Introduction 



THE kindly reception given a little 

 book of sketches published two years 

 ago under the title "The Road to Dumbie- 

 dykes" must be my only apology for com- 

 plying with various requests from perhaps 

 over-partial friends to prepare a companion 

 volume in similar vein. The first was sent 

 forth with more or less trepidation because 

 such work is entirely at variance with the 

 weightier matters that have for so many 

 years occupied my close attention, and I am 

 equally in doubt as to whether or not the 

 publishers are justified in permitting "The 

 Black Swans " to see the light. 



Needless to say both are merely "by- 

 products" of idle hours; of days spent 

 primarily in quest of rest and relaxation; 

 just rambling thoughts jotted down from 

 time to time with no particular regard to 

 orderly sequence, and with slight expecta- 

 tion that they will be taken very seriously. 

 Their preparation is of course merely a 

 casual manifestation of an ever ready re- 

 sponse to the lure of the out-of-doors. 

 _ The Author 



DUMBIEDYKES, 



October 15, 1918 



