midnight
-- wo ! '' cried he to his horse , coming across its side with his whip -- `` We maun be canny ; for this brig has a sharp turn , -LRB- it was the Cow Brig , ye know , -RRB- and many a one , both horse and man , have got their necks broken , by not being wary enough of that corner . '' This made me a thought timorous , having the bit laddie Benjie fast asleep in my arms ; and as I saw that Tammie 's horse was a wee fidgety ; and glad , I dare say , poor thing , to find itself so near home . We heard the water , far down below , roaring and hushing over the rocks , and thro ' among the Duke 's woods -- big , thick , black trees , that threw their branches , like giant 's arms , half across the Esk , making all below as gloomy as midnight ; while over the tops of them , high , high aboon , the bonnie wee starries were twink-twinkling far amid the blue . But there was no end to Tammie 's tongue . `` Weel , '' said he , `` speaking o ' the brig , I 'll tell you a gude story about that . Auld Jamie Bowie , the potato merchant , that lived at the Gate-end , had a horse and cart that met wi ' an accident just at the turn o ' the corner yonder ; and up cam a chield sair forfaughten , and a ' out of breath , to Jamie 's door , crying like the prophet Jeremiah to the auld Jews , ` Rin , rin away doun to the Cow Brig ; for your cart 's dung to shivers , and the driver 's killed , as weel as the horse ! '