|
When Rory Macdonald heard this, he exclaimed: "Oh, what a change has come over my dealings; hitherto I was prosperous, but now the reverse has come upon me. Mr. Angus Campbell is Factor for Harris and can get his oars sold among the tenants in a short time; whereas my oars will run the risk of being seized by the king's men, when I will not only lose the value of the oars, but worse, I may be informed against and charged with smuggling. And since I have the wherewithal to make it worth while to look after me, I run the chance of losing all that I have put together by my dealings." "Hush," said Campbell, "you have neither the spunk nor the courage nor the cleverness you so much boasted about this morning. What if you do lose a few hundred guineas or a thousand by fine and excheat? You, who pretended to such fortitude and cleverness should not be so unbecoming your former self, come what will of the oars."
Macdonald then proposed to Campbell that he should buy the oars at the same price that he had paid for them. Campbell replied: "That I will not, but if you will give me three pounds (f3.00) discount, I will take them off your hands." Macdonald concluded the bargain and Campbell took delivery of the oars.
Campbell then addressed Macdonald thus: "Now Rory, you boasted of your good sense and of possessing such peculiar qualifications for business that you were impregnable; that for the long period of 40 years you have never been tricked nor cheated in any way in any of your transactions. You seemed to ascribe the luck that attended your affairs to your own vigilance, activity and cleverness and in this way to brave every man and woman in the Isles, giving out that you could neither be cheated nor tricked of the trifling value of one shilling. But let me tell you, Rory, that it is myself that has tricked you of £3.00 this day, by the purchase of the oars, for I made you believe that Mr. Angus Campbell had several dozen oars on hand, whereas he has none - for I have only devised this plan to show you there was 3 man in Harris who was more than your match and you will not have to say in future that there was no one in the Isles who could cheat you of a shilling's worth. You may now go home and tell your friends your latest success."
|
