Also some of you call yourselves
Radicals or Tories or Socialists. But you are all of you far more than
these things. You are men--men of this great countryside, with blood in
your veins and vigour in that blood. If you were a set of pale-faced
mechanics, I should not be speaking to you, for I should not understand
you. But I know you all, and I like you, and I am going to prevent you
from making godless fools of yourselves. There are two men before you.
One is a very clever man, whom I don't know anything about, nor you
either. The other is my best friend, and known to all of you. Many of
you have shot or sailed with him, many of you were born on his and his
fathers' lands. I have told you of his abilities and quoted better
judges than myself. I don't need to tell you that he is the best of
men, a sportsman, a kind master, a very good fellow indeed. You can
make up your mind between the two. Opinions matter very little, but
good men are too scarce to be neglected. Why, you fools," he cried with
boisterous good humour, "I should back Lewis if he were a Mohammedan or
an Anarchist. The man is sound metal, I tell you, and that's all I
ask."
It was a very young man's confession of faith, but it was enough. The
meeting went with him almost to a man. A roar of applause greeted the
smiling orator, and when he sat down with flushed face, bright eyes, and
a consciousness of having done his duty, John Sanderson, herd in Nether
Callowa, rose to move a vote of confidence:
"That this assembly is of opinion that Maister Lewis Haystoun is a guid
man, and sae is our friend Maister Winterham, and we'll send Lewie back
to Parliament or be--"
It was duly seconded and carried with acclamation.
Pages:
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131