"Well," said Waldron, "we will do that. But what shall we buy?"

"Whatever you please," said Mr. George. "Walk along through the street,
and look in at the shop windows, and whenever you see any thing that you
think we shall like, buy it."

"Well," said Rollo, "we will. But how much shall we spend?"

"As much as you think it best," said Mr. George. "I leave every thing to
you. You see, our dinner at the hotel would not be less than seven
shillings, and that we shall save; so that if you don't spend more than
seven shillings you will be safe."

The boys were sure that they could procure very abundant supplies for
less money than that; and they very readily undertook the commission.
They accordingly left Mr. George at a seat near one of the walks on the
side of Castle Hill, where, as he said, he could look right down on the
famous field of Bannockburn, and they then began to run down the walk,
on the way towards the hotel.

They first went to the hotel to get a knapsack. They told the waiter
there that they should not be at home to dinner. They then walked along
the street, looking out for eatables. They soon found various shop
windows where such things were displayed, and in the course of a quarter
of an hour they had laid in an abundant supply. They bought some small,
flat cakes of bread at one place, and a veal and ham pie at another, and
two oranges apiece at another, and a bottle of milk at another, and
finally, for dessert, they got a pound of raisins and almonds mixed
together, which they chanced to see in a fruiterer's window. The cost of
the whole, the boys found, when they came to foot up the account, was
only two shillings and fourpence.

With these supplies the boys went up the hill again; not through the
street, but by the walk under the trees, outside the town wall. They
found Mr. George in the seat where they had left him. He had just
finished his writing. He was very much pleased with the purchases that
the boys had made, and they all sat down together on the stone seat, and
ate their dinner with excellent appetites.[F]

[F] See Frontispiece.

While they were eating the raisins and almonds Mr. George pointed down
to a beautiful field, yellow with buttercups, and said,--

"There, boys, do you see that field?"

The boys said they did.

"It is the field of Bannockburn. Look at it, and remember it well. When
you are five years older, and read the history of Scotland, you will
take great pleasure