A Scotch Bargain.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 187, 15 January 1887, Page 3

A Scotch Bargain.

The following anecdote illustrates the fact that the man who is asked to do an unusual thing will expect much more pay than for doing a usual thing that cost him several timoB the trouble. Some years ago, before the sale of game was* legalised, and & present of it was thought worth the expense of carriage, an Englishman rented a moor within twenty miles of Inverness, Wish' ing to send a tsn-brace box of grouse to hisfriends in the South, he directed a servant to call upon Donald Fraser (who owned a* horse and cart, and made a livelihood by driving peats into the town) and ask him what he would charge for taking the box to Inverness. Donald would not take it under eight shillings. The demand was though so unreasonable that the gentleman complained to a Scotchman who was shooting with him. The Scotchman replied that he (the Engli-hman) did not understand how to. bargain with the natives, and that one of them approached in the right way would do the job for much less, Calling Donald, he held the following converation :—: — " Guid mornin', "Donald. What's the price of peats the noo ?" " Just auchteenpence the load, sir." " Very weel, ye can tak' a load into my house in Inverness the first ihiup the morn'© mornin'." " I'll dae that, and thank ye, sir." The Scotchman then walked on about twenty yards when he suddenly turned round and said — " By the bye, 1 hae a box tae send ; y© can juist pit it on the tap o' the peats." 11 I'll dae that, sir. It'll no mak' muckledifference." In this way the Scotchman got a good load of peats, and the Englishman got his box of game sent for nothing.