Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (3).pdf/23

 upon with his stick. Goode'en to you goodman, said 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, then turns back in a rage, saying I say sir, your last words are waur 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 nothing o't, we had better gree, with all my heart, said I, and what will ye buy? nothing but a pair of beard shears, said he, and give me them cheap, so I sold him a pair of P sheers for 3 halfpence and gave him a needle, then parted good friends after the battle was over.

So I went to Linlithgow that night, where I met with Drouthy Tom my sweet and dear companion, and here we had a most terrible encounter with the tippeny for two nights and a day; and then we set out for Fife on the hair order, by the way of Tory burn and Culross, and coming up to a parcel of women washing by a water side, I buys one of their hairs, the time I was cutting it off, Tom fell a courting and kissing a girl among them, who was one of the haveral sort; what happened I know not, but she cried out, ye misleard filthy fallow, ye put your hand atween my feet, mair need anither thing sud be there