JULY. A SHARPER. 253 



they sailed, and probably losing their chance of 

 fishing for the whole season. 



Would it be believed that the herring-fisher, 

 humble as his situation in life appears, is occasion- 

 ally the object of a regular and systematic plan of 

 swindling ? A few years ago, a fellow made it his 

 occupation and business to waylay these poor men 

 as they returned home from the fishing-stations 

 with their hardly-earned money in their pockets. 

 His plan was to get into conversation with them, 

 and after walking a mile or two along the road with 

 them, to take generally one, but sometimes two, into 

 a whisky-shop, of which there are plenty on every 

 Highland road, under the pretence of treating 

 them to a dram. Then, as opportunity offered, 

 he produced a small flask from his pocket, which 

 he said contained a sample of some rare whisky 

 (having previously represented himself as a spirit- 

 merchant travelling for orders), and as a special 

 favour gave the fisherman a glass of its contents. 

 It was no sooner swallowed, however, than the man 

 became powerless and almost insensible ; upon 

 which the fellow quietly emptied the pockets of his 

 victim and walked off, leaving him to recover as he 

 could : which event in most instances did not take 

 place for some hours afterwards. If, in going out, 

 he met with the keeper of the whisky-shop, he told 



