An' yet, mind ye, Smillie seemed to me to be a
straight-forret man an' yin that was sincere. Still, ye can never tell;
an' twa-three hunner pound's a big temptation to a man."
"Ay," said Tam dryly, "we hae been diddled sae often wi' bigmoothed men
on the make, that it mak's a body ay suspicious when yin hears thae
stories. I heard Wiston, the coal-maister, had gien him five hunner
pounds on the quiet."
"I heard that too," replied Matthew, "but, like you, I'm loth to think
it o' Smillie. I'd believe it quicker aboot yon ither chiel, Charlie
Rogerson. He comes oot to speak to us ay dressed in a black dress-suit,
wi' white cuffs doon to his finger nebs, his gold ring, his lum hat, an'
a' his fal-de-lals."
"Weel, I dinna believe a word o' this story aboot Bob," said Robert
quietly, who had "hunkered" down beside the two men who sat so earnestly
discussing matters while the others went on with their games and
dancing.
"Do ye no', Rob?" said Tam.
"No, I do not," was the firm reply, "for nae matter what happens in a
fight, it's ay the opeenion o' some folk that the men ha'e been sell't."
Robert, though young, took a keen interest in the fight.
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