^6 FIELD AND FERN. 



averse to liair on his own face. None knew better 

 than himself and his retainers how to punish all can- 

 didates for the high ground at Falkirk. He had 

 most wonderful ponies, and would ride six or seven 

 times a year from Skye, a journey which he did not 

 shorten by his circuits to save the turnpike — '^ not 

 for pence, but for principle.^^ " EoghalF^ ouce 

 bought a Highland grey pony, not highly fed, from 

 him for thirty shillings; and passed everything on 

 the road with it when he drove a friend from Edin- 

 burgh to the Berwick show. 



'' A sharpish bit of work" on the part of another 

 old dealer was long remembered on the moor. 

 He could not get rid of sixty beasts the first 

 day; and the next morning found him hard at it 

 with Kobert Nichol of Fife, who offered him £8 

 12s. 6cl., and was then within half-a-crown of 

 him. At this juncture, a little red-faced man on 

 a white pony rode up, and asked the price. " Tze 

 come doon to thirteen guineas,'' was the reply. " What 

 will you give ?" " Eleven/' said the man, thinking 

 he had done a very clever thing; but the re- 

 joinder of ^^ They're yours, sir!" and the hard clap 

 of the hand came so quick that he began to smell a 

 rat. The case was referred to a leading dealer, who 

 thus delivered judgment : " They're good groivers — 

 you'll soon mak them worth it — you just need to tak 

 them." And so he did, as the seller was not the man to 

 pass him. Another of this helpless stamp once came 

 for draft ewes, and fell in with a dealer who furnished 



