Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (3).pdf/6

 door he runs; the other following after him, crying Wa' Johnny man, what did you see? O! Sandy Sandy the d---ls on the top o' the mou', sheavling his mouth at me me; I'll not be so well this month man my heart's out o' it's hule, wou but yon be a fearfu' like face indeed, it wou'd fright any living creature out o' their senses.

I hearing the fear they were in, cried unto them not to be frighted, for I was not the d---l, but a poor chapman who could not get quarters last night; a foul fa' thy carcase stir, for our Jock is through the midden dib, dirt and a' the gither; he who went last came again, but the other ran into the house, and told what he had seen: the goodman and his wife came running, he with a grape in his hand, and her with a Bible, the one crying Sandy, Sandy, is't true that the d---l was in the barn; Na, na, said he, it's but a chapman, but poor Jock had gotten a fright wi' him. They laughed heartily at the sport, took me in to my breakfast, and by this time poor Johnny was gone to bed very sick.

After this I travelled up by the water of Clyde, near the foot of Tintock-hill, where I met with a sweet companion, who was an older traveller then I, who gave me more information how to blow the goodwife, and sleek the goodman, with him I kept company for two months. and as we travelled down Tweed towards the border, we being both hungry, and could get nothing to buy for the belly, we come unto a wife who had been kirning, but she would give us nothing, nor sell so much as one halfpenny's worth of her sour milk; Na, Na, said she, I'll neither sell butter, bread nor milk, it's a little enough to fair my ain family: ye that's chapmen may drink water, ye dinna wurk fair. Ay, but goodwife, said I, I hae been at Temple-bar,