lagon. The proceedings in the
square, however, was not so well conducted as in the quarry, many of
the folk there assembled showing a mean and grasping spirit. The
Captain had given orders that there was to be no stint of ale and
porter, and neither there was; but much of it lost through hastiness.
Great barrels was hurled into the middle of the square, where the
country wives sat with their eggs and butter on market-day, and was
quickly stove in with an axe or paving-stone or whatever came handy.
Sometimes they would break into the barrel at different points; and
then, when they tilted it up to get the ale out at one hole, it gushed
out at the bottom till the square was flooded. My mother was fair
disgusted when told by me and James of the waste of good liquor. It is
gospel truth I speak when I say I mind well of seeing Singer Davie
catching the porter in a pan as it ran down the sire, and, when the pan
was full to overflowing, putting his mouth to the stream and drinking
till he was as full as the pan. Most of the men, however, stuck to the
barrels, the drink running in the street being ale and porter mixed,
and left it to the women and the young folk to do the carrying. Susy
M'Queen brought as many pans as she could collect on a barrow, and was
filling them all with porter, rejecting the ale; but indignation was
aroused against her, and as fast as she filled, the others emptied.

My father scorned to go to the square to drink ale and porter with the
crowd, having the election on his mind and him to vote. Nevertheless
he instructed me and James to keep up a brisk trade with the pans, and
run back across the gardens in case we met dishonest folk in the
streets who might drink the ale. Also, said my father, we was to let
the excesses of our neighbours be a warning in sobriety to us; enough
being as good as a feast, except when you can store it up for the
winter. By and by my mother thought it was not safe me being in the
streets with so many wild men about, and would have sent James himself,
him being an orphan and hardier; but this I did not like, but, running
out, did not come back for long enough. There is no doubt that the
music was to blame for firing the men's blood, and the result most
disgraceful fighting with no object in view. There was three fiddlers
and two at the flute, most of them blind, but not the less dangerous on
that account; and they kept the town in a ferment, even playing the
countryfol