Page:Life Story of an Otter.djvu/191

Rh away with him—run riot, I ought to call it. Your indulgence, my friends, and your further patience while I touch on the matter that brought me to my feet. And let me say by way of preliminary and to all alike, don't be overreachin'; don't, simply to keep others out, claim more water than you can search. "Live and let live" is a goodmotto for a sportsman, be he Englishman or Scot; and this I'm sure of, that my friend beside me will look at things as a big-minded man always do, and prove himself the good neighbour we've taken him for. 'Mr. Macpherson, we've treated 'ee like one of ourselves since the coach dropped 'ee at the cross-roads now three year back; the more so, maybe, since we've got to understand your mouthspeech. True, there was a little soreness because Zachy Kelynack didn't get the job, but only for a month or two; and we did our best to hide it, agreein' among ourselves that if the Duchy slighted our own man, 'twas no fault of yourn, and no case for pitchin' and featherin', or even for the pump. Come to look back upon it, for a rough-and- ready sort of people, whose parish is their world, we met thee handsomely, though I say it, as I hope we shall every strainyer who looks us straight in the eyes and does his duty without