by Walter Scott
CHAPTER TWELFTH.
Bagpipes, not lyres, the Highland hills adorn, MacLean's loud hollo, and MacGregor's horn. John Cooper's Reply to Allan Ramsay.
I stopped in the entrance of the stable, if indeed a place be entitled tothat name where horses were stowed away along with goats, poultry, pigs,and cows, under the same roof with the mansion-house; although, by adegree of refinement unknown to the rest of the hamlet, and which Iafterwards heard was imputed to an overpride on the part of JeanieMacAlpine, our landlady, the apartment was accommodated with an entrancedifferent from that used by her biped customers. By the light of mytorch, I deciphered the following billet, written on a wet, crumpled, anddirty piece of paper, and addressed--"For the honoured hands of Mr. F.O., a Saxon young gentleman--These." The contents were as follows:--
"Sir,
"There are night-hawks abroad, so that I cannot give you and my respectedkinsman, B. N. J., the meeting at the Clachan of Aberfoil, whilk was mypurpose. I pray you to avoid unnecessary communication with those you mayfind there, as it may give future trouble. The person who gives you thisis faithful and may be trusted, and will guide you to a place where, Godwilling, I may safely give you the meeting, when I trust my kinsman andyou will visit my poor house, where, in despite of my enemies, I canstill promise sic cheer as ane Hielandman may gie his friends, and wherewe will drink a solemn health to a certain D. V., and look to certainaffairs whilk I hope to be your aidance in; and I rest, as is wont amonggentlemen,
your servant to command,R. M. C."
I was a good deal mortified at the purport of this letter, which seemedto adjourn to a more distant place and date the service which I had hopedto receive from this man Campbell. Still, however, it was some comfort toknow that he continued to be in my interest, since without him I couldhave no hope of recovering my father's papers. I resolved, therefore, toobey his instructions; and, observing all caution before the guests, totake the first good opportunity I could find to procure from the landladydirections how I was to obtain a meeting with this mysterious person.
My next business was to seek out Andrew Fairservice, whom I calledseveral times by name, without receiving any answer, surveying the stableall round, at the same time, not without risk of setting the premises onfire, had not the quantity of wet litter and mud so greatlycounterbalanced two or three bunches of straw and hay. At length myrepeated cries of "Andrew Fairservice! Andrew! fool!--ass! where areyou?" produced a doleful "Here," in a groaning tone, which might havebeen that of the Brownie itself. Guided by this sound, I advanced to thecorner of a shed, where, ensconced in the angle of the wall, behind abarrel full of the feathers of all the fowls which had died in the causeof the public for a month past, I found the manful Andrew; and partly byforce, partly by command and exhortation, compelled him forth into theopen air. The first words he spoke were, "I am an honest lad, sir."
"Who the devil questions your honesty?" said I, "or what have we to dowith it at present? I desire you to come and attend us at supper."
"Yes," reiterated Andrew, without apparently understanding what I said tohim, "I am an honest lad, whatever the Bailie may say to the contrary. Igrant the warld and the warld's gear sits ower near my heart whiles, asit does to mony a ane--But I am an honest lad; and, though I spak o'leaving ye in the muir, yet God knows it was far frae my purpose, butjust like idle things folk says when they're driving a bargain, to get itas far to their ain side as they can--And I like your honour weel for saeyoung a lad, and I wadna part wi' ye lightly."
"What the deuce are you driving at now?" I replied. "Has not everythingbeen settled again and again to your satisfaction? And are you to talk ofleaving me every hour, without either rhyme or reason?"
"Ay,--but I was only making fashion before," replied Andrew; "but it'scome on me in sair earnest now--Lose or win, I daur gae nae farther wi'your honour; and if ye'll tak my foolish advice, ye'll bide by a brokentryste, rather than gang forward yoursell. I hae a sincere regard for ye,and I'm sure ye'll be a credit to your friends if ye live to saw out yourwild aits, and get some mair sense and steadiness--But I can follow yenae farther, even if ye suld founder and perish from the way for lack ofguidance and counsel. To gang into Rob Roy's country is a mere temptingo' Providence."
"Rob Roy?" said I, in some surprise; "I know no such person. What newtrick is this, Andrew?"
