e descending
towards a fertile and enclosed country, where no such liberties could
be taken with impunity, or without a previous arrangement and bargain
with the possessors of the ground. This was more especially the case,
as a great northern fair was upon the eve of taking place, where both
the Scotch and English drover expected to dispose of a part of their
cattle, which it was desirable to produce in the market, rested and in
good order. Fields were therefore difficult to be obtained, and only
upon high terms. This necessity occasioned a temporary separation
betwixt the two friends, who went to bargain, each as he could, for
the separate accommodation of his herd. Unhappily it chanced that both
of them, unknown to each other, thought of bargaining for the ground
they wanted on the property of a country gentleman of some fortune,
whose estate lay in the neighbourhood. The English drover applied to
the bailiff on the property, who was known to him. It chanced that the
Cumbrian Squire, who had entertained some suspicions of his manager's
honesty, was taking occasional measures to ascertain how far they were
well founded, and had desired that any inquiries about his enclosures,
with a view to occupy them for a temporary purpose, should be referred
to himself. As, however, Mr. Ireby had gone the day before upon a
journey of some miles distance to the northward, the bailiff chose
to consider the check upon his full powers as for the time removed,
and concluded that he should best consult his master's interest
and perhaps his own, in making an agreement with Harry Wakefield.
Meanwhile, ignorant of what his comrade was doing, Robin Oig, on his
side, chanced to be overtaken by a well-looked smart little man upon a
pony, most knowingly hogged and cropped, as was then the fashion, the
rider wearing tight leather breeches, and long-necked bright spurs.
This cavalier asked one or two pertinent questions about markets and
the price of stock. So Donald, seeing him a well-judging, civil
gentleman, took the freedom to ask him whether he could let him know
if there was any grass-land to be let in that neighbourhood, for the
temporary accommodation of his drove. He could not have put the
question to more willing ears. The gentleman of the buckskins was the
proprietor, with whose bailiff Harry Wakefield had dealt, or was in
the act of dealing.

"Thou art in good luck, my canny Scot," said Mr. Ireby, "to have
spoken to me, for I see thy