As
however, Mr Ireby had gone the day before upon a
journey of some miles distance to the northward, the
bailiff chose to consider the check upon his full powers
as for the time removed, and concluded that be
should best consult his master's interest, and perhaps
his own, in making an agreement with Harry Wakefield.
Meanwhile, ignorant of what his comrade
was doing, Robin Oig, on his side, chanced to be
overtaken by a good-looking smart little man upon
a pony, most knowingly bogged and cropped, as
was then the fashion, the rider wearing tight leather
breeches, and long-necked bright spurs. This
cavalier asked one or two pertinent questions about
markets and the price of stock. So Robin, seeing
him a well-judging civil gentleman, took the freedom
to ask him whether he could let him know if
there was any grass-land to be let in that neighbourhood,
for the temporary accommodation of his
drove. He could not have put the question to
more willing ears. The gentleman of the buckskins
was the proprietor, with whose bailiff Harry
Wakefield had dealt, or was in the act of dealing.
``Thou art in good luck, my canny Scot,'' said
Mr Ireby, ``to have spoken to me, for I see thy
cattle have done their day's work, and I have at
my disposal the only field within three miles that
is to be let in these parts.
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