Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (2).pdf/8

[ 10 ] one another, I do not know but there may ſome of you be honeſt men, and ſome of you rogues and you are all to lye in one barn together any of you who has got money you'll be ſafeſt to give it to me, and 'll mark it down in m book with your n mes, and what I receive from each of you, you ſhall have it again on Saturday night when you get your wages, O very well goodman, take mine, take mine, every one cryed fairer that another: ſome gave him five, ſix, ſeven and eight ſhillings, even all they had earned through the who e harveſt, which amounted to near ſeven pounds ſterling: having got all the money, he goes out ith them till about three miles out of the town, and coming to great field of corn though ſomething reen, yet being convenient for his purpoſe is it lay at a conſiderable diſtance from any houſe or perſon, ſo he made them begin there, telling them he was going to order dinner for them and ſend his own ſervants to join them; away he goes with all the ſpeed he could, but takes another road into the town leaſt they ſhould follow and catch him: Now when the people to whom the corn belong d ſaw ſuch a band in the field they could not underſtand the meaning of it; but the good man to whom the corn belonged, went off crying always as he run to ſtop, but they would not, until he began to bent them and they at him, he being th a great paſſion, as the corn was not fully ripe; at laſt, by force of argument and other people coming up to the poor ſhearers, the were convinced they had gotten the bite which made them go away lamenting their miſfortune.

In two or three days thereafter, as Tom was going down the Canongate, he meets one of the ſhearers who know him, and kept faſt by him, demanding his money and ſatisfaction for the reſt, whiſt, whiſt, ſays Tom and you'll get yours and ſomething elſe beſide. So Tom takes him into the jail, and call