"Oh," said the man, "they were fine, muckle, fat beasts, red, baith o'
them, ane wi' a bally face, an' the tither wi' its near horn sair turned
in." And some other notable peculiarities the farmer mentioned, such as
might strike a man skilled in cattle.
"We-el," answered Dicky thoughtfully, "now that ye mention it, I believe
I did see sic a pair, or twa very like them, no later agone than
yesterday afternoon. If I'm no mista'en, they're rinnin' on Maister
----'s farm, no far frae Lanercost."
"Man, ah'm that obleeged to ye. But ah'm that deid tired wi' walkin',
seekin' them, ah canna gang that far," said the farmer. "That's a gey
guid mare ye're ridin'. Ye wadna be for sellin' her, likely?"
"Oh aye, I'll sell. But she's a braw mare; there's no her like i' the
countryside, or in a' Northumberland. I'll be wantin' a braw price."
Dicky was always ready for a deal, and in this instance of course it
suited him very well to get rid of his steed.
So, after some chaffering, Dicky was promised his "braw price," and he
accompanied the farmer home to get the money. A long way it was. The
farmer perforce walked, but Dicky, with native caution, rode, for, said
he, in excuse to his companion:
"I'm loth to part wi' my good auld mare, for I've never owned her like.
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