7
Wi' a fell ringe, I plung'd at ance, forſooth,
Down thro' a wreath o' ſnaw, up to my mouth,
Clean o'er my head my precious wallet flew,
But whar it gaed, Lord kens, I never knew!
What great misfortunes are pour'd down on ſome,
I thought my fearfu' hinderen' was come!
Wi' grief and ſorrow was my ſaul o'ercaſt,
Ilk breath I drew was like to be my laſt;
For aye the mair I warfl'd roun' and roun',
I fand myſeľ aye ſtick the deeper down;
'Till ance, at length, wi' a prodigious pull,
I drew my poor cauld carcaſe frae the hole.
Lang, lang I fought and graped for my pack,
Till night and hunger forc'd me to come back.
For three lang hours I wander'd up and down,
Till chance, at laſt convey'd me to a town:
There, wi' a trembling hand, I wrote my Kate
A fad account of a' my luckleſs fate;
But bade her aye be kind, and no deſpair,
Since life was left, I ſoon wad gather mair;
Wi' whilk, I hop'd, within a towmond's date,
To be at hame, and ſhare it a' wi' Kate
Fool that I was, how little did I think
That love, wad ſoon be loſt for fa't o' Clink.
The loſs of fair won wealth, tho' hard to bear,
Afore this-ne'er had pow'r to force a tear.
I truſted time wad bring things round again,
And Kate, dear Kate! wad then be a' mine again:
Conſold my mind in hopes o better luck,
But, O! what ſad reverſe !-how thunderstruck!
Whan ae black day brought word frae Rab my brither,
That Kate was cried, and married on anither!
