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Descending by. a path towards a well-known ford, Dumple crossed the small river, and then quickening his pace, trotted about a mile briskly up its banks, and approached two or three low thatched, houses, placed with their angles to each other, with a great contempt of regularity. This was the farm-steading of Charlies-hope, or, in the language of the country, "the Town."
His money, excepting a very few shillings, was in his portmanteau, and that was in possession of Meg's friends. Some time was necessary to write to his agent, or even to apply to his good host at Charlies-hope, who would gladly have supplied him. In the meantime, he resolved to avail himself of Meg's subsidy, confident he should have a speedy opportunity of replacing it with a handsome gratuity.
At length, after a draught of home-brewed ale, he began by observing, "Aweel, aweel, that hen," looking upon the lamentable relics of what had been once a large fowl, "wasna a bad ane to be bred at a town end, though it's no like our barn-door chuckles at Charlies-hope and I am glad to see that this vexing job hasna taen awa your appetite, Captain."
"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."
"I am Dandie Dinmont, sir, of the Charlies-hope the Liddesdale lad ye'll mind me? it was for me ye won yon grand plea." "What plea, you loggerhead" said the lawyer "d'ye think I can remember all the fools that come to plague me?" "Lord, sir, it was the grand plea about the grazing o' the Langtae Head!" said the farmer. "But, sir, I haena got ony distinct memorial."
"There are only two persons in this country who know anything of me," replied the prisoner. "One is a plain Liddesdale sheep-farmer, called Dinmont of Charlies-hope; but he knows nothing more of me than what I told him, and what I now tell you."
"No, no, Liddesdale no occasion, no occasion whatever keep thy cash to stock thy farm." "To stack my farm? Mr. Pleydell, your honour kens mony things, but ye dinna ken the farm o' Charlies-hope it's sae weel stockit already, that we sell maybe sax hundred pounds off it ilka year, flesh and fell thegither na, na." "Can't you take another then?"
When the sport was given up for the day, most of the sportsmen, according to the established hospitality of the country, went to dine at Charlies-hope. During their return homeward, Brown rode for a short time beside the Huntsman, and asked him some questions concerning the mode in which he exercised his profession.
"Wha kens?" answered he;" they're queer deevils; maybe I might just have 'scaped ae gang to' meet the other. And yet I'll no say that neither; for if that randy wife was coming to Charlies-hope, she should have a pint bottle o' brandy and a pound o' tobacco to wear her through the winter. They're queer deevils, as my auld father used to say-they're warst where they're warst guided.
Rebecca; they are very decent folk the Dinmonts, though my lady didna dow to hear muckle about the friends on that side the house. But she liked the Charlies-hope hams, and the cheeses, and the muir-fowl, that they were aye sending, and the lamb's-wool hose and mittens she liked them weel eneugh." Mr. Pleydell now dismissed Mrs. Rebecca.
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