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Now it was a custom of Macdonald's to
smoke tobacco, especially if he was drinking, when he
smoked all the time. The letter was passed from hand
to hand until at last Campbell got hold of it. He rolled
it up tightly and laid it down beside his uncle's pipe.
The conversation was now on various topics and the punch
was going round fast. The party was pretty hearty and
Macdonald re-lit his pipe again and again until he smoked
all his tobacco. When Campbell saw that the letter had
been completely burnt, he said again: "Gentlemen,
you had better take your money for the kelp." "Yes,
we will take the money indeed, but we must have MacNeil's
price." Campbell replied: "What authority
can you show men to entitle you to such a high price?"
"Your own letter." "Show me the letter
then, that we may see what it says." Macdonald
tried his pockets but could not find the letter and
then remarked that he had it on the table just now.
"I don't know but what you have stolen it,"
he said to Campbell. "I steal it? No. You yourself
have burnt it all in lighting your tobacco pipe and
it is as well for you, for although I am your sister's
son, you are so full of low cunning and covetousness,
that you would have spent the whole value of your kelp
this year, at law with me, rather than have abated a
jot of the high price you sought. And indeed, if you
had my letter, the law would have compelled me to pay
it; but now, my dear uncle, you may whistle for it.
Although you are a great lawyer, I am as great in my
own way in depriving lawyers of unlawful claims, and
such was yours tonight. But I have defeated you and
your unjust views by causing you to burn the letter."
"Och," says his uncle, "you are an artful
contriver and you can now bully us indeed. Had I the
letter I would make my claim good before the Court of
Session but Black Kenneth, my nephew, is fit enough
to defeat my claim, however just, as he has done tonight."
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