''
``Mayhap you had as well keep away,'' said
his comrade; and turning his back on his former
friend, he collected his unwilling associates, assisted
by the bailiff, who took some real and some
affected interest in seeing Wakefield accommodated.
After spending some time in negotiating with
more than one of the neighbouring farmers, who
could not, or would not, afford the accommodation
desired, Henry Wakefield at last, and in his necessity,
accomplished his point by means of the
landlord of the alehouse at which Robin Oig and
he had agreed to pass the night, when they first
separated from each other. Mine host was content
to let him turn his cattle on a piece of barren
moor, at a price little less than the bailiff had asked
for the disputed enclosure; and the wretchedness
of the pasture, as well as the price paid for it,
were set down as exaggerations of the breach of
faith and friendship of his Scottish crony. This
turn of Wakefield's passions was encouraged by the
bailiff, (who had his own reasons for being offended
against poor Robin, as having been the unwitting
cause of his falling into disgrace with his master,)
as well as by the innkeeper, and two or three
chance guests, who stimulated the drover in his
resentment against his quondam associate,---some
from the ancient grudge against the Scots, which,
when it exists anywhere, is to be found lurking in
the Border counties, and some from the general
love of mischief, which characterises mankind in
all ranks of life, to the honour of Adam's children
be it spoken.
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