From this wight, who now and then dropped alongside of his horse, Waverley hoped to acquire some information, or at least to beguile the way with talk.

‘A fine evening, sir,’ was Edward’s salutation.

‘Ow, ay, sir! a bra’ night,’ replied the lieutenant, in broad Scotch of the most vulgar description.

‘And a fine harvest, apparently,’ continued Waverley, following up his first attack.

’Ay, the aits will be got bravely in; but the farmers, deil burst them, and the corn-mongers will make the auld price gude against them as has horses till keep.’

‘You perhaps act as quartermaster, sir?’

‘Ay, quartermaster, riding-master, and lieutenant,’ answered this officer of all work.  ’And, to be sure, wha’s fitter to look after the breaking and the keeping of the poor beasts than mysell, that bought and sold every ane o’ them?’

’And pray, sir, if it be not too great a freedom, may I beg to know where we are going just now?’

‘A fule’s errand, I fear,’ answered this communicative personage.

‘In that case,’ said Waverley, determined not to spare civility, ’I should have thought a person of your appearance would not have been found on the road.’

‘Vera true, vera true, sir,’ replied the officer, ’but every why has its wherefore.  Ye maun ken, the laird there bought a’ thir beasts frae me to munt his troop, and agreed to pay for them according to the necessities and prices of the time.  But then he hadna the ready penny, and I hae been advised his bond will not be worth a boddle against the estate, and then I had a’ my dealers to settle wi’ at Martinmas; and so, as he very kindly offered me this commission, and as the auld Fifteen [Footnote:  The Judges of the Supreme Court of Session in Scotland are proverbially termed among the country people, The Fifteen.] wad never help me to my siller for sending out naigs against the government, why, conscience! sir, I thought my best chance for payment was e’en to gae out [Footnote:  See Note 3.] mysell; and ye may judge, sir, as I hae dealt a’ my life in halters, I think na mickle o’ putting my craig in peril of a Saint John-stone’s tippet.’

‘You are not, then, by profession a soldier?’ said Waverley.

‘Na, na; thank God,’ answered this doughty partizan, ’I wasna bred at sae short a tether, I was brought up to hack and manger.  I was bred a horse-couper, sir; and if I might live to see you at Whitson-tryst, or at Stagshawbank, or the winter fair at Hawick, and ye wanted a spanker that would lead the field, I’se be caution I would serve ye easy; for Jamie Jinker was ne’er the lad to impose upon a gentleman.  Ye’re a gentleman, sir, and should ken a horse’s points; ye see that through—­ganging thing that Balmawhapple’s on; I selled her till him.  She was bred out of Lick-the-ladle, that wan the king’s plate at Caverton-Edge, by Duke Hamilton’s White-Foot,’ etc., etc., etc.