AND OTHER SKETCHES 111 



a local man, a well-known farmer, and as the constitu- 

 ency had from its earliest history been red-hot Eeform, 

 the farmer's election was considered certain. Douglas' 

 nearest neighbor was a canny Scotchman like himself, 

 and when the former called at his house and asked him 

 how he was going to vote, "Mac" replied he "hadna quite 

 made up his mind." "Dodge was a guid liberal man," 

 he'd heard, "but then, ye ken, t'other man was a decent 

 chap also." Douglas warmed up in favor of his friend 

 Dodge, spoke of his wealth, his great ability and the 

 enormous interest he had in the country and rather be- 

 littled the calibre of the farmer who was running against 

 him. "Mac" listened quietly to the outburst, then sturd- 

 ily replied : 



"Nae doubt, Mr. Douglas, ye ken what ye are saying, 

 but all the same I'll nae vote for him. I'll gang t'other 

 way." 



]3ouglas, who up to this moment thought he had made a 

 convert, broke loose with: "Mac, you are a damn'd fool. 

 You don't know enough to bore a hole in the snow," and 

 the irate canvasser went straight home, chucked his book 

 into the fire and decided he wasn't cut out for a political 

 canvasser. Mr. Douglas finally tired of his northern 

 sandbank and returned to England. His headquarters 

 are Liverpool and he occasionally makes a flying trip to 

 this countrv. 



