"The best fichter," said Willy, "wes callit the King; the second best,
the Queen; the third, the Knave. Them as wouldna' ficht we callit
'fougie.' Eh, what a day that wes!"

But it must not be thought that the duties of the schoolmaster were
confined to his school. He was a personage in the community when he
had assumed his position as pedagogue. Since he was instructor of
youth, he was regarded as capable of assisting the literary pursuits of
their parents and elders.

"We callit the schoolmaster 'Dominie Dick,'" explained Willy. "He wes
a big mon i' the distric', ye ken, sir! He'd oft write letters for the
fowk roond aboot!"

I gathered from the same authority that the "Dominie," for the time
being, was also the reliable reader of the public newspaper. When the
weekly paper had arrived, all the men who were interested in what the
world was doing would gather at some specified house to listen to the
schoolmaster as he read aloud choice extracts. In his absence the best
reader of the party was requested to undertake the duty.

"My faither," said Willy, "wes aye conseedered the best aifter the
schulemaister. If he miscallit a word the dictionar' wes allas
consultit; it wes on the table ready."

This recollection called up another in commendation of his father's
reading powers.

"The maister o' the Strathdalgie Schule wes a Protestant, ye ken, but