CUMMANSHEMENSLAIGE 99 



it reached my neighbourhood, and carrying several 

 glasses off the table. 



Two excited lads sprang to their feet, then 

 upon their chairs, and lastly in emulation upon the 

 table, to second the Croupier's toast. The more 

 likely-looking competitor was hauled down, along 

 with several bottles and decanters ; and the other, 

 a rather shy, awkward-looking youth, was held in 

 position and charged to " spit it out." A half tumbler 

 of raw whisky was handed up to him, and this he 

 swallowed at a gulp without winking, and then 

 declared the one thing that induced him to offer for 

 his farm, lying in the forsaken and remote locality 

 it did, was the fact that a pack of fox-hounds hunted 

 within reach. He worked hard all summer, sta3ang 

 at home, while he sent his wife to Spittal-on-Tweed. 

 Here his intimates jeered derisively, for the lady 

 in question was known to do exactly as she pleased. 

 He took his holidays in winter, on the Saturdays with 

 the hounds ; and this relieved the monotony, en- 

 livened the existence, and brightened the dark days 

 between Martinmas and Whitsunday. He met his 

 friends, compared notes with them as to the condition 

 of their stock, the stage of their farm work, and some- 

 times galloped over their young grass and knocked 

 down their fences in return for similar compliments 

 paid to him. He was always pleased to see hounds 

 and a good field, for whom he always had a fox in 

 his whin cover, and a cut of mutton ham and some 

 mountain dew to wash it down. He was applauded 

 to the roof. 



My repl}^ was much interrupted by " Hear, hears " 

 — the audience was in a mood to cheer, and cheer they 



