“What did you do with yourself?” I asked.

“Faith,” said he, “the best I could!  Whiles I played at the knucklebones.  I’m an extraordinar good hand at the knucklebones, but it’s a poor piece of business playing with naebody to admire ye.  And whiles I would make songs.”

“What were they about?” says I.

“O, about the deer and the heather,” says he, “and about the ancient old chiefs that are all by with it long syne, and just about what songs are about in general.  And then whiles I would make believe I had a set of pipes and I was playing.  I played some grand springs, and I thought I played them awful bonny; I vow whiles that I could hear the squeal of them!  But the great affair is that it’s done with.”

With that he carried me again to my adventures, which he heard all over again with more particularity, and extraordinary approval, swearing at intervals that I was “a queer character of a callant.”

“So ye were frich’ened of Sym Fraser?” he asked once.

“In troth was I!” cried I.

“So would I have been, Davie,” said he.  “And that is indeed a dreidful man.  But it is only proper to give the de’il his due; and I can tell you he is a most respectable person on the field of war.”

“Is he so brave?” I asked.

“Brave!” said he.  “He is as brave as my steel sword.”

The story of my duel set him beside himself.

“To think of that!” he cried.  “I showed ye the trick in Corrynakiegh too.  And three times—­three times disarmed!  It’s a disgrace upon my character that learned ye!  Here, stand up, out with your airn; ye shall walk no step beyond this place upon the road till ye can do yoursel’ and me mair credit.”

“Alan,” said I, “this is midsummer madness.  Here is no time for fencing lessons.”

“I cannae well say no to that,” he admitted.  “But three times, man!  And you standing there like a straw bogle and rinning to fetch your ain sword like a doggie with a pocket-napkin!  David, this man Duncansby must be something altogether by-ordinar!  He maun be extraordinar skilly.  If I had the time, I would gang straight back and try a turn at him mysel’.  The man must be a provost.”

“You silly fellow,” said I, “you forget it was just me.”

“Na,” said he, “but three times!”

“When ye ken yourself that I am fair incompetent,” I cried.

“Well, I never heard tell the equal of it,” said he.

“I promise you the one thing, Alan,” said I.  “The next time that we forgather, I’ll be better learned.  You shall not continue to bear the disgrace of a friend that cannot strike.”

“Ay, the next time!” says he.  “And when will that be, I would like to ken?”

“Well, Alan, I have had some thoughts of that, too,” said I; “and my plan is this.  It’s my opinion to be called an advocate.”

“That’s but a weary trade, Davie,” says Alan, “and rather a blagyard one forby.  Ye would be better in a king’s coat than that.”