Jim, who was employed, as I have said, by the Canal Company, had been subpoenaed by the owner of the land in question with a view of making him declare that he had seen this boring for coal going on in a field which he had to cross daily in going to and coming from his lodgings in the neighbourhood. Counsel is questioning Jim after being sworn: "Your name is James Shackleton?" "For onything aw know it is," replied Jim. "And you are employed as a ganger on this section of the Canal?" "Aw believe aw am." "And you lodge over here?" pointing to a group of cottages shown on a map of the particular locality. "Aw do," answered Jim. "And you cross this field" (again pointing to the map) "daily--two or three times a day--going to and coming from your work?" "Yea," was Jim's reply. "And in going and coming you have, of course, seen men engaged in boring for coal?" "Noa aw haven't," said Jim in reply, shaking his head. "You have not seen men boring for coal in this particular field?" (again pointing out the place on the map). "Noa!" said Jim, stolidly. "And yet you live here, and pass and repass this field several times a day!" "Yea aw do." "And you actually tell me that you have never seen workmen boring for coal in this field?" "Aw do," said Jim. "Now, on your oath, be careful--have you not seen men engaged in making borings in this field?" "Oh! ay," replied Jim, "Aw've seed 'em boring." Counsel smiled triumphantly, stretched himself up, and looked round the Court and towards the umpire with a self-satisfied air. "You _have_ seen them boring for coal, then?" "Noa," responded Jim with an imperturbable face. Counsel fumed. "You have not seen them boring for coal!" (shaking his finger at Jim). "Noa, not for coal. Aw _have_ seen 'em boring." "Then what the d----l _were_ they boring for?" "They wur boring for compensation!" That was sufficient. Jim had landed his salmon, and there was a shout of laughter in the Court as the discomfited counsel resumed his seat. Jim was troubled with no more questions. His last answer put the value of the land on its true basis. Humour is a wonderful lever in aiding the accomplishment of one's purpose. If Jim had bluntly expressed his opinion at the outset that this was a case of attempted imposition, the opinion would only have been taken for what it was worth, and the result might have been very different. The imperturbable way in which he led the learned counsel up to the climax, which, when reached, rendered further argument superfluous, was of the drollest. * * * * * The Lancashire man abroad does not lose his individuality. He is not great as a philosopher, and therefore has a wholesome contempt of foreigners. The world is not _his_ parish as it might be if peopled by his own kith and kin. This insular prejudice against the foreigner on the part of our working men is exemplified by a circumstance which occurred in my own experience.