Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (2).pdf/22

 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 sae muckle. No, said I, you lousie dog, I'll sell you none, if there's any on the ground, seek them up and stap them in a beast's arse: but if ye were a man, I would burn you in the fire, tho' it be in your own house, but as you are 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 maunna 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 my pack, there was a pretty black cat which I spread my napkin over; took the corners in my hand, 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 terrible battle ensued for some time, and had certainly died on the field, had I not  and got her off mortally wounded. The people who saw the battle, alarmed the taylor, and he sallied 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 into an ale-house to get some breakfast. There they asked where I was all night, as it was usual in that country for chapmen to get meat where they lodged. I told them where I was, but would take none o their meat; because, said I, they seem to me not to be canny, for this morning they were making rope of cold sowens tocrown up their stacks wi'. Ga 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, but or he came back I set out, and travelled down the side of