them out of his hand, and lights a candle was ⟨ſtanding⟩ near by, come ſaid I, ſit about you theiving dog ⟨till I⟩ gether up my needles, gethers 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 a--ſe; but if ye were a man, I would burn you in the fire, tho' it be in your own houſe, but as ⟨you⟩ are a 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 manna do that and I'ſe gie ⟨you⟩ cheeſe and bread. No, no, you theives, 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 four 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 a⟩ terrible battle enſued for ſome time, and badrons ⟨had⟩ certainly died on the field, had I not interpoſed, 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 went into an ale-houſe to get ⟨ſome⟩ breakfaſt, there they aſked me where I was all night, ⟨as⟩ it was uſual in that country for chapmen to get ⟨meat⟩ where they lodged, I told where it was, but would ⟨take⟩ none of their meat, becauſe, ſaid I, they ſeem to be ⟨not⟩ to be conny, for this morning they were making ropes ⟨of⟩ cold ſowens to crown up their ſtacks wi': Gae awa, ⟨cried⟩ the wife, I canna believe it; if ye will not believe it, ⟨die⟩ in your ignorance for me the wife ſet away her ſon ⟨to⟩ ſee if it was ſo, but or he came back I ſet out, ⟨and⟩ travelled down the ſide of a water called Evan: and ⟨as⟩ I was coming paſt a mill-dam, there was a big ⟨clowniſh⟩
