BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



' Sandy in fact not only stamped and screamed, but swore 

 that he was dreadfully brunt with the pieces of charcoal and 

 drops of flaming pitch which insinuated themselves between 

 his shirt and cape of his jacket behind ; whereat Tom Purdie, 

 who was a considerate and humane man, took up the scoop 

 which was used for ladling out the boat, and, filling that 

 capacious utensil with water to the extent of its capacity, came 

 behind the aggrieved, and emptied the whole contents down 

 his back. " And now Sandy, mon," says he, " I hae made ye 

 quite comfortable, and ye owe me a gude turn." But, who 

 would have thought it ? The blood of the Trummels was up ; 

 and seizing a firebrand in a style that did little honour to his 

 gratitude, the diluted one rushed forward intent on vengeance. 

 Grim looked Tom Purdie, and, charging with his leister, he 

 held the foeman at bay. Who can say what Homeric deeds 

 might not have been done, had not Charlie, first whispering 

 to the master to stand fast, given the boat a sudden whirl 

 round with the stroke of an oar, which laid Tom Purdie flat 

 upon his back at the bottom of the boat, and canted Sandy 

 Trummel fairly overboard ? He fell in rather a picturesque 

 attitude, for which I cannot in candour give him much credit, 

 as the affair seemed to be quite involuntary and too sudden for 

 him to study effect. His right hand held the torch aloft for a 

 moment, Marmion fashion, which soon fell and hissed in the 

 current with a train of smoke which trailed along the surface 

 of the water. Sandy's feet were actively employed in kicking 

 his best, by which means he agitated the water in such a manner 

 that, with the assistance of the light, it made a very brilliant 

 and imposing appearance. The stream here being very shallow, 

 he soon began to emerge, and about two-thirds of his fair 

 proportions rose up from the channel ; his mouth seemed 

 full of water and abuse ; he soon got rid of the one ; but before 

 he could vent the other, he was anticipated by the boat's crew, 

 who all shouted out shame upon him for his awkwardness, 

 and for having nearly upset the boat in his fall, and endangered 

 the lives of several worthy individuals. Thus a sort of balance 



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