J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE SON OF THE SCOTTISH YEOMAN. 247
not say that to me witli justice. Send across liere my
five hundred merks. He paid the money. He was
abusing the other.
"Oh man," said he, "give up your abuse ; I'll lay
you the ten hundred merks that I'll steal yourself to-
night."
" That you steal me, you worthless fellow," said
the bishop. " You shan't be allowed."
He wagered the ten hundred merks.
" I'll get these ten hundred merks back again," said
the bishop, " but I'll lay you fifteen hundred merks
that you don't steal me.
The chief magistrate fixed the bargain for them.
The lad and his master went home.
"My man," said the master, "I have always
thought well of you till now ; you will now lose the
money you gained, and you can't steal the man."
"I have no fear of that," said the servant.
"V\Tien night came he set off, and got to the house
of the bishop. Their he thought he would go where he
could find the fishermen of the city, in order to see
what might be seen with them. AVhen he reached the
fishermen he asked them Avhether they had " any fresh-
killed salmon ? " They said they had. He said to
them —
" If you skin so many of them for me I will give
you such and such a sum of money, or as much as
will be just and right."
The fishermen said "they would do as he wished,"
and they did so. They gave him as many fish skins
as he thought would make him a cloak of the length
and breadth he wished. He then went to the tailors.
He said to the tailors, would they make him a dress of
the fish skins by twelve o'clock at night, and that they
should be paid for it. They told him what sum they