The swats sae reamed in Tammie's noddle,
Fair play, he cared na deils a boddle. {150a}
But Maggie stood right sair astonished,
Till, by the heel and hand admonished,
She ventured forward on the light;
And, wow! Tam saw an unco sight!
Warlocks and witches in a dance;
Nae cotillon brent-new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle i' their heels:
At winnock-bunker, i' the east, {150b}
There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast,
A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large, {150c}
To gie them music was his charge;
He screwed the pipes, and gart them skirl, {150d}
Till roof and rafters a' did dirl. {150e}
Coffins stood round, like open presses,
That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses;
And by some devilish cantrip slight {150f}
Each in its cauld hand held a light, -
By which heroic Tam was able
To note upon the haly table,
A murderer's banes in gibbet airns;
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristened bairns;
A thief, new-cutted frae a rape,
Wi' his last gasp his gab did gape; {150g}
Five tomahawks, wi' bluid red-rusted:
Five scimitars, wi' murder crusted;
A garter, which a babe had strangled;
A knife, a father's throat had mangled,