release time:2023-11-29 07:22:42 source:clear white net author:{typename type="name"/}
"Ay, sir? that's a pity, begging your pardon--it's great pity that--beast or body, education should aye be minded. I have six terriers at hame, forbye twa couple of slow-hunds, five grews, [*Greyhounds] and a wheen [*Few] other dogs. There's auld Pepper and auld Mustard, and young Pepper and young Mustard, and little Pepper and little Mustard--I had them a' regularly entered, first wi' rottens [*Rats]--then wi' stots or weasels--and then wi' the tods and brocks [*Badgers]--and now they fear naething that ever cam wi' a hairy skin on't."
"I have no doubt, sir, they are thoroughbred--but, to have so many dogs, you seem to have a very limited variety of names for them?"
"Oh, that's a fancy o' my ain to mark the breed sir; the Deuke himself has sent as far as Charlies hope to get ane o' Dandie Dinmont's Pepper and Mustard terriers--Lord, man, he sent Tam Hudson [* The real name of this veteran sportsman is now restored] the keeper, and sicken a day as we had wi' the foumarts [*Polecats] and the tods, and sicken a blythe gaedown as we had again e'en! Faith, that was a night!
"I suppose game is very plenty with you?"
"Plenty, man!--I believe there's mair hares than sheep on my farm; and for the moor-fawl, or the gray-fowl, they lie as thick as doos in a dooket--Did ye ever shoot a black-cock, man?"
"Really I had never even the pleasure to see one, except in the museum at Keswick."
"There now--I could guess that by your Southland tongue--It's very odd of these English folk that come here, how few of them has seen a black-cock! I'll tell you what--ye seem to be an honest lad, and if you'll call on me--on Dandie Dinmont--at Charlies-hope--ye shall see a black-cock, and shoot a black-cock, and eat a black-cock too, man."
"Why, the proof of the matter is the eating, to be sure, sir; and I shall be happy if I can find time to accept your invitation."
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