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I said, if it was within reach, I should like exceedingly to visit
both the Shepherd and the Scotch mummy he had described. Mr.
L--t assented on the first proposal, saying he had no objections to
take a ride that length with me, and make the fellow produce his
credentials. That we would have a delightful jaunt through a
romantic and now classical country, and some good sport into the
bargain, provided he could procure a horse for me, from his
father-in-law, next day. He sent up to a Mr. L--w to inquire, who
returned for answer that there was an excellent pony at my
service, and that he himself would accompany us, being obliged
to attend a great sheep-fair at Thirlestane; and that he was certain
the Shepherd would be there likewise.
Mr. L--t said that was the very man we wanted to make our party
complete; and at an early hour next morning we started for the
ewe-fair of Thirlestane, taking Blackwood's Magazine for August
along with us. We rode through the ancient royal burgh of
Selkirk, halted and corned our horses at a romantic village, nigh
to some deep linns on the Ettrick, and reached the market ground
at Thirlestane-green a little before mid-day. We soon found
Hogg, standing near the foot of the market, as he called it, beside
a great drove of paulies, a species of stock that I never heard of
before. They were small sheep, striped on the backs with red
chalk. Mr. L--t introduced me to him as a great wool-stapler,
come to raise the price of that article; but he eyed me with
distrust, and, turning his back on us, answered: "I hae sell'd
mine."
I followed, and, shewing him the above-quoted letter, said I was
exceedingly curious to have a look of these singular remains he
had so ingeniously described; but he only answered me with the
remark that "It was a queer fancy for a wool-stapler to tak."
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