ck and sore to this day. Will that make
you strip him and put him across the bench?"

"No," said some of the people.

"He ordered me to come here to-night and to shout 'Master, master, your
mill is on fire,' so that he might be able to leave without paying the
mummers their dues. His mill is not on fire at all."

"Strip him," said the first mummer.

"Put him across the bench," said another.

"Here's a skinner's knife for you," said a third.

The mummers seized the Churl, stripped him and put him across the bench.
Gilly took the knife and began to sharpen it on the ground.

"Have mercy on me," said the Churl.

"You did not have mercy on the other two poor servant-boys," said Gilly.

"I'll give you your wages in full."

"That's not enough."

"I'll give you double wages to give to the other servant-boys."

"And will you pay the mummers' dues for all the people here?"

"No, no, no. I can't do that."

"Stretch out your neck then until I mark the place where I shall begin
to cut the skin."

"Don't put the knife to me. I'll pay the dues for all," said the Churl.

"You heard what he said," said Gilly to the people. "He will pay me
wages in full, give me double wages to hand to the servant-boys he has
injured, and pay the mummers' dues for everyone."

"We heard him say that," said the people.

"Stand up and dress yourself," said Gilly to the Churl. "What do I want
with a strip of your skin? But I hope all here will go home with you
and stand in your house until you have paid all the money that's claimed
from you."

"We'll go home with him," said the mummers.

"We'll stand on his floor until he has paid all the money he has agreed
to pay," said the others.

"And now I must tell you, neighbors," said Gilly, "that I never cut the
legs of a living horse--neither his horse nor anyone else's. This pair
was taken off a poor dead horse by the skinners that were cutting it
up."

Well, they all went to the Churl's house and there they stayed until
he opened his stone chest and took out his money-box and paid to the
mummers the dues of all the people with sixpence over, and paid Gilly
his wages in full, one guinea, one groat and a tester, and handed him
double wages to give to each of the servant-boys he had injured. Gilly
took the money and left the house of the Churl of the Townland of
Mischance, and the people and the mummers went to the road with him, and
cheered him as he went on his way.

XIV