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But the elder did not pay, and in revenge Neil placed Peter Dunlop, the elder's ancient enemy, in nomination for Tammas Duncan's eldership. It was Saunders McClellan who carried the news to the McCakeron homestead. According to her promise, Jeannie had visited early and late with Janet; and dropping in one evening to check up her report of progress, Saunders found the elder perched on a stump.
"We couldna very weel. It's to be a three-cornered fight, an' Robert Duncan, brother to Tammas, has it sure." "'Twad be a good one on McCakeron," Neil mused. "To talk up Dunlop, who doesna care a cent for the eldership, an' then spring the Apoos-tate on him." "'Twould be bitter on 'Twenty-One," the cap'en added. He had been diddled by Sandy on a deal of seed-wheat.
Not a bit particular in choice of candidates, he roared against Dunlop, Duncan, or "Twenty-One" according to the company which Saunders kept. "Ye havna the ghaist of a show!" he assured Cap'en McKay, chief of the Dunlopers. "McCakeron drew three mair to him last night." While to the elder he exclaimed the same day: "Yon crazy sailorman's got all the Duncanites o' the run. He has ye spanked, Elder.
It was simply astounded at the man's impudence. "We'll soon drum him oot!" Elder McCakeron snorted, when he heard of the invasion; to which, on learning that Timmins was also guilty of Methodism, he added, "Wait till the meenister lays claws on the beast."
If Elder McCakeron had given Saunders the tempter the glare which he now bestowed on Saunders the successfully wicked, he had not been in such lamentable case. "Why, what is this?" the minister exclaimed. "Cause for further congratulation, Brother Timmins?" Saunders now shone as Cupid's assistant. "He was to ha' Janet on condeetion that he made the eldership," he fulsomely explained.
As they filed sheepishly down the aisle, the Dunlopers gave him the cold shoulder, and when he joined the group, Elder McCakeron returned a stony stare to his greeting. "But ye needna mind that," the Devil encouraged. "He daurna tell, for his own share i' the business." So Saunders brazened it out. "Ye ha' my congratulations, Mr. McCakeron. I hear you're to get a son-in-law oot o' this?"
With one exception, too, the women looked askance upon him, wondering, doubtless, how he dared to oppose their men-folks' wishes. Calling the cows of evenings, Janet McCakeron sometimes came on Timmins, whose farm cornered on her father's, and thus a nodding acquaintance arose between them.
I'd as lief ... as lief ... elect ..." "... the Apoos-tate," said the Devil, though Neil thought that Saunders was talking. "Ay, the Apoos-tate," he agreed. "It wad be a fine joke," the Devil went on by the mouth of Saunders, "to run the Apoos-tate agin' his candidate. McCakeron canna thole the man." "But what if he was elected?" the mariner objected. The Devil was charged with glib argument.
Hoots, man! a nightmare!" Shuddering, Saunders reconsidered proceedings of ejectment. "But the thing is no posseeble?" "You know your men," the Devil answered. "Close in the mouth as they are in the fist. McCakeron will never get wind o' the business till they spring it on him in meeting." "That is so," Saunders acknowledged. "'Tis surely so-a."
Even if Elder McCakeron had paid Neil's bill of damage instead of remarking that he "didna see as the turnips had hurt his cows," the thing would have addled in the egg; and his recalcitrancy, so necessary to the hatching, has caused many a wise pow to shake over the inscrutability of Providence.
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