Page:History of John Cheap, the chapman (8).pdf/23

 but or he came back I ſet cut, and travelled down the ſide of a water called Evan: and as I was coming paſt a mill dam, there was a big clowniſh fellow lifting a pitcher of water out of the dam, ſo as he dipt it full and ſet it down on the ground, ſtaring at me, he tumbled in himſelf our of ſight, o'er head and ears, and as ſoon as he got out, I ſaid, Yo ho friend, Did you get the fiſh? What an a fiſh ye b--h; O ſaid I, I thought ye had ſeen a fiſh, when you jumped in to make it jump out: What a d--l ſir, are you mocking me? runs round his pitcher, and gives me a kick on the a--e, ſo that I fell deſignedly on his pitcher, and it tumbled down the bank and went in pieces; has maſter and another man looking and laughing at us, the poor fellow complained of me to him, but got no ſatisfaction.

The ſame evening as I was going towards the town of Linlithgow, meets an old crabbit Fellow riding upon an old glaid mare, which he always was a threſhing upon with his ſtick: Goode'en to you goodman, said I, are you going to the bull wi' your mare? What do you ſay, ſir, they gang to the bull wi' a cow, ye brute. O yes, goodman, ye are right, ſaid I, but how do they call that he beaſt that rides on the mare's back, they ca't a cuſſer ſir, a well then goode'en to you maſter cuſſer. He rides a little bit, then turns back in a rage, ſaying, I ſay, ſir, your laſt words are war nor your firſt, he comes then at the flight to ride me down, but I ſtruck his beaſt on the face, and in the ſhort turn about it fell, yet or I could get my pack to the ground, he cutted me on the head at the firſt ſtroke, and then getting clear of the pack, played it away for some time, till by blows on the face, I made him blood at both mouth and noſe; then he cried out, chapman, we are baith daft, for we'll kill ourſells and make naething o't, we had better gree; with all my heart, ſaid I, and