Page:History of John Cheap the chapman (5).pdf/5

 ho, ho, ſaid I, but I'm here firſt, and firſt com'd firſt ſerv'd, goodwife; but, an the ill thief be a friend of your's you'll have room for him too. Ye thief-like widdyfu', ſaid ſhe, are ye evening me to be ſib to the foul thief; 'tis well kend I am come of good honeſt fouks: it may be ſo goodwife ſaid I, but ye look rather the other way, when you would lodge the d---l in your houſe, and ca' out a poor chapman to die, ſuch a ſtormy night as this. What do ye ſay? ſays ſhe, there was na a bonnier night ſince winter came in nor this. O goodwife, what are you ſaying! do ye not mind, when you and I was at the eaſt end of the houſe, ſuch a noiſe of wind and water was then; a wae worth the filthy body, ſaid ſhe, is not that in every part! what ſaid the goodman, a wat well there was nae rain when I came in: the wife then ſhuts me out, and bolted the door behind me: well, ſaid I, but I ſhall be through between thy mouth and thy noſe or the morrow. It being now ſo dark, and I a ſtranger, could ſee no place to go to, went into the corn yard, but finding no loose ſtraw, I fell a drawing one of their ſtacks, ſheaf by ſheaf, until I pulled out a threave or two, and got into the hole myſelf, where I lay as warm as a pie; but the goodman in the morning, perceiving the heap of corn-ſheaves, came running to carry it away, and ſtop up the hole in the ſtack wherein I lay, with ſome of the ſheaves, ſo with the ſteighling of the ſtraw, and him talking to others, curſing the thieves who had done it; ſwearing, they had ſtole ſix threaves of it; I then ſkipping out of the hole, ho, ho, ſaid I goodman, you're not to bury me alive in your ſtack: he then began to chide me, vowing he would keep my pack for hethe [sic] damage I