t, that when he went on
the platform, at the time of the election, to heckle the Colonel, he
paused in the middle of his questions to take a drink out of the
tumbler of water which stood on the table. As soon as they saw what he
was up to, the spectators raised a ringing cheer.

On concluding his perorations, Tammas sent his snuff-mull round, but we
had our own way of passing him a vote of thanks. One of the company
would express amazement at his gift of words, and the others would add,
"Man, man," or "Ye cow, Tammas," or, "What a crittur ye are!" all which
ejaculations meant the same thing. A new subject being thus
ingeniously introduced, Tammas again put his foot on the pail.

"I tak no creedit," he said, modestly, on the evening, I remember, of
Willie Pyatt's funeral, "in bein' able to speak wi' a sort o' faceelity
on topics 'at I've made my ain."

"Ay," said T'nowhead, "but it's no the faceelity o' speakin' 'at taks
me. There's Davit Lunan 'at can speak like as if he had learned it aff
a paper, an' yet I canna thole 'im."

"Davit," said Hendry, "doesna speak in a wy 'at a body can follow 'im.
He doesna gae even on. Jess says he's juist like a man ay at the
cross-roads, an' no sure o' his wy. But the stock has words, an' no
ilka body has that."

"If I was bidden to put Tammas's gift in a word," said T'nowhead, "I
would say 'at he had a wy. That's what I would say."

"Weel, I suppose I have," Tammas admitted, "but, wy or no wy, I couldna
put a point on my words if it wasna for my sense o' humour. Lads,
humour's what gies the nip to speakin'."

"It's what maks ye a sarcesticist, Tammas," said Hendry; "but what I
wonder at is yer sayin' the humorous things sae aisy like. Some says
ye mak them up aforehand, but I ken that's no true."

"No only is't no true," said Tammas, "but it couldna be true. Them 'at
says sic things, an', weel I ken you're meanin' Davit Lunan, hasna nae
idea o' what humour is. It's a think 'at spouts oot o' its ain accord.
Some of the maist humorous things I've ever said cam oot, as a body may
say, by themsels."

"I suppose that's the case," said T'nowhead, "an' yet it maun be you
'at brings them up?"

"There's no nae doubt aboot its bein' the case," said Tammas, "for I've
watched mysel often. There was a vara guid instance occurred sune
after I married Easie. The Earl's son met me one day, aboot that time,
i' the Tenements, and he didna ken 'at Chirsty was deid, an' I'd
mar