Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/22

standing near by, come, ſaid I, ſit about you thieving dog till I gather up my needles, gathers up ten of them; come, ſaid he, I'll buy twal-penny's worth of them, frae I troubled you ſo muckle; no, ſaid I, you louſie dog, I'll ſell you none, if there's any on the ground, ſeek them up and ſlap them in a beaſt's a-ſe; but if ye were a man, I would burn you in the fire, though it be in your own house, but as you are a poor taylor, and neither man nor boy, I'll do nothing but expoſe you for what you are. O dear honeſt chapman, cried his wife, ye manna do that, and I'ſe gie you cheeſe and bread. No, no, you thieves, I'm for nothing but vengeance; no bribes, for ſuch: So as I was lifting up my pack, there was a pretty black cat which I ſpread my napkin over, took the four corners in my band, carrying her as a bundle; until I came about the middle of the town, then provoking the dogs to an engagement with me, ſo that there came upon me four or five collies, then I threw the poor taylor's cat in the midſt of them there a terrible battle enſued for ſome time, and badrons had certainly died on the fie'd, had I not interpoſed, and got her off mortally wounded; the people who ſaw the battle, alarmed the taylor, and he salled out like a great champion with his elwand in his hand, go back, ſaid I, you louſie dog or I'll tell about the needles, at which word he turned about. I went into an ale-houſe to get ſome breakfaſt, there they aſked me where I was all night, as it was uſual in that country for chapmen to get meat where they lodged, I told where I was, but would take none of their meat, becauſe, ſaid I, they ſeem to me not to be canny, for this morning they were making ropes of cold ſowens to crown up their ſtacks wi': Gae awa, cried the wife, I canna believe it; if you will not believe it, die in your ignorance, for me: The wife ſent away her ſon to ſee if it was ſo