-trouser pocket. T'NOWHEAD said
nothing, and HOOKEY was similarly occupied. At last, the stranger
spoke.

"Gentlemen," he began, "may I say a word? I may lay claim to some
experience in the matter. I travel in humour, and generally manage to
do a large business."

He looked round interrogatively. TAMMAS eyed him with one of his keen
glances. Then he worked his mouth round and round to clear the course
for a sarcasm.

"So you're the puir crittur," said the stone-breaker, "'at's meanin'
to be a humorist."

This was the challenge. We all knew what it meant, and fixed our eyes
on the stranger.

"Certainly," was his answer; "that is exactly my meaning. I trust I
make myself plain, I'm willing to meet any man at catch-weights.
Now here, he continued," are some of my samples. This story about a
house-boat, for instance, has been much appreciated. It's almost
in the style of Mr. JEROME'S masterpiece; or this screamer about my
wife's tobacco-pipe and the smoking mixture. "Observe," he went on,
holding the sample near to his mouth, "I can expand it to any extent.
Puff, puff! Ah! it has burst. No matter, these accidents sometimes
happen to the best regulated humorists. Now, just look at these," he
produced half-a-dozen packets rapidly from his bundle. "Here we have
a packet of sarcasm--equal to dynamite. I left it on the steps of
the Savile Club, but it missed fire somehow. Then here are some
particularly neat things in cheques. I use them myself to paper my
bedroom. It's simpler and easier than cashing them, and besides,"
adjusting his mouth to his sleeve, and laughing, "it's quite killing
when you come to think of it in that way. Lastly, there's this
banking-account sample, thoroughly suitable for journalists and
children. You see how it's done. I open it, you draw on it. Oh, you
don't want a drawing-master, any fellow can do it, and the point is it
never varies. Now," he concluded, aggressively, "what have you got to
set against that, my friend?"

We all looked at TAMMAS. HENDRY kicked the pail towards him, and
he put his foot on it. Thus we knew that HEHDRY had returned to his
ancient allegiance, and that the stranger would be crushed. Then
TAMMAS began--

"Man, man, there's no nae doubt at ye lauoh at havers, an' there's
mony 'at lauchs 'at your clipper-clapper, but they're no Thrums fowk,
and they canna' lauch richt. But we maun juist settle this matter.
When we're ta'en up wi' the makkin' o' humour, we're a' depe