Old Mortality, Volume 2. by Sir Walter Scott
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page 15 of 304 (04%)
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arles, indeed, but ye had gien me eneugh before at Milnwood."
"Well, Cuddie, if you insist on taking the chance of my unprosperous fortunes"-- "Ou ay, I'se warrant us a' prosper weel eneugh," answered Cuddie, cheeringly, "an anes my auld mither was weel putten up. I hae begun the campaigning trade at an end that is easy eneugh to learn." "Pillaging, I suppose?" said Morton, "for how else could you come by that portmanteau?" "I wotna if it's pillaging, or how ye ca't," said Cuddie, "but it comes natural to a body, and it's a profitable trade. Our folk had tirled the dead dragoons as bare as bawbees before we were loose amaist.--But when I saw the Whigs a' weel yokit by the lugs to Kettledrummle and the other chield, I set off at the lang trot on my ain errand and your honour's. Sae I took up the syke a wee bit, away to the right, where I saw the marks o'mony a horsefoot, and sure eneugh I cam to a place where there had been some clean leatherin', and a' the puir chields were lying there buskit wi' their claes just as they had put them on that morning--naebody had found out that pose o' carcages--and wha suld be in the midst thereof (as my mither says) but our auld acquaintance, Sergeant Bothwell?" "Ay, has that man fallen?" said Morton. "Troth has he," answered Cuddie; "and his een were open and his brow bent, and his teeth clenched thegither, like the jaws of a trap for foumarts when the spring's doun--I was amaist feared to look at him; however, I thought to hae turn about wi' him, and sae I e'en riped his |
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