Old Man Savarin Stories

wass for debt, and he wass a ferry honest man whateffer, and he would not broke his promise-no, not for all the money in Canada. If

, sold a plough to my grandfather, and my grandfather said he would pay half the plough in October, and the oth

horses wass killed py lightning, and the next year his brother, that wass not rich and had a big family, died, and do you think wass my grandfather to let the family be disgraced without a good funeral? No, indeed. So my grandfather paid for

r in Cornwall next day after the funeral, a

ather, 'I will sell the coat off my back, if there is no other way to lend you a loan'; for that wass always the way of my grand

. 'Would you wish to insult a gentleman, and him of the name of Ste

r spoke softly, being a quiet, peaceable man, a

ought, from your asking me if I had some money, that you might be looking for a wee bit of a

's your memory, Mr. McTavish? Are you not owing me half

for the other half of the plough?'

hat,' sa

fit for the McTavishes' own grand-nephew, that wass as good chentleman's plood as any Stewart in Glengarry. You saw the expense I wass at, for there you wass, and I than

rt; for with buying and selling he wass become a poor creature, and the heart of a Hielan'

in anger, and he minded the penances the priest put on him for breaking the silly man's jaw with that blow, so he smothered the he

arvis that's dead-would do justice. But no, he made it the law that my grandfath

not,' says he. 'It's a disgrace to Tougal Stewart to ask me, and himself telling you what the bargain

says my grandfather; 'but I'll keep my Hielan' pr

ion. But not the worth of a handful of oatmeal could the bailiff lay hands on, because my grandfather had chust exactly taken the precaution

do wrong against my grandfather, he held on, for all that his trade fell away; and finally he had my grandfather arrested

posts that wass around the sixteen acres nearest the jail walls, the prisoners could go where they liked on that ground. This was called

lds, and ?neas Macdonald of the Sandfields, for his bail, and he promised, on his Hielan' word of honor, not to go beyond the posts. With that he went where he pleased, only taking care t

the other half of the plough, only that vexed my grandfather, for he wass too proud to borrow, and, of course, every day he felt le

creditor had to pay the five shillings, and, of course, my grandfather had nothing to his name after he gave the bill of sale to Alexander Frazer. A great diversion it was to my grandfather to be reckoning up

There he would sit, just inside one of the posts, for to pass his jokes, and tell what he wished the family to be doing next. This way it might hav

posts, wishing that he had not passed his Hielan' word of honor not to go beyond a post; for he thought how he could have broken out like a chentleman, and gone to see his sick child, if he had stayed inside the jail wall. So it went on three days and three nights pefore the wise thought came into my

rnwall, which was only a little place in those

cTavish,' say

d I stop?' says

oke your bail

temper flared up for anybody to say he would broke h

me. The only thing pesides thoughts of the child that troubled him was questioning whether he had been strictly right in turning round for to use the post to defend himself in such a way that it was nearer th

TWO OF THEM OVE

TWO OF THEM OVE

ncan Macdonnell of Greenfields, c

' says Tuncan. 'For you were ne

rstand, sir, is the name

' says my grandfather, 'fo

andfather, and he scratched his head a wee, and he seen it

er running to embrace him; but she had to throw her arms around the post and my grandfather's neck at the same time, he was that strict to be within his promise. Pefore going ben the house, he went to the back end of the kale-yard which was

ul not to go beyond it; but he was putting the settlement to a great deal of trouble day and night to keep the constables off, and he was fearful that they might take the post away, if ever they got to Glengatchie, and give him the name of false, that no McTavish ever had. So Tuncan Greenfields and ?neas Sandfield drove my grandfathe

mits. The money wass to be paid efery Monday, and it wass to be paid in lawful money of Canada, too. Well, would you belief that Tougal paid in four shillings in silver one Monday, and one shilling in coppers, for he took up the collection in church the day p

at, 'you are a free man, and I'm glad of i

ing hospitable to you, sir,' says he; 'but it's against the rules and regulations for the jailer to be offering the best he can command to the prisoners. Now that you are free, Mr. McTavish,' says the jailer, 'I would be a

was, and he seen how bad the jailer felt, so he consented, and

you suspicion, sir, that my grandfather would refuse his honest deb

the plough now, Mr. Stewart,' says my gran

the honest McTavish!'

ention how Tougal had paid out six pounds four shillings and eleven pence to keep him in o