you to him.” She beamed on both of them.
When they reached the place where they had encamped Davie found that his father had gone down to the harbour. Davie told his mother what he had heard in the shop, and proposed that he should take their horse and cart to show the minister.
“Will it no’ wait till your father comes back?”
“Suppose someone else sells the minister a horse before we have shown him ours?”
“It does not sound as though the minister has been in a hurry to buy a horse. Still, there might be no harm in asking him. It will give him time to think about it.”
“He has had a lot of time to think about buying a horse already,”Davie said shrewdly. “It would be better, perhaps, to take him quickly. What price does my father want for the horse and cart?”
“He wondered if we could get five pounds for it, though we might have to let it go for less to get a quick sale.”
Davie caught the horse as he grazed and began to back him between the shafts of the cart. “Will you come with me, Kirsty?” he asked.
In no time at all Davie and Kirsty were jogging along the road to the manse. The minister was rather surprised when Davie was ushered into his study by the small maidservant. Davie had some difficulty in explaining his errand, but at last he made the minister understand.
“Ah, so Mistress Robertson thinks I would be better for having a horse does she? Ah weel, it’s a sensible woman she is! Maybe she is right.”
“Will you look at the horse then, sir? I have brought him here for you to see. He stands at your door.”
The minister’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “Young man, you waste no time, but maybe I had better look him over. It would never do to buy a pig in a poke.”
“But it is not a pig I am wanting to sell, sir. It is a horse.” Davie began to wonder if the minister could be a little deaf.
“Ach, boy, it’s speaking in proverbs I am!” the minister chuckled. “Let us be looking at this horse of yours, then.”
Kirsty was holding the horse at the gate. The minister walked slowly round the animal, looking at him from all sides.
“He is a good-tempered beast and strong too,” Davie said persuasively. “Look, sir, he has good teeth.” He pulled open the horse’s mouth in the way he had seen the horse dealers do at Dornoch Fair.
The minister seemed amused. “Aye, he seems a good sound horse. It’s true I have a stable, but –” He hesitated.
Kirsty looked at the minister. “He has been a good horse to us.We would like him to have a good home. Will you not buy him, sir? You would treat him kindly.”
Perhaps that clinched matters for the minister. He patted Kirsty’s shining hair. “Weel, ye’re a coaxing bit lassie, but maybe what you say weighs with me more than the horse’s good teeth. What does your father want for the horse?”
“Five pounds, sir,” Davie said promptly, though his natural honesty made him add, “Though he might take less for a quick sale.”
“You can tell him to come and see me this evening, then.”
Davie looked at him, delighted. “Is it a bargain, sir?”
“Aye, you can call it that.”
“Then here’s my hand on it,” Davie said in his most grown-up style, offering his hand as he had seen the drovers do in the cattle market.
The minister solemnly shook hands with him. “Is it no’ the fashion to offer a penny to seal the bargain?” he asked, his eyes twinkling. “Here, then, is the penny, my lad.
And here is one for the lassie too. Maybe you will find some sugar-cone at the shop of that excellent woman, Mistress Robertson.”
Davie and Kirsty had hardly words to stammer their thanks.
That evening James Murray went to the minister to conclude the deal and returned five pounds better off, and well pleased with the minister’s words. “And ye’ve got a grand straightforward, well-mannered pair o’ bairns, James Murray. They do you credit.”
That night they packed up their bundles of blankets and
When they reached the place where they had encamped Davie found that his father had gone down to the harbour. Davie told his mother what he had heard in the shop, and proposed that he should take their horse and cart to show the minister.
“Will it no’ wait till your father comes back?”
“Suppose someone else sells the minister a horse before we have shown him ours?”
“It does not sound as though the minister has been in a hurry to buy a horse. Still, there might be no harm in asking him. It will give him time to think about it.”
“He has had a lot of time to think about buying a horse already,”Davie said shrewdly. “It would be better, perhaps, to take him quickly. What price does my father want for the horse and cart?”
“He wondered if we could get five pounds for it, though we might have to let it go for less to get a quick sale.”
Davie caught the horse as he grazed and began to back him between the shafts of the cart. “Will you come with me, Kirsty?” he asked.
In no time at all Davie and Kirsty were jogging along the road to the manse. The minister was rather surprised when Davie was ushered into his study by the small maidservant. Davie had some difficulty in explaining his errand, but at last he made the minister understand.
“Ah, so Mistress Robertson thinks I would be better for having a horse does she? Ah weel, it’s a sensible woman she is! Maybe she is right.”
“Will you look at the horse then, sir? I have brought him here for you to see. He stands at your door.”
The minister’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “Young man, you waste no time, but maybe I had better look him over. It would never do to buy a pig in a poke.”
“But it is not a pig I am wanting to sell, sir. It is a horse.” Davie began to wonder if the minister could be a little deaf.
“Ach, boy, it’s speaking in proverbs I am!” the minister chuckled. “Let us be looking at this horse of yours, then.”
Kirsty was holding the horse at the gate. The minister walked slowly round the animal, looking at him from all sides.
“He is a good-tempered beast and strong too,” Davie said persuasively. “Look, sir, he has good teeth.” He pulled open the horse’s mouth in the way he had seen the horse dealers do at Dornoch Fair.
The minister seemed amused. “Aye, he seems a good sound horse. It’s true I have a stable, but –” He hesitated.
Kirsty looked at the minister. “He has been a good horse to us.We would like him to have a good home. Will you not buy him, sir? You would treat him kindly.”
Perhaps that clinched matters for the minister. He patted Kirsty’s shining hair. “Weel, ye’re a coaxing bit lassie, but maybe what you say weighs with me more than the horse’s good teeth. What does your father want for the horse?”
“Five pounds, sir,” Davie said promptly, though his natural honesty made him add, “Though he might take less for a quick sale.”
“You can tell him to come and see me this evening, then.”
Davie looked at him, delighted. “Is it a bargain, sir?”
“Aye, you can call it that.”
“Then here’s my hand on it,” Davie said in his most grown-up style, offering his hand as he had seen the drovers do in the cattle market.
The minister solemnly shook hands with him. “Is it no’ the fashion to offer a penny to seal the bargain?” he asked, his eyes twinkling. “Here, then, is the penny, my lad.
And here is one for the lassie too. Maybe you will find some sugar-cone at the shop of that excellent woman, Mistress Robertson.”
Davie and Kirsty had hardly words to stammer their thanks.
That evening James Murray went to the minister to conclude the deal and returned five pounds better off, and well pleased with the minister’s words. “And ye’ve got a grand straightforward, well-mannered pair o’ bairns, James Murray. They do you credit.”
That night they packed up their bundles of blankets and
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