Guy Mannering.

152 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
And so ye see, sir, there was a king's sloop down in
Wigton bay, and Frank Kennedy, he behoved to have
her up to chase Dirk Hatteraick's lugger-ye'll mind
Dirk Hatteraick, Deacon? I dare say ye may have dealt
wi' him —(the Deacon gave a sort of acquiescent nod and
humph.) He was a daring chield, and he fought his
ship till she blew up like peelings of ingans; and Frank
Kennedy he had been the first man to board, and he was
flung like a quarter of a mile off, and fell into the water
below the rock at Warroch Point, that they ca' the
Gauger's Loup to this day."
" And Mr. Bertram's child," said the stranger, " what
is all this to him? "
" Ou, sir, the bairn aye held an unca wark wi' the
Supervisor; and it was generally thought he went on
board the vessel alang wi' him, as bairns are aye forward
to be in mischief."
" No, no," said the Deacon, "ye're clean out there,
Luckie-for the young Laird was stown away by a randy
gipsy woman they ca'd 3Meg Merrilies, —I mind her looks
weel,-in revenge for Ellangowan having gar'd her be
drumn'd through Kippletringan for stealing a silver
spoon."
" If ye'll forgie me, Deacon," said the precentor, " ye're
e'en as far wrang as the gudewife."
"And what is your edition of the story, sir?" said the
stranger, turning to him with interest.
"That's maybe no sace canny to tell," said the precentor, with solemnity.
Upon being urged, however, to speak out, he preluded
with two or three large puffs of tobacco-smoke, and out
of the cloudy sanctuary which these whiffs formed around
him, delivered the following legend, having cleared his