Argyll's Highlands, or, MacCailein Mor and the Lords of Lorne

ARGYLL S HIGHLANDS AND THE LORDS OF LORNE. l6l
extent ; so that when he staggered forth from the dram shop into the
street with that peculiar pause and bound that had gained for him
his sobriquet of " the Cricket," the boys always looked for sport.
Like mischievous callants, they would take every advantage of his
condition, in order that they might torment him ; and, as he could
no more shake himself free of them than the bear in the fable could
get rid of the wolfs, the boys invariably succeeded in what maj' be
termed their game of cricket. Sometimes the}- pursued him with
taunts and jeers ; and when he turned upon them, they would feign
to retreat before him, in order that they might draw their adversary
after them, so that they might have the fun of retaliating, and
charging again upon him, and thus prolong their game. All this
time the Cricket would jump and bound after them, and threaten
them with what he would do with them if he could but once get
them into his clutches ; but the}' were too active and nimble, even
for a Cricket, and always contrived to keep close to Daniel without
falling into his hands. There were no policeman on the Campbelton
streets in that day, so the boys had it all their own way, and Daniel
had often to beat a retreat under a fierce discharge of bomb shells of
mud, which, although the}' did not maim or draw blood when they
burst about his head and shoulders, yet considerably changed the
colour of the Cricket's coat Daniel was a very good workman in
the way of his trade, and he set so great a value on his workman-
ship, that his employers very frequently demurred to pay what he
demanded ; for it was Daniel's system to add to the price of his work
as much as it cost him iu whisky while he was engaged upon it.
This often led to disagreements between himself and his employers ;
and when they would not at once settle the dispute in the way that
Daniel wished, he would go to law with them. If they were present
when the case came on for trial, the Cricket generally lost the plea ;
but, when they forgot, or neglected, to attend the Court, then Daniel
would get a dureet against them, and would make them pay to the
last farthing. He was so fond of law, that he would summons
people for the value of a pane of glass or the smallest piece of work ;
so that scarcely a Court could sit without the Cricket and his man
of business being present ; and, as this man of business was as
thirsty a soul as his employer, he too usually adjourned to the dram
U