FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 71 
some freen's ; wha should I see but the auld man, the 
skipper, ye ken, coming doon the road fou, and by wi' his 
weather e'e glowering frae under his bannet. Ma certie, 
an' I was skeered. The auld man was coming up ahint 
me, and stracht aheid there were twa gendarms steering 
richt athwart ma coorse, sae what to dae I didna ken. 
A daurdna gang ben the public-hoose, and daurdna meet 
the auld man. Weel, I jist had to gae stracht forrart, and 
brocht ma hand up to ma bannet, sodger-like, when the 
twa officeers gaed by. Thinks I, that will stooner ye, 
Mr. , but na, na, the auld man wasna to be daffed 
that gait, but up he comes astarn, aye keeking ower his 
shoutheras he gaed by; but I keepit ma heid i' the air, an 5 
ye ken I had they French whiskers, so it wasna jist sae 
easy for him to ken me. At last he slewed round and 
looks me stracht i' the face and says he, 1 Wullie Watson, 
is that you?' 'Voolzey voo, Mongsieur!' says L £ Mi no 
savez.' That's the French, ye ken, for . But 1 7 m no 
jist mindin' the richt translation the noo. Ony way, it gar'd 
the auld man look sae blate that it was maist a' I could 
dae no' to lauch outricht. Weel, awa' gaed the auld man, 
and I sees him gang intill the hottle where he aye bided 
when the Tay was in port, and, thinks I, I '11 no' be fashed 
wi' ye ony mair ; but wha should come oot twa meenits 
efter but Tarn Robson, oor first mate ! I didna see him, 
ye understand for I was trampin' doon the road tither gait 
whustling the 'Piper o J Dundee/ an' whiles havering to my- 
sel' aboot that fusionless carlin wha didna ken his ain man 
wha had sailed wi' him they twa years forbye, when, save 
us, I got a clout i' the braid o' my back that brocht me 
