"Welcome, my brother's fool!" said Ralph. "Where did ye get Johnie Armstrong's horse?"
"Where did I get him? I stole him," said Dickie.
"Wilt thou sell me the bonny horse?"
"Ay, if thou count out the money in the lap of my cloak, for never a penny will I trust thee."
"I'll give thee ten pounds for the horse and count it into the lap of thy cloak, and one of my best milk cows to maintain thy wife and three children."
"Shame speed the liars, my lord! Do ye think aye to make a fool of me? I'll either have twenty pounds for the horse, or I'll take him to Mortan fair."
So Ralph gave him twenty pounds for the horse, all in gold and good money, and one of his milk cows to maintain his wife and three children.
Then Dickie leaped and laughed, and cried, "May the neck of the third horse be broken if either of the two were better than he!"
So he came home to his wife and ye may judge how the poor fool had succeeded. For her three stolen coverlets he gave her two score English pounds, and two cows as good as her own three. "And here," said he, "is a white-footed nag that I reckon will carry us both. But if I stay longer in Cumberland the Armstrongs will hang me." So Dickie took leave of his lord and went to live at Burgh under Stanmuir.
Chapter XXIX