BOUGH DIAMOND." 293 



over, and in the act of giving the finishing touch on the 

 strap to his razor. He was a big man, powerful, raw- 

 boned, but kindly-looking, and with great courtesy he 

 apologised for his undress and the rough salute he had 

 given me. The companion-ladder he condemned in no 

 measured terms, but at the same time he could make no 

 allowance for a young callant like Jock being not spry 

 enough with his feet to keep a grip of aucht that he could 

 get his heel or toe on. I saw that the skipper was a bit 

 of a character, and, with all his external roughness, had a 

 good, warm, kind heart underneath. I determined, there- 

 fore, to trust myself to his seamanship, if suitable terms 

 could be made. At once the subject of my visit was 

 broached and his charge for the trip ascertained. After 

 thinking a minute or two, he asked my name and whether 

 or no I was from the States. On being answered in the 

 negative, and my cognomen given, he took a good look at 

 me, and laying down his razor, the lather being still on his 

 face, he delivered himself in these words : " The passage 

 I'll just charge you five pund sterling for. I 'm thinking 

 you'll na deem that ower muckle; but if 1 didna like your 

 cut, twenty pund, let alone five, would na hae let you 

 aboard. And I suppose it 's a' right, and gin you '11 jist 

 wait till I get scraped, I can gie you a glass of real Islay 

 that nare was gauged by exciseman." Soon the scraping 

 operation was performed to his satisfaction, and a black 

 bottle was produced, the contents of which fully reached 

 the proper standard of excellence, if strength is considered 

 to constitute it. In the meantime, the captain had got 

 ready to go on shore, and Jock was summoned for final 



