284 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



a grip of audit that lie 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, therefore, to trust 

 nryself 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 I 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'll 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 per- 

 formed to his satisfaction, and a black bottle was pro- 

 duced, 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 instructions, but the deck hands stated that he 

 was not on board, but fishing off the end of the dock. 

 A stentorian shout summoned the truant. With line 

 in hand and a string of flounders he made his appear- 

 ance. " How dar'st you gang ashore wi'out my 

 permission ? You're mair bother than the whole ship's 

 company, you de'il's buckey, you. Yinst we get hame,. 

 your inither maun keep you to hersel' for though she 

 be my ain sister, I'll no be langer fashed wi' the likes 



