hundred awkward situations. Twice was the Dominie chased by a
cross-grained cow, once he fell into the brook crossing at the
stepping-stones, and another time was bogged up to the middle in
the slough of Lochend, in attempting to gather a water-lily for
the young Laird. It was the opinion of the village matrons who
relieved Sampson on the latter occasion, 'that the Laird might as
weel trust the care o' his bairn to a potatoe bogle'; but the good
Dominie bore all his disasters with gravity and serenity equally
imperturbable. 'Pro-di-gi-ous!' was the only ejaculation they ever
extorted from the much-enduring man.

The Laird had by this time determined to make root-and-branch work
with the Maroons of Derncleugh. The old servants shook their heads
at his proposal, and even Dominie Sampson ventured upon an
indirect remonstrance. As, however, it was couched in the oracular
phrase, 'Ne moveas Camerinam,' neither the allusion, nor the
language in which it was expressed, were calculated for Mr.
Bertram's edification, and matters proceeded against the gipsies
in form of law. Every door in the hamlet was chalked by the
ground-officer, in token of a formal warning to remove at next
term. Still, however, they showed no symptoms either of submission
or of compliance. At length the term-day, the fatal Martinmas,
arrived, and violent measures of ejection were resorted to. A
strong posse of peace-officers, sufficient to render all
resistance vain, charged the inhabitants to depart by noon; and,
as they did not obey, the officers, in terms of their warrant,
proceeded to unroof the cottages, and pull down the wretched doors
and windows--a summary and effectual mode of ejection still
practised in some remote parts of Scotland when a tenant proves
refractory. The gipsies for a time beheld the work of destruction