And just because he'd no een for them, the wee lassies were ready to come, would he but lift his finger! Is it no always the way?
There'd be a dozen decent, hard working miners who could no get a lassie to look their way, try as they micht--men who wanted nothing better than to settle doon in a wee hoose somewhere, and stay at home with the wife, and, a bit later, with the bairns.
Ye'd never be seein' Andy on a Saturday afternoon along the ropes, watchin' a football game.

Or, if ye did, there'd be a sneer curling his lips.

He was a braw looking lad, was Andy, but that sneer came too easily.
"Where did they learn the game" he'd say, turning up his nose.

"If they'd gie me a crack I'd show them----" And, sure enough, if anyone got up a game, Andy'd be the first to take off his coat.

And he was a good player, but no sae good as he thought himself.