These he
had tied in a knot round his neck, and then slackening his knees,
and letting himself down gradually, till the hay-rope bore all his
weight, he had contrived to put an end to his existence in that
way. Now the fact is, that, if you try all the ropes that are thrown
over all the out-field hay-ricks in Scotland, there is not one
among a thousand of them will hang a colley dog; so that the
manner of this wretch's death was rather a singular circumstance.
"Early next morning, Mr. Anderson's servants went reluctantly
away, and, taking an old blanket with them for a winding sheet,
they rolled up the body of the deceased, first in his own plaid,
letting the hay-rope still remain about his neck, and then, rolling
the old blanket over all, they bore the loathed remains away to the
distance of three miles or so, on spokes, to the top of Cowan's-
Croft, at the very point where the Duke of Buccleuch's land, the
Laird of Drummelzier's, and Lord Napier's meet, and there they
buried him, with all that he had on and about him, silver knife
and fork and altogether. Thus far went tradition, and no one ever
disputed one jot of the disgusting oral tale.
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