A SCHERZO 185 



the wildest and fiercest aspect, delivered on him a 

 most violent and abusive attack. 



" Ye dawmned aristocrat wi' yer gowd chain I " — 

 " Ye Muckworrm ! " were amongst the more polite 

 epithets which were hurled upon his devoted head. 



Certainly the spectacle of this mad Highlander, 

 with his pallid, fearsome face and light eyes, as he 

 danced about in his frenzy, was, a man would think, 

 enough to quail the stoutest heart. But through- 

 out the whole scene, even when the madman's fist 

 was shaken violently within an inch of his nose, 

 the hardy Gow seemed absolutely oblivious of 

 any disturbing presence, as, with eye fixed on the 

 horizon, he calmly soothed a little tune to himself. 

 At last, after the act had been in progress for nearly 

 ten minutes, he transfixed the abusive aggressor with 

 a stony blue eye, ejaculating peremptorily, "There! 

 I've had enough, let me hear no more — away with 

 ye now ! " And at the command, or at the tone in 

 which it was uttered, the man slunk away like a 

 beaten cur, without further word, in the direction 

 of the bridge. 



Only a day or two previously, the unfortunate 

 Johnny had been alarmed, while fishing the river, 

 by the same terrifying apparition bearing down upon 



