threeps he'll bring a score o' witnesses and mair—and I'm sure there's as mony will swear for me as for him, folk that lived a' their days upon the Charlies-hope, and wad na like to see the land lose its right."
"Zounds, man, if it be a point of honour, why don't your landlords take it up?"
"I dinna ken, sir, (scratching his head) there's been nae election-dusts lately, and the lairds are unco neighbourly, and Jock and I canna get them to yoke thegither about it a' that we can say—but if ye thought we might keep up the rent"———
"No! no! that will never do—confound you, why don't you take good cudgels and settle it?"
"Odd, sir, we tried that three times already—that's twice on the land and ance at Lockerbye fair,—But I dinna ken—we're baith gay good at single-stick, and it could na weel be judged."
"Then take broad-swords, and be d–d to you, as your fathers did before you."
