A MONTH AT STRATHMAACOE 197 



absorbing topic of conversation, while whiskey, hot, cold, and 

 with soda-water, lent an embellishing hand to many of the 

 stories. 



There were amongst the company three friends in par- 

 ticular who, according to their own account, had caught heavier 

 and larger numbers of trout than anyone who was present. 

 They were also great at all athletic sports, and at length one 

 of them related a story of a leap so extraordinary as to call 

 forth from a listener an exclamation of " Impossible, sir ! it 

 could not be done." 



On him the teller of the story turned fiercely, while ex- 

 claiming in angry tones, " Pray, sir, do you doubt my word.-* " 



"Oh, no, not at all," answered the other, "only I feel sure 

 you must have made a mistake somewhere." 



"Oh, do you; you little know what we can do till you see 

 for yourself," retorted the athlete ; and, rising to his feet, he 

 continued : " Look here, sir, if you would like to see an exhibi- 

 tion of leaping, I'll bet you a couple of bottles of whiskey, to 

 be drank by the present company, that I'll find you a man in 

 this very room who shall jump through the open door and touch 

 the top of it with his foot as he goes through, and yet not fall." 



Here the speaker turned to one of his friends to give him 

 a look which was tantamount to saying, " You can do that 

 easily enough, can't you ? " Then resuming his speech, with a 

 bang of his fist on the table, he wound up by saying — "And, 

 by George, if he doesn't do it he shall pay forfeit." The 

 sceptical gentleman at once took the bet, with the stipulation it 

 should be put down in black and white, which being done, it 

 was read out to the whole room. 



Reader, I wonder if you have been sharper than we were, 

 and discovered the "sell" for yourself. No sooner were 

 preliminaries over, than the layer of the bet turned to the taker 

 and said, " All right, sir, you do it ; all / betted was that / 

 would find the man, and that if Jie didn't do it, he was to pay 

 forfeit." 