"It's hard," said Andrew--"very hard, that a man canna be believed whenhe speaks Heaven's truth, just because he's whiles owercome, and tellslees a little when there is necessary occasion. Ye needna ask whae RobRoy is, the reiving lifter that he is--God forgie me! I hope naebodyhears us--when ye hae a letter frae him in your pouch. I heard ane o' hisgillies bid that auld rudas jaud of a gudewife gie ye that. They thoughtI didna understand their gibberish; but, though I canna speak it muckle,I can gie a gude guess at what I hear them say--I never thought to haetauld ye that, but in a fright a' things come out that suld be keepit in.O, Maister Frank! a' your uncle's follies, and a' your cousin's pliskies,were naething to this! Drink clean cap out, like Sir Hildebrand; beginthe blessed morning with brandy sops, like Squire Percy; swagger, likeSquire Thorncliff; rin wud amang the lasses, like Squire John; gamble,like Richard; win souls to the Pope and the deevil, like Rashleigh; rive,rant, break the Sabbath, and do the Pope's bidding, like them a' putthegither--But, merciful Providence! take care o' your young bluid, andgang nae near Rob Roy!"
Andrew's alarm was too sincere to permit me to suppose he counterfeited.I contented myself, however, with telling him, that I meant to remain inthe alehouse that night, and desired to have the horses well lookedafter. As to the rest, I charged him to observe the strictest silenceupon the subject of his alarm, and he might rely upon it I would notincur any serious danger without due precaution. He followed me with adejected air into the house, observing between his teeth, "Man suld beserved afore beast--I haena had a morsel in my mouth, but the rough legso' that auld muircock, this haill blessed day."
The harmony of the company seemed to have suffered some interruptionsince my departure, for I found Mr. Galbraith and my friend the Bailiehigh in dispute.
"I'll hear nae sic language," said Mr. Jarvie, as I entered, "respectingthe Duke o' Argyle and the name o' Campbell. He's a worthypublic-spirited nobleman, and a credit to the country, and a friend andbenefactor to the trade o' Glasgow."
"I'll sae naething against MacCallum More and the Slioch-nan-Diarmid,"said the lesser Highlander, laughing. "I live on the wrang side ofGlencroe to quarrel with Inverara."
"Our loch ne'er saw the Cawmil lymphads,"* said the bigger Highlander.
* _Lymphads._ The galley which the family of Argyle and others of the *Clan Campbell carry in their arms.
"She'll speak her mind and fear naebody--She doesna value a Cawmil mairas a Cowan, and ye may tell MacCallum More that Allan Iverach said sae--It's a far cry to Lochow."*
* Lochow and the adjacent districts formed the original seat of the *Campbells. The expression of a "far cry to Lochow" was proverbial.
Mr. Galbraith, on whom the repeated pledges which he had quaffed hadproduced some influence, slapped his hand on the table with great force,and said, in a stern voice, "There's a bloody debt due by that family,and they will pay it one day--The banes of a loyal and a gallant Grahamehae lang rattled in their coffin for vengeance on thae Dukes of Guile andLords for Lorn. There ne'er was treason in Scotland but a Cawmil was atthe bottom o't; and now that the wrang side's uppermost, wha but theCawmils for keeping down the right? But this warld winna last lang, andit will be time to sharp the maiden* for shearing o' craigs andthrapples. I hope to see the auld rusty lass linking at a bluidy harstagain."
* A rude kind of guillotine formerly used in Scotland.
"For shame, Garschattachin!" exclaimed the Bailie; "fy for shame, sir!Wad ye say sic things before a magistrate, and bring yoursell intotrouble?--How d'ye think to mainteen your family and satisfy yourcreditors (mysell and others), if ye gang on in that wil
d way, whichcannot but bring you under the law, to the prejudice of a' that'sconnected wi' ye?"
"D--n my creditors!" retorted the gallant Galbraith, "and you if ye beane o' them! I say there will be a new warld sune--And we shall hae naeCawmils cocking their bonnet sae hie, and hounding their dogs where theydaurna come themsells, nor protecting thieves, nor murderers, andoppressors, to harry and spoil better men and mair loyal clans thanthemsells."
The Bailie had a great mind to have continued the dispute, when thesavoury vapour of the broiled venison, which our landlady now placedbefore us, proved so powerful a mediator, that he betook himself to histrencher with great eagerness, leaving the strangers to carry on thedispute among themselves.
