n," he said.

"Go on, Dauvit," I said encouragingly, "tell us the story." I had
heard it before, but I longed to hear it again. Dauvit brightened up.

"There's no muckle to tell," he said, as he tossed the boot into a
corner and wiped his face with his apron. "It'll be ten years come
Martimas. Me and Will Tamson gaed up by boat frae Dundee. Oh! we had
a graund time. But there's no muckle to tell."

"What about Dave Brownlee?" I asked.

Dauvit chuckled softly.

"But ye've a' heard the story," he said, but we protested that we
hadn't.

"Aweel," he began, "some of you will no doubt mind o' Dave Broonlee him
that stoppit at Millend. Dave served his time as a draper, and syne he
got a good job in a Lunnon shop. Weel, me and Will Tamson was walkin'
along the Strand when Will he says to me, says he: 'Cud we no pay a
veesit to Dave Broonlee?' Then I minded that Dave's father had said
something aboot payin' him a call, but I didna ken his address. All I
kent was that he was in a big shop in Oxford Street.

"Weel, Will and me we goes up to a bobby and speers the way to Oxford
Street. When we got there Will he goes up to another bobby and says:
'Please cud ye tell me whatna shop Dave Broonlee works intil?' At that
I started to laugh, and syne the bobby he started to laugh. He laughed
a lang time and syne when I telt him that it was a draper's shop he
directed us to a great big muckle shop wi' a thousand windows.

"'Try there first,' says the bobby.

"Weel, in we goes, and a mannie in a tail coat he comes forart rubbin'
his hands.

"'And what can I do for you, sir?' he says to Will.

"'Oh,' says Will, 'we want to see Dave Broonlee,' but the man didna ken
what Will was sayin'. It took Will and me twenty meenutes to get him
to onderstand.

"'Oh,' says he, 'I understand now. You want to see Mr. Brownlee?'

"'Ye're fell quick in the uptak,' says Will, but of coorse the man
didna ken what he was sayin'.

"He went to the backshop to speer aboot Dave, and when he cam back he
says, says he: 'I'm sorry, but Mr. Brownlee has gone out to lunch.
Will you leave a message?'

"Will turned to the door.

"'Never mind,' says he, 'we'll see him doon the toon.'"

* * * * *

In reading my _Log_ I am appalled by the amount of lecturing I did in
school. Since writing it I have visited most of the best schools in
England, and I found that I was not the only teacher who lectured. But
we are