Page:Life and death of Rab Ha'.pdf/5

 defeat with the biscuit, said, that if the gentlemen were agreeable to double the bets, he would sup a peck of oatmeal made into brose. After asking him if he was full with eating the biscuit? he said he was not, but only he felt his jaws sore with cracking it, he set to work with the brose, and finished them in admirable style, leaving nothing but the empty cog. We think, upon the whole, that this feed was pretty considerable.

On another occasion, while lounging about the Broomielaw, he went into a house for a drink of water; as the woman happened to have none in the house at the time, she requested Rab to take a seat till she would return with some from a neighbouring well. During her absence, Rab was busily engaged in demolishing a stone of potatoes which the poor woman had made ready for herself and family and on being questioned by the woman, he said he was very dry and he thought the potatoes would quench his mouth.

Shortly afterwards, being about Hawkhead House, where there was a party of gentlemen wishing a little amusement, they thought fit to try Rab with another gorge;