SUPPOSITION 99 



cent sight, I chuckled in the plenitude of victory. 

 This was unbecoming in me, I own, for I should 

 have borne my faculties meekly ; but I was young 

 and sanguine ; so (horresco referens) I gave a smart 

 turn of my body, and, placing an arm akimbo, said, 

 in an exulting tone, and with a scrutinising look, 

 ' There, what do you think of that ? " I did not 

 see the astonishment in Sawny's face that I had 

 anticipated, neither did he seem to regard me with 

 the least degree of veneration ; but, giving my pet a 

 shove with his nasty iron-shod shoes, he simply said, 



' Houte ! that's a wee bit gilse." 



This was laconic. I could hold no longer, for I 

 hate a detractor ; so I roundly told him that I did 

 not think he had ever caught so large a fish in all his 

 life. 



" Did you, now ? own." 



" I suppose I have." 



" Suppose ! But don't you know ? " 



' I suppose I have." 



" Speak decidedly, yes or no. That is no answer." 



' Well, then, I suppose* I have." 



And this was the sum total of what I could 

 extract from this nil admirari fellow. 



A third person now joined us, whom I afterwards 

 discovered to be the renter of that part of the river. 

 He had a rod and tackle of the selfsame fashion with 

 the apathetic man. He touched his bonnet to me ; 

 and if he did not eye me with approval, at least 

 he did not look envious or sarcastic. 



* Suppose, in Scotch, does not imply a doubt, but denotes a 

 certainty. 



