TAKING THEM OVER 21 



outside and not pertaining to the stables, and indeed 

 was never slow to give his opinion or present a 

 theory when asked. He was in his loquacious mood 

 as he drove me back from the last train one evening 

 about this time, and introduced the subject of a pro- 

 jected servants' dance. 



^' Na, na," he emphatically declared, '' A wadna hev 

 nae drink — drink disna dae whan there's females 

 aboot." 



He was equally firm as to the undesirability 

 of including a certain youth in the list of invited 

 guests. This individual was a musician and a step- 

 dancer, and had been in great request till his habits 

 drove people to be rather shy of him. 



*' It wad never dae to hev Yeddy Da'gleish," said 

 the Oracle. ^*Ye see the warst o' him is whan he 

 gets on, he strikes ; no like Donal' Purdie, for he 

 juist roars when he gets drink, and Sandy Blyth 

 he juist glowers an' grumphs. Yedd got on at 

 Talla sports a week past on Setterday an' strak. 

 Oo was kinda coaxin' him awa', an' 00 had gotten 'im 

 as fer as the brig, when he brak awa' frae us an' made 

 straicht for the tent and strak. The sairgent tell't mi 

 the poliss wasna for lifting onybody frae the sports ; 

 but Yedd he strak that sair an' that wicked they 

 couldna evite it, so they juist liftit um." 



After a very brief silence, which he broke only 

 by an abortive hiccup. Batters went off at a tangent. 



" Hev they gotten thae Boors oot o' the camp on 

 yon river yet ? Hes Sir Buller won ower yet, sir ? " 



" No, not yet ; but Sir Redvers is getting up his 

 guns to shell them out." 



"Weel, I'll tell ye what should be dune — what A 