"And tat's true," said the taller Highlander--whose name I found wasStewart--"for we suldna be plagued and worried here wi' meetings to pitdown Rob Roy, if the Cawmils didna gie him refutch. I was ane o' thirtyo' my ain name--part Glenfinlas, and part men that came down frae Appine.We shased the MacGregors as ye wad shase rae-deer, till we came intoGlenfalloch's country, and the Cawmils raise, and wadna let us pursue naefarder, and sae we lost our labour; but her wad gie twa and a plack to beas near Rob as she was tat day."
It seemed to happen very unfortunately, that in every topic of discoursewhich these warlike gentlemen introduced, my friend the Bailie found somematter of offence. "Ye'll forgie me speaking my mind, sir; but ye wadmaybe hae gien the best bowl in your bonnet to hae been as far awae fraeRob as ye are e'en now--Od! my het pleugh-culter wad hae been naething tohis claymore."
"She had better speak nae mair about her culter, or, by G--! her will garher eat her words, and twa handfuls o' cauld steel to drive them owerwi'!" And, with a most inauspicious and menacing look, the mountaineerlaid his hand on his dagger.
"We'll hae nae quarrelling, Allan," said his shorter companion; "and ifthe Glasgow gentleman has ony regard for Rob Roy, he'll maybe see him incauld irons the night, and playing tricks on a tow the morn; for thiscountry has been owre lang plagued wi' him, and his race is near-handrun--And it's time, Allan, we were ganging to our lads."
"Hout awa, Inverashalloch," said Galbraith;--"Mind the auld saw, man--It's a bauld moon, quoth Bennygask--another pint, quoth Lesley;--we'll nostart for another chappin."
"I hae had chappins eneugh," said Inverashalloch; "I'll drink my quart ofusquebaugh or brandy wi' ony honest fellow, but the deil a drap mair whenI hae wark to do in the morning. And, in my puir thinking,Garschattachin, ye had better be thinking to bring up your horsemen tothe Clachan before day, that we may ay start fair."
"What the deevil are ye in sic a hurry for?" said Garschattachin; "meatand mass never hindered wark. An it had been my directing, deil a bit o'me wad hae fashed ye to come down the glens to help us. The garrison andour ain horse could hae taen Rob Roy easily enough. There's the hand," hesaid, holding up his own, "should lay him on the green, and never ask aHielandman o' ye a' for his help."
"Ye might hae loot us bide still where we were, then," saidInverashalloch. "I didna come sixty miles without being sent for. But anye'll hae my opinion, I redd ye keep your mouth better steekit, if yehope to speed. Shored folk live lang, and sae may him ye ken o'. The wayto catch a bird is no to fling your bannet at her. And also thaegentlemen hae heard some things they suldna hae heard, an the brandyhadna been ower bauld for your brain, Major Galbraith. Ye needna cockyour hat and bully wi' me, man, for I will not bear it."
"I hae said it," said Galbraith, with a solemn air of drunken gravity,"that I will quarrel no more this night either with broadcloth or tartan.When I am off duty I'll quarrel with you or ony man in the Hielands orLowlands, but not on duty--no--no. I wish we heard o' these red-coats. Ifit had been to do onything against King James, we wad hae seen them langsyne--but when it's to keep the peace o' the country they can lie aslound as their neighbours."
As he spoke we heard the measured footsteps of a body of infantry on themarch; and an officer, followed by two or three files of soldiers,entered the apartment. He spoke in an English accent, which was verypleasant to my ears, now so long accustomed to the varying brogue of theHighland and Lowland Scotch.--"You are, I suppose, Major Galbraith, ofthe squadron of Lennox Militia, and these are the two Highland gentlemenwith whom I was appointed to meet in this place?"
They assented, and invited the officer to take some refreshments, whichhe declined.--"I have been too late, gentlemen, and am desirous to makeup time. I have orders to search for and arrest two persons guilty oftreasonable practices."
"We'll wash our hands o' that," said Inverashalloch. "I came here wi' mymen to fight against the red MacGregor that killed my cousin, seven timesremoved, Duncan MacLaren, in Invernenty;* but I will hae nothing to dotouching honest gentlemen that may be gaun through the country on theirain business."
* This, as appears from the introductory matter to this Tale, is ananachronism. The slaughter of MacLaren, a retainer of the chief ofAppine, by the MacGregors, did not take place till after Rob Roy's death,since it happened in 1736.
"Nor I neither," said Iverach.
Major Galbraith took up the matter more solemnly, and, premising hisoration with a hiccup, spoke