He made his way to a window first, and, clearing the snow from the top of it, pointed out that he could not conscientiously proceed further until the debt had been paid.
"Money doon," he cried, as soon as he reached a pane of glass; or, "Come awa wi' my saxpence noo." The belief that this day had not come to Henders unexpectedly was borne out by the method of the crafty callant.

His charges varied from sixpence to half-a-crown, according to the wealth and status of his victims; and when, later on, there were rivals in the snow, he had the discrimination to reduce his minimum fee to threepence.

He had the honour of digging out three ministers at one shilling, one and threepence, and two shillings respectively.
Half a dozen times within the next fortnight the town was reburied in snow.

This generally happened in the night-time; but the inhabitants were not to be caught unprepared again.

Spades stood ready to their hands in the morning, and they fought their way above ground without Henders Ramsay's assistance.