A WINTER WITH THE LUMBERERS 185 



boss, were very much strained. They were both High- 

 landers, or " Hielandmen," as they termed themselves, 

 and as such held other Scots in some contempt. To 

 them a Lowlander was a " Southern carl " and a " loon." 

 The Lowlanders resented this ; but being in a minority, 

 and having all felt the weight of Jeamy's fist, they had 

 to " sing sma'," as Jeamy said. All the Scots here, three 

 excepted, were Highlanders; and, strange to say, they 

 seemed to think it an honour, rather than otherwise, to 

 have been well hammered by their fellow-countryman. 

 At all events they always sided with him against the rest 

 of the camp, and fights among the men were of almost 

 daily occurrence. 



M'Cullough professed to doubt that Finnock was a 

 Highlander. " Feennock's no a Hieland neem," he said, 

 " It's mee opeenion that yeer just a taramed Edinborough 

 laddie frae the gutter that's managed to get one foot o' 

 the steerrup." "And I'll have ye to know that I'm 

 master here, and I'll no permit ye or any other man to 

 speak to me in that way. Just gang about yer business," 

 retorted Finnock. Angry words passed, but nothing came 

 of it on that occasion. 



One day, however, when I returned from wandering 

 in the woods, I found the whole camp in great glee. 

 There had been a scuffle between Finnock and M'Cullough, 

 and they had agreed to fight it out ; for, as Finnock 

 said, matters had come to such a pass that he could not 

 bide in the camp unless M'Cullough was mastered. Be- 

 sides, work was being neglected on account of the drinking 

 and quarrelling bouts, and some of the men spent much 

 of the day gambling for drink and card-playing. 



Finnock told me that he had challenged M'Cullough 

 to a regular set-to ; " for," said he, " I must thrash him 

 before all the men, or I'll never maintain my authority. 

 If he is best man I'll have to quit the camp." He asked 

 me to be his second, or backer-up, and I knew enough of 

 camp etiquette to be assured that I could not refuse 



