Викрадений

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           Inotonlystartedlate,butImusthavewanderednearlyhalfthetime.True,Imetplentyofpeople,grubbinginlittlemiserablefieldsthatwouldnotkeepacat,orherdinglittlekineaboutthebignessofasses.TheHighlanddressbeingforbiddenbylawsincetherebellion,andthepeoplecondemnedtotheLowlandhabit,whichtheymuchdisliked,itwasstrangetoseethevarietyoftheirarray.Somewentbare,onlyforahangingcloakorgreat-coat,andcarriedtheirtrousersontheirbackslikeauselessburthen:somehadmadeanimitationofthetartanwithlittleparti-colouredstripespatchedtogetherlikeanoldwife’squilt;others,again,stillworetheHighlandphilabeg,butbyputtingafewstitchesbetweenthelegstransformeditintoapairoftrouserslikeaDutchman’s.Allthosemakeshiftswerecondemnedandpunished,forthelawwasharshlyapplied,inhopestobreakuptheclanspirit;butinthatout-of-the-way,sea-boundisle,therewerefewtomakeremarksandfewertotelltales.

           Theyseemedingreatpoverty;whichwasnodoubtnatural,nowthatrapinewasputdown,andthechiefskeptnolongeranopenhouse;andtheroads(evensuchawandering,countryby-trackastheoneIfollowed)wereinfestedwithbeggars.AndhereagainImarkedadifferencefrommyownpartofthecountry.ForourLowlandbeggars—eventhegownsmenthemselves,whobegbypatent—hadalouting,flatteringwaywiththem,andifyougavethemaplaekandaskedchange,wouldverycivillyreturnyouaboddle.