae him. "It's your turn noo, ' says Jeemie. "D'yd ken A wud hey pcy't twice as muekle tae hae gem ye a rieht glide whalin? But, mm ye, All be em wi ye yet. All hae the price o' that dookin out o' ye afore Am dune wi ye." "Do you dare to threaten mo!" says Castlefolly. "I'll swear the peace on you!" "It wud set ye better if ye swure less." says Jeemie. "An Am thinkin yer hares an pheasants '11 hae mair need o' sweerin the peace nor you." "You impudent scoundrel !" says Castlofolly. "I'll get your landlord to turn you and your brat out of the house!" "Yell better let that brat alane, laird." was the reply. "If oeht happens it, there'lL be a sudden riso in the price o' brumstane. Dinna ye forget it." SCIEXTiriC POACHIX. ileemio determined tae be em wi the laird, an tak the price o' the fine oot a," him. He wus a great organeezer, an wud hae made a gran general. He gat a haud o' a' tht? poachers he cood mirat, keepin clear o" the drucken yins, an organeeze't them. They ivur tae taste nae drink the niehta they v» ur on duty, an thae wur on nae aceoont tae say a word aboot their doin'9 — drunk or fcober. He had made up his mm tae berry Castlefolly's preserves, an' he did it. His plan; ■vvus tae watch the watchers. They a' kenfc whaur tho hares and pheasants wur thickest? — there wusna mony rabbits in thae days — a.i word wus sent roon whaur the harC3 wus tae be nettit or grin't, an the pheasants tae be smeekit, an wha wus tae do'fc, an whaur the gyem wus tao be taen tae. Then twa men wus picket oot tae watch every keeper, tae be in sicht o' his hoose afore dark, an whunever ho cum oot, tao be wi him whaurever he gaed, yin on every side o' him, and never ta© lefc him oot o' Mcht. Whun the keeper was getten ower near whaur the poachers wus dii\in tho hares, or the men smeekin th© pheasant-, yin o' the watchers wus tae fa ahint a bit" an fire a pi=tol, an try an slup bock tae his aul place again. Than tho kerpcr, thinkin there wue poachers ahinfc him, wud rin back tae wun at them ? an than the jther watcher wud rin aff in anithcr direction an fire his pistol, an lead him aff anithrv wey, an keep them rinnin back aa fornt till it wus time for the drners tae be awa. The ither waichrrs wud dae tho r.-ime wey, an the time the keepers \yu» ( ha-,in the imaginary poach^i^ the rael yins was horrym the liaill bit. They never brochl ony o' their gyem hame wi them. Jamie ay pit it on tae the coach. at different bit- alang the load, and sent it tae Dumfnesj an dividit the fiiller amang them Whiles, whun the coach durstna or roodna tak it, they wud hire a hearse, an &e-n it that woy. At last Castlefolly begood ta notice the scarcity. »' tM fyen^ «&' try't tte jrio* tbf

coach, but tad nae warrant, an coodna get it dune; but ho gat the driver an. the guard pay't aff f ort, an tlian it wusna Terra easy to get it selTt. An sac they hand tae take them name an eat them; but there wus that mony they ooodna get thro wi them, an nad tae saut them awa in barrels for the -vvunter. A hae seen barrels mysel wi maybe b, hunner hare hams in them, an they •hung them up in the 3um amang the peat reek, an. dry't them, an they wur gran. They ey skint them than afore they took them h&me, an Jeems dry't the skins in a ihole he made aneatb a tree root on the water side, an whan he had aboot three Jiuimer o' them he made them up in a bundle, an took them tae the Gatehoose o' Fleet, an sent them wi the carrier frae there tae Castlefolly wi Mr Forsyth's compleements. The laird then did some fine sweerin, but nocht mair cam o't ; an or lang Jeemie left the bit, an went awa abroad tae seek his fortune, an. the poachers rcantin. a man tae manage them, gat on the spree an loot oot things, an it wusna lang or there wus a akailment o' the haill jing bang o' them. They wur joost a wheen mongrels, ony wej-, the maist o' tliem ; for rale Gallawa men har'ly evei poaches. If the dog rins after a hare, an grups't, they'll tak it, but they'll no do nae reglar poachin.