'
With such bald and disjointed chat Evan went on illustrating the existing
state of the Highlands, more perhaps to the amusement of Waverley than
that of our readers. At length, after having marched over bank and brae,
moss and heather, Edward, though not unacquainted with the Scottish
liberality in computing distance, began to think that Evan's five miles
were nearly doubled. His observation on the large measure which the
Scottish allowed of their land, in comparison to the computation of their
money, was readily answered by Evan with the old jest, 'The deil take
them wha have the least pint stoup.'
[Footnote: The Scotch are liberal in computing their land and liquor; the
Scottish pint corresponds to two English quarts. As for their coin, every
one knows the couplet--
How can the rogues pretend to sense?
Their pound is only twenty pence.]
And now the report of a gun was heard, and a sportsman was seen, with his
dogs and attendant, at the upper end of the glen. 'Shough,' said Dugald
Mahony, 'tat's ta Chief.'
'It is not,' said Evan, imperiously. 'Do you think he would come to meet
a Sassenach duinhe-wassel in such a way as that?'
But as they approached a little nearer, he said, with an appearance of
mortification, 'And it is even he, sure enough; and he has not his tail
on after all; there is no living creature with him but Callum Beg.
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