Part 67 (2/2)
”Yeaisy yeerself, Dave,” observed a nificantly
”I been a man; ”but I never done a injury to nobody in et the threeto Tam
”Gin ye speer onythin' fraehis questioner froude o' Andraw; an' A hae warkit wi' him mair nir fowr minth 'Deed, the puir body taks owre muckle thocht fir ithers, an' disna' spare himsel' ava
A ken naethin' aboot yon three e onybody, sin' we 's A hae a pickle siller, Andraw'll no want”
And Tam returned to his seat
”What would I want of burnin' a stack?” re defiantly round the table ”Tell you how it come Hold on a minute”-- he went to the bucket, and refilled his pannikin--”It was this way: I was jist startin' to thatch a new haystack for two ole bosses o' mine, on the Vic side o' the Murray, when up comes a trooper
”'What's your name?' says he
”'Andrew Glover,' says I
”'Well, Andrew Glover, you're ed with burnin' a stack,'
says he 'I ives s”
”And how did it go?” shouted Dave, who had shi+fted his pannikin and plate to Andrew's side
”Well, the Court day it come roun'; an' when my case was called, the prosecutor he steps down off the bench, an' gives evidence; an' I foun' hie; an' there was a bit of a confab; an' then I foun' the Bench askin' me if I'd sooner be dealt with summary, or be kep' for the Sessions; an' I said suive me three months”
”What was the prosecutor's name? ”shouted Dave
”Watere-doors,” I remarked involuntarily
”Do you know him, Collins?” persisted Dave
”I neither know hi void in consequence,” I replied, pointedly interpolating, in two places, the quidnunc's flowers of speech
”How did the evidence go, reedily
”Eh?”
”How did the evidence go?”
”Oh yes! Well, I'm a bit hard o' hearin'--I dunno if you notice it on me, but I am--an' sometimes I'm worse nor other times; so I did n't ketch ood bit off o' istrates sayin', 'Quite so, Mr Wateren; an' I was on'y too glad to git off with three ot twelve, if I'd bin remanded for a proper trial The jailer told me after--he told e altered to Careless Use o' Fire So I can't help giving him credit, in a manner o' speakin' But, so help me God, I never burned no stack”
”Did you know this Waterated Dave ”Was you ever on his place?”
”Well, yes; I was on his place, askin' hiive ht Seems, it was nex' mornin' his stack was burnt, jist after sunrise But, so help me God, I never done it”
”(Adj) shaky sort o' yarn,” corave pity