The Sun.
London, England, 1827-10-20 00:00:00

♦BRIDGED FROM Till LONDON WRJKLY REVIEW OF TIIIS MORNING,

It was the day after the Doune Fair when my story
commences. It had been a brisk market, several dealers
had attended from the northern awl midland counties in
England, and the English money had flown so merrily
about as to gladden the hearts of the Highland farmers.—
Many large droves were about to set off for England,
under the protection of their owners, or of the topsmen
whom they employed in the tedious, laborious, and respon-
sible office of driving the cattle for many hundred miles,
from the market where they had been purchased, to the
fields or farm-yards where they were to be fattened for the
shambles.

The Highlanders in particular are masters of this diffi-
cult trade of driving. which seems to suit them as well as
the trade of war. It affords exercise for all their habits of
patient endurance and active exertion. They are required
to know perfectly the drove-roads, which lie over the wil-
dest tracts of the country, and to avoid as much as possible,
the highways, which distress the feet of the bullocks, and
the turnpikes which annoy the spirit of the.drover ; whereas
on the broad green or grey track, which leads across the
pathless moor, the herd not only move at ease and without
taxation, but, if they mind their business, "may pick up a
mauthful of food by the way. At night, the drovers
usually sleep along with their cattle, let the weather be
what it will ; and many of these hardy men do
not once rest under a roof during a journey on foot
from Lochaber to Lincolnshire. They are paid very
highly, for the trust imposed is of the last importance, as it
depends on their prudence, vigilance, and honesty, whether
the cattle reach the final market in good order, and afford
a profit to the grazier. But, as they maintain themselves
at their own expense, they are especially economical in that
particular. At the period we speak of, a Highland drover
was victualled for his long and toilsome journey with a few
!landfalls of oatmeal and two or three onions, renewed from
time to time, and a ram's horn filled with whisky, which
he used regularly, but sparingly, every night and morning.
His dirk, or shene-dliu (i. e. black knife), so warn as to
be concealed beneath the arm, or by the folds of the plaid,
was his only weapon, excepting the cudgel with which he
directed the movements of the cattle. A Highlander was
never so happy as on these occasions. There was a variety
in the whole journey which exercised the Celt's natural su-
tural curiosity and love of motion; there were the constant
change of place and scene, the petty adventures incidental
to the traffic, and the intercourse with the various farmers,
graziers, and traders, intermingled with occasional merry-
makings, not the less acceptable to Donald that they were
void of expellee ; and there was the consciousness of supe-
rior skill ; for the Highlander, a child amongst flocks, is a
prince amongst herds, and his natural habits induce him
to disdain the shepherd's slothful life, so that he feels him-
self nowhere more at home than when following a gallant
throve of his country cattle in the character .of their
guardian.
Of the nuraberarho left Doune in the morning, and with
the purpose we have described, not a Glunamie of them
all cocked his bonnet more briskly, or gartered his tarten
hose under knee over a pair of more promising spioys (legs),.
than did Robin Oig M'Combich, called familiarly Robin
Oig, that is Young, or the Lesser, Robin. Though small
of stature, as the epithet Oig implies, and not very strongly
limbed, lie was as light and alert as one of the deer of his
mountains. He had an elasticity of step, which, in the course
of a long march made many a stout fellow envy him ; and the
manner in which he busked his plaid and adjusted his bon-
, net, argued a consciousness that so smart a John Highland-
man as himself would not pave unnoticed among the Lowland
lasses). The ruddy cheek, red lips, and while teeth, set off
a countenance which had gained by exposure to the wee-,
ther, a healthful and hardy rather than a rugged hue. If
Robin Oig did not laugh, or even smile.frequently, as in-
deed is not the practice among his countrymen, his bright
eyes usually gleamed from under his bonnet with an ex-
pression of cheerfulness ready to be turned into mirth.
The departure of Robin Oig was an incident in the
little town, in and near which he had many friends
male and female. He was a topping person in his
way, transacted considerable business on hie own be-
half, and was intrusted by the best farmers in the High-
lands, in preference to any other drover iu that district. He
might have increased his business to any extent had he conde-
scended to manage it by deputy ; but except a lad or two,
sister's sons of his own, Robin rejected the idea of assist-
ance, conscious, perhaps, how much his reputation depend-
ed upon his attending in person to the practical discharge
of his duty in every instance. He remained, therefore,
contented with the highest premium given to persons of
his description, and comforted himself with the hopes that
a few journeys to England might enable him to conduct
business on his own account, in a manner becoming his
birth. For Robin Oig's father, Lachlan ill'Combieli (or,
son of any friend, his actual elan surname being M'tire-
gor) lead been so called by the celebrated Rob Roy, be-
cause of the particular friendship which had subsisted be-
tween the grandsire of Robin and that renowned ateran.
Some people even say, that Robin Oig derived his Chris-
tian name from a man, as renowned in the wilds of Loch-
lomond, as ever was his namesake Robin Hood, in the
precincts nsf merry Sherwood. "Of such ancestry," as
James Boswell says, " who would not be proud ?" Robin
Oig was proud accordingly ; lint hie frequent visits to
England and to the Lowlands had given him tact enough
to know that pretensions,. which still gave him a little
right to distinction in his own lonely glen, might be both
obnoxious and ridiculous if preferred elsewhere. The
pride of birth, therefore, was like the miser's treasure, the
secret subject of his contemplation, but never exhibited to,
strangers as a subject of boasting.
- "

Many were the words of gratulation and good-luck which
were bestowed on Robin Oig. The judges commended
hie drove, especially the hest of them, which Were Robin's
Own property. Some thrust out their snuff-mulls for the
yousax
Saxon
and
ac
jokme et
market-.-brave
rma home 0 with
notes y o
iun. —t
the
i vieea
byhoaur ldut,
parting pinch—other tendered the dock-an-dorrach, or
parting cup. All cried-.-" Good-luck travel out with
pocket-book,) and plenty of English gold in the sporran
(pouch of goat-skin.)"
The bonny lasses made their adieus more modestly, and
more than one, it was said, would have given her best
it upon her that his eye last
brooch to be certain that it was in
(black the
rested as he turned towards his road.
Robin Oig had just given the preliminary " Hoo-hop I"
to urge forward the loiterers of the drove, when there was
a cry behind him.
Stay, Robin—bide a blink. Here is Janet of Tome-
hourich—auld Janet, your father's sister."
4t Plague on her, for an auld Highland witch and spae-
wife," said a farmer from the Carte of Stirling ; she'll cast
some of her cantrips.on the cattle."

" She canna do that," said another sapient of the same
profession—" Robin Oig is no the lad to leave any of
them, without tying Saint Mungo's knot on their tails,
and that will put to her speed the best witch that ever
flew over Dimayet upon a broomstick."
It may not be indifferent to the reader to know, that the
el(lii,ghand cattlebylspoisandate
witchcraft,
•p iareeullywlieiclie, to be
j udicitoaukse
in, or infect-)eopleguardagainst by knitting knots of peculiar complexity on the
tuft of heir which terminates the animal's tail. ,
But the old woman who was the object of the farmer's
suspicion seemed only busied about the drover, without
Paying any attention to the flock. Robin,
on the con-
trary, appeared rather impatient of her presence.
" What auld-world faacy," he said, "has brought you
so early from the ingle-side this morning, Muhine? lam
sure I bid you good even, and had your God-speed, last
night."
" And left me more siller than the useless old woman
will use till you come back again, bird of my bosom," said
the sibyl. " But" it is little that I would care for the food
that nourishes me, or the fire that warms me, or for God's
blessed sun, itself, if aught but weal should happen to the
grandson of my father. So let me,walk the (haul round
you, that you may go safe out into the far foreign land,
and come safe home."

Robin Oig stopped, half embarrassed, half laughing, and
signing to those around that be only complied with tho
old woman to soothe her humour. In the meantime, she
traced around him, with wavering steps; the propitiation,
which some have thought has been derived from the Drui-
dical mythology. It consists, as is well known, in the
person who Makes the deasil, walking three times round
the person who is the object of the ceremony, taking care
to move according to the course of the sun. At once,
however she stopped short, and exclaimed, in, a voice of
alarm and horror, " Grandson of my father, there is blood
on your hand."
" Hush, for God's sake, aunt," said Robin Oig ; "you
will bring more trouble on yourself with this Taishataragh
(second sight) than you will be able to get out of for many
a day."
The old woman only repeated, with a ghastly look,
" There is blood on your hand, and it is English blood.
The blood of the Gael is richer and redder. Let us see—
let US--
Ere Robin Oig could prevent her, which, indeed, could
only have been by positive violence, so hasty and peremptory
were her proceedings, she had drawn from his side the dirk,
which lodged in the folds of his plaid, and held it up, ex-
vlaiming, although the weapon gleamed clear and bright in