Page:History of John M'Pherson, Dick Balf, and Gilder Roy.pdf/9



9                    murderers disagreeing among themselves about dividing the spoil. Dick and his parents were all taken up and put into prison, tried and con- victed of murder, but so it fell out, that the Judge, taking compassion of the boy's                    youth, and no hangman to be had, that the son was the granted his pardon on                    acount of executing his father and moth- er. It was Dick's comfort, when they came to the gallows, to hear them say, before all the good company, "that they                    had rather be hanged by their son than                     any body else; because they made no                     doubt but he would use them as kindly                     as he expected shortly to be used him-                     self;" which being the dying words of                     his parents, made him very careful of ty- ing the ends of the rope fast, to dispatch them more speedily and surely. Dick having seen the exit of his par- ents, was very much discouraged for a                    good while, from following their prac- tices, and proposed going to service for an honest livelihood. but nobody being willing to receive him on account of                    their exaltation; and time having worn out the good impressions that were made on his mind on that occasion, "what was