A Rally 
what sort of man you be; and I knows what 
sort of man Higgins is; and I don’t think you'll 
be there a fortnight without quarrellin’.’ ‘ Damn 
it!’ he says, ‘1 won’t go near the place!’ And 
he never did.” 
My uncle had forgotten about the county- 
court process. He continued, telling still of 
old Tom: 
“Dug a field for me, he did—him and his 
two sons. And when ’twas over they measured 
’n, and then I sent for a practical man—but 
I’m before my story. Will had just got a new 
land chain, and he measured it, and made it come 
to about four rod more. ‘ Well,’ I said, 
“bothered if Ill take old Tom’s measure!’ 
So then (’twas a bit of contrairiousness on my 
part) I sent to ’em and says, ‘ If we can get the 
right measure I’ll square up with ye.’ So they 
got a practical man—one of these as went about 
doin’ that sort of thing—and he made it come to 
less. . . . Yes, less than their measure. ’I'wasn’t 
but a shillin’ or so. . . . Well, old Tom come 
to square up, and I says to ’n, ‘ Look here, you 
owes me about a shillin’. You’ve drawed more 
’n it comes to. But I won’t ask ye for that,’ I 
says, ‘if you'll take the measure your man have 
made.’ ‘ Well,’ old Tom says, ‘ you’ve grubbed 
out the hedges and cleaned out them that’s left, 
and the field comes to less than he used to be. 
ool 
