Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 67 III.—DEOVEES ASTD EOBBEEIES. There was a " Top Sawyer," a topsman among our cattle-drovers, of great ability, but not very particular as to his transactions. He had an unprecedented volubility of language, and was a well-known man on the drove-road from the north to Falkirk and Edinburgh. His impudence to strangers was intolerable. He had been employed by another of his craft to sell a pony at Hallow Fair, as there was no further use for it that season. Our friend was a great boaster, and considered no one his match at striking a bargain. He volunteered to sell the pony. He sold it at a long price ; but the notes he was paid with turned out to be forged. It had been a good cattle-market, and on the evening of the Fair, the topemen and a number of dealers (the topsmen always sat at the same table as their masters) met at the White Hart Inn. After such a good market they were all in great spirits. They dined, and when a good glass had gone round, the owner of the pony demanded the price from the unfortunate seller, who never had far to go for his answer. " Why, sir," he said, "your pbny is sold ; the birds are flown that bought him ; I can only give you what I got." " Oh, but," said the owner, " that is nothing to me ; you voluntarily undertook the selling of my pony, and I hold you responsible before these witnesses. Pay me my money." Top Sawyer would not be done ; and I was informed by one who was present, that he disguised his appearance withgreat success, and after about an hour's absence returned with bona fide notes for the amount, having transferred the victim's cloak, which he liked ill to wear, to other shoulders. His insolence was intolerable ; and at a Falkirk market he had given some gentlemen such insulting treatment that a warrant was granted for his apprehens... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.