"I hear that auld Hairyfithill has offered five pound reward for
information about his pig," said Tam Donaldson a few mornings later.
"Ay, an' it's a gran' price for onybody wha kens aboot it," said auld
Jamie Lauder. "Pork maun hae risen in price this last twa-three days,
for I'm telt it was gaun cheap enough then."
"That is true," said Tam, "but it was a damn'd shame to tak' the auld
man's pig awa', whaever did it. But I hear them saying that the polisman
is gaun to the farm the nicht to watch, so that the tatties 'll no' be
stolen," he went on, as some of the younger men joined them, "an' I
suppose that the puir polisman hasna' a bit o' coal left in his
coal-house. It's no' richt, ye ken, laddies, that a polisman, who is the
representative o' law and order in this place, should sit without a
fire. He has a wife an' weans to worry aboot, an' they need a fire to
mak' meat. Maybe if he had a fire an' plenty o' coal it wad mak' him
comfortable, an' then he'd no' be sae ready to leave the hoose at nicht
an' lie in a tattie pit to watch thievin' colliers. If a man hasna'
peace in his mind it'll mak' him nasty, an' we canna' allow sic a thing
as a nasty polisman in this district!"
"That's richt, Tam," said one of the younger men.
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