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who dang down the bed aboon them; the battle still increased, and John's work turned out very wonderful, for he made Janet, that was his mither's servant lass last year, grow like an elshen haft, and got his ain Maggy wi' bairn forby. The humsheughs were very great, until auld uncle Rabby came in to redd them; and a sturdy auld fellow he was; he stood lively with a stiff rumple, and by strength of his arms rave them aye sunder, flinging the taen east and the tither west, till they stood a' ronnd about like as many for-fougten cocks and no ane durst steer another for him. Jockey's mither was ca'd o'er a kist and broke a' her hip on a round heckle, up she gat, and running to fell Maggy's mither with the ladle, swearing she was the mither of a the mischief that happened Uncle Rabby ran in between them, he having a muckle nose, like a trumpet, she recklessly came o'ar his lobster neb a drve wi the laddle, till the blood cam rinning down his old grey beard, and hang like snuffy bubbles at it. O then
