SANDY TRTJMMEUS MISHAP. 265 



themselves between his shirt and cape of his jacket be- 

 hind ; 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. " An' noo, Sandy, man," says he, " I hae made 

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

 who would have thought it? The blood of the Trammels 

 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 

 standfast, 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 

 Trammel fairly overboard ? He fell in rather a pic- 

 turesque attitude, for which I cannot in candour give 

 him much credit, as the affair seemed to be quite invo- 

 luntary 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 



