e this commission, and as the auld Fifteen
[The Judges of the Supreme Court of Session in Scotland are proverbially
termed, among the country people, The Fifteen.] wad never help me to my
siller for sending out naigs against the Government, why, conscience!
sir, I thought my best chance for payment was e'en to GAE OUT mysell;
and ye may judge, sir, as I hae dealt a' my life in halters, I think na
mickle o' putting my craig in peril of a St. Johnstone's tippet.' [TO GO
OUT, or TO HAVE BEEN OUT, in Scotland, was a conventional phrase similar
to that of the Irish respecting a man having been UP, both having
reference to an individual who had been engaged in insurrection. It was
accounted ill-breeding in Scotland, about forty years since, to use the
phrase rebellion or rebel, which might be interpreted by some of the
parties present as a personal insult. It was also esteemed more polite
even for stanch Whigs to denominate Charles Edward the Chevalier,
than to speak of him as the Pretender; and this kind of accommodating
courtesy was usually observed in society where individuals of each party
mixed on friendly terms.]

'You are not, then, by profession a soldier?' said Waverley.

'Na, na; thank God,' answered this doughty partisan, 'I wasna bred at
sae short a tether; I was brought up to hack and manger. I was bred a
horse-couper, sir; and if I might live to see you at Whitson-tryst, or
at Stagshawbank, or the winter fair at Hawick, and ye wanted a spanker
that would lead the field, I'se be caution I would serve ye easy; for
Jamie Jinker was ne'er the lad to impose upon a gentleman. Ye're
a gentleman, sir, and should ken a horse's points; ye see that
through-ganging thing that Balmawhapple's on; I selled her till him.
She was bred out of Lick-the-Ladle, that wan the king's plate at
Caverton-Edge, by Duke Hamilton's White-foot,' &c. &c. &c.

But as Jinker was entered full sail upon the pedigree of Balmawhapple's
mare, having already got as far as great-grandsire and great-grand-dam,
and while Waverley was watching for an opportunity to obtain from him
intelligence of more interest, the noble captain checked his horse until
they came up, and then, without directly appearing to notice Edward,
said sternly to the genealogist, 'I thought, lieutenant', my orders were
preceese, that no one should speak to the prisoner?'

The metamorphosed horse-dealer was silenced of course, and slunk to the
rear, where he consoled himself by en