When I saw the very same words repeated near the beginning of the _Black
Dwarf_, how could I be mistaken of the author? It is true, Johnnie
Ballantyne persuaded me into a nominal belief of the contrary, for several
years following, but I could never get the better of that and several
similar coincidences.

The next day we went off, five in number, to visit the wilds of Rankleburn,
to see if on the farms of Buccleuch there were any relics of the Castles
of Buccleuch or Mount-Comyn, the ancient and original possession of the
Scotts. We found no remains of either tower or fortalice, save an old
chapel and churchyard, and a mill and mill-lead, where corn never grew,
but where, as old Satchells very appropriately says,

Had heather-bells been corn of the best,
The Buccleuch mill would have had a noble grist.

It must have been used for grinding the chief's blackmails, which it is
known, were all paid to him in kind. Many of these still continue to be
paid in the same way; and if report says true, he would be the better of a
mill and kiln on some part of his land at this day, as well as a sterling
conscientious miller to receive and render.

Besides having been mentioned by Satchells, there was a remaining
tradition in the country, that there was a font stone of blue marble, in
which the ancient heirs of Buccleuch were baptized, covered up among the
ruins of the old church. Mr. Scott was curious to see if we could discover
it; but on going among the ruins we found the rubbish at the spot, where
the altar was known to have been, digged out to the foundation,--we knew
not by whom, but no font had been found. As there appeared to have been a
kind of recess in the eastern gable, we fell a turning over some loose