What ho! Here's a crowd of us!"
but on his return trip the Fizzer was a man of leisure, and we had to
wait for news until his camp was fixed up.
"Now for it!" he shouted, at last joining the company, and Mac felt the
time was ripe for his jocular greeting and, ogling the Fizzer, noticed
that "The flats get greener every year about the Elsey."
But the Fizzer was a dangerous subject to joke with. "So I've noticed,"
he shouted as, improving on Mac's ogle, he singled him out from the
company, then dropping his voice to an insinuating drawl he challenged
him to have a deal.
Instantly the Sanguine Scot became a Canny Scot, for Mac prided himself
on a horse-deal. And as no one had yet got the better of the Fizzer the
company gathered round to enjoy itself.
"A swop," suggested the Fizzer, and Mac agreeing with a "Right ho!" a
preliminary hand-shake was exchanged before "getting to business"; and
then, as each made a great presence of mentally reviewing his team, each
eyed the other with the shrewdness of a fighting cock.
"My brown mare!" Mac offered at last, and knowing the staunch little
beast, the homestead wondered what Mac had up his sleeve.
We explained our suspicions in asides to the travellers, but the Fizzer
seemed taken by surprise.
