Mr. Scott stared to see Dan, and spoke rudely to him. Dan waited till he was done, and then said, “Mr. Scott, there’s a slap in your hedge, an’ the sheep’s among the corn. I’ve driven them out, and stappit [pushed] in a bush, but if ye’ve ony stabs or palings I’ll mend it for ye in a crack.”
“I want nane o’ yer mendings.”
“Aweel,” said Dan, “I see ye’re angry; and I can only say, Mr. Scott, if ye’ll no’ be friends, dinna blame me. I own I spoke sair till ye, but was you no’ first in the fault? I’m no’ seeking onything frae ye, but as I’m an auld man I want to die in peace wi’ my neibours, so I ax yer pardon, and gude day.”
“Die in peace!—ye’ll die in a jail, or no’ unlikely on a gallows!” said the miller.
“Maybe,” said Dan, “but Mr. Walker was tellin’ us on Sabbath about a deein’ thief, an’ he was made a’ richt as he was deein’; an’ maybe Him that helpit him will help me.”
“Dan,” said the miller in astonishment, “are you gaun to the kirk noo?”
“Ay,” said Dan,—“whiles.”
“Weel, Dan, ye seem to make a better use o’ the kirk than I dae; and as ye was saying, we’ll let byganes be byganes. And thank ye about the sheep.”
THE PIPE OF PEACE.
“Aweel,” replied Dan, “Mr. Walker whiles speaks about lost sheep, and I thocht as I saw yours amang the corn, that the sooner our slaps [gaps] are filled up the better for ourselves and for the sheep, for some o’ them seemed swalled [swollen].”