Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

had been the aggressor,SPECIMEN DAYS 133though Herbert deniedthat he had struck the first blow, and stoutlymaintained that it had openedhostilities byspouting oil when it thought he wasn't looking.But it was a fine set-to. For over an hour wecould hear all the pumpings, splutterings, flaringsand hissings of the fray, while dense black fumesrolled out of the tent door and ascended toHeaven ;and more than once Herbert was forcedto retire in search of fresh ammunition in theform of methylated spirits. My Partner thoughtwe should separate them before serious damagewas done, but it seemed to me better to let themtill wefight it out there would never be peace :knew once for all which was the better man.Silence at last descended on the tent and Herbert,worn and blackened and grimly triumphant,appeared with the Primus in his hand,burning with an even flame submissively andwithout a sob.There was a day in Galloway, from NewtonStewart to Tarff, which stands entered in mydiary, without any saving clause, as " the bestday of the tour." The statement is not to betaken very seriously, for I am, I know, apt tolose my head at times when I come to writingup the diary, and most of the days that I have