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"If this asseveration approximated at all to truth, it makes this
evident at least, that the unfortunate young man had hanged
himself after the man with the lambs came in view. He was,
however, quite dead when he cut him down. He had fastened two
of the old hay-ropes at the bottom of the rick on one side (indeed,
they are all fastened so when first laid on) so that he had nothing
to do but to loosen two of the ends on the other side. 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.
"A nephew of that Mr. Anderson's who was with the hapless
youth that day he died says that, as far as he can gather from the
relations of friends that he remembers, and of that same uncle in
particular, it is one hundred and five years next month (that is
September, 1823) since that event happened; and I think it likely
that this gentleman's information is correct. But sundry other
people, much older than he, whom I have consulted, pretend that
it is six or seven years more. They say they have heard that Mr.
James Anderson was then a boy ten years of age; that he lived to
an old age, upwards of fourscore, and it is two and forty years
since he died. Whichever way it may be, it was about that period
some way: of that there is no doubt.
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