Page:History and comical transactions of Lothian Tom (4).pdf/8

 er than any had got that year, this made the poor ſhear- ers think he was an honeſt, generous and genteel mal- er, as ever they got, for he took them all into an ale- houſe, and gave them a hearty breakfaſt, till they could wat no more. Now ſays he, when there is ſo many of you ogether, perhaps from different parts, and unacquaint- d with one another, I do not know but there may be ſome of you honeſt men, and ſome of you rogues; and as you are to lie all in one barn together, any of you who has any money, you'll be ſureſt to give it to me, and I'll mark it down in my book with your names, and what I receive from each of you, and you ſhall have it all again on Saturday's night, when you get your we ges. O! very well, goodman; take mine, take mine, every one faiter than another; ſome gave him five, six, even and eight ſhillings ; even all they had earned thro' the harveſt, which amounted to near ſeven pounds ſter- ing. Having got all their money, he goes on with them, till about three miles out of town, and com- ng to a great field of ſtanding corn, though ſomething green, yet convenient for his purpoſe, as it lay at ſome 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 : A- way he goes with all the ſpeed he could, but takes a- nother road into tie town, left they ſhould follow and batch him. Now when the people to whom the corn' belonged, ſaw ſuch a band in their field, they could not underſtand the meaning of it; but the goodman, whoſe corn it was, went off crying always as he ran, to them to ſtop; but they would not, until he began to ſtrike at them and they at him, he being in a great paſſion, as the corn was not fully ripe ; at laſt by force of argument, and other people coming up to them, the poor ſhearers were con- vinced they had got the bite, which cauſed them to go way lamenting their misfortune In two or three days thereafter, as Tom was going down the Canongate, he meets one of his ſhearers, who knew him and kept fait by him, demanding his money and ſatisfaction for the reſt: Whiſht, whiſht, ſays