Guy Mannering [84]
trencher and knife and fork before the traveller, pointed to the round of beef, recommended Mr. Dinmont's good example, and, finally, filled a brown pitcher with her home-brewed. Brown lost no time in doing ample credit to both. For a while, his opposite neighbour and he were too busy to take much notice of each other, except by a good-humoured nod as each in turn raised the tankard to his head. At length, when our pedestrian began to supply the wants of little Wasp, the Scotch storefarmer, for such was Mr. Dinmont, found himself at leisure to enter into conversation.
"A bonny terrier that, sir--and a fell [*Fiery] chield at the vermin, I warrant him--that is, if he's been weel entered, for it a' lies in that."
"Really, sir," said Brown, "his education has been somewhat neglected, and his chief property is being pleasant companion."
"Ay, sir? that's a pity, begging your pardon--it's great pity that--beast or body, education should aye be minded. I have six terriers at hame, forbye twa couple of slow-hunds, five grews, [*Greyhounds] and a wheen [*Few] other dogs. There's auld Pepper and auld Mustard, and young Pepper and young Mustard, and little Pepper and little Mustard--I had them a' regularly entered, first wi' rottens [*Rats]--then wi' stots or weasels--and then wi' the tods and brocks [*Badgers]--and now they fear naething that ever cam wi' a hairy skin on't."
"I have no doubt, sir, they are thoroughbred--but, to have so many dogs, you seem to have a very limited variety of names for them?"
"Oh, that's a fancy o' my ain to mark the breed sir; the Deuke himself has sent as far as Charlies hope to get ane o' Dandie Dinmont's Pepper and Mustard terriers--Lord, man, he sent Tam Hudson [* The real name of this veteran sportsman is now restored] the keeper, and sicken a day as we had wi' the foumarts [*Polecats] and the tods, and sicken a blythe gaedown as we had again e'en! Faith, that was a night!
"I suppose game is very plenty with you?"
"Plenty, man!--I believe there's mair hares than sheep on my farm; and for the moor-fawl, or the gray-fowl, they lie as thick as doos in a dooket--Did ye ever shoot a black-cock, man?"
"Really I had never even the pleasure to see one, except in the museum at Keswick."
"There now--I could guess that by your Southland tongue--It's very odd of these English folk that come here, how few of them has seen a black-cock! I'll tell you what--ye seem to be an honest lad, and if you'll call on me--on Dandie Dinmont--at Charlies-hope--ye shall see a black-cock, and shoot a black-cock, and eat a black-cock too, man."
"Why, the proof of the matter is the eating, to be sure, sir; and I shall be happy if I can find time to accept your invitation."
"Time, man? what ails ye to gae hame wi' me the now? How d'ye travel?"
"On foot, sir; and if that handsome pony be yours, I should find it impossible to keep up with you."
"No unless ye can walk up to fourteen mile an hour. But ye can come ower the night as far as Riccarton, where there is a public--or if ye like to stop at jockey Grieve's at the Heuch, they would be blythe to see ye, and I am just gaun to stop and drink a dram at the door wi' him, and I would tell him you're coming up--or stay--gudewife, could ye lend this gentleman the gudeman's galloway, and I'll send it ower the Waste in the morning wi' the callant?" [*Lad]
The galloway was turned out upon the fell, and was swear to catch--"Aweel, aweel, there's nae help for't, but come up the morn at ony rate.--And now, gudewife, I maun ride, to get to the Liddel or it be dark, for your Waste has but a kittle [*Ticklish] character, ye ken yourself."
"Hout fie, Mr. Dinmont, that's no like you, to gie the country an ill name--I wot, there has been nane stirred in the Waste since Sawney Culloch, the travelling-merchant, that Rowley Overdees and Jock Penny suffered for at Carlisle twa years since. There's no ane in Bewcastle would do the like o' that now--we be a' true folk now."
"Ay, Tib, that will be when the deil's blind,--and his een's no sair yet. But hear
"A bonny terrier that, sir--and a fell [*Fiery] chield at the vermin, I warrant him--that is, if he's been weel entered, for it a' lies in that."
"Really, sir," said Brown, "his education has been somewhat neglected, and his chief property is being pleasant companion."
"Ay, sir? that's a pity, begging your pardon--it's great pity that--beast or body, education should aye be minded. I have six terriers at hame, forbye twa couple of slow-hunds, five grews, [*Greyhounds] and a wheen [*Few] other dogs. There's auld Pepper and auld Mustard, and young Pepper and young Mustard, and little Pepper and little Mustard--I had them a' regularly entered, first wi' rottens [*Rats]--then wi' stots or weasels--and then wi' the tods and brocks [*Badgers]--and now they fear naething that ever cam wi' a hairy skin on't."
"I have no doubt, sir, they are thoroughbred--but, to have so many dogs, you seem to have a very limited variety of names for them?"
"Oh, that's a fancy o' my ain to mark the breed sir; the Deuke himself has sent as far as Charlies hope to get ane o' Dandie Dinmont's Pepper and Mustard terriers--Lord, man, he sent Tam Hudson [* The real name of this veteran sportsman is now restored] the keeper, and sicken a day as we had wi' the foumarts [*Polecats] and the tods, and sicken a blythe gaedown as we had again e'en! Faith, that was a night!
"I suppose game is very plenty with you?"
"Plenty, man!--I believe there's mair hares than sheep on my farm; and for the moor-fawl, or the gray-fowl, they lie as thick as doos in a dooket--Did ye ever shoot a black-cock, man?"
"Really I had never even the pleasure to see one, except in the museum at Keswick."
"There now--I could guess that by your Southland tongue--It's very odd of these English folk that come here, how few of them has seen a black-cock! I'll tell you what--ye seem to be an honest lad, and if you'll call on me--on Dandie Dinmont--at Charlies-hope--ye shall see a black-cock, and shoot a black-cock, and eat a black-cock too, man."
"Why, the proof of the matter is the eating, to be sure, sir; and I shall be happy if I can find time to accept your invitation."
"Time, man? what ails ye to gae hame wi' me the now? How d'ye travel?"
"On foot, sir; and if that handsome pony be yours, I should find it impossible to keep up with you."
"No unless ye can walk up to fourteen mile an hour. But ye can come ower the night as far as Riccarton, where there is a public--or if ye like to stop at jockey Grieve's at the Heuch, they would be blythe to see ye, and I am just gaun to stop and drink a dram at the door wi' him, and I would tell him you're coming up--or stay--gudewife, could ye lend this gentleman the gudeman's galloway, and I'll send it ower the Waste in the morning wi' the callant?" [*Lad]
The galloway was turned out upon the fell, and was swear to catch--"Aweel, aweel, there's nae help for't, but come up the morn at ony rate.--And now, gudewife, I maun ride, to get to the Liddel or it be dark, for your Waste has but a kittle [*Ticklish] character, ye ken yourself."
"Hout fie, Mr. Dinmont, that's no like you, to gie the country an ill name--I wot, there has been nane stirred in the Waste since Sawney Culloch, the travelling-merchant, that Rowley Overdees and Jock Penny suffered for at Carlisle twa years since. There's no ane in Bewcastle would do the like o' that now--we be a' true folk now."
"Ay, Tib, that will be when the deil's blind,--and his een's no sair yet. But hear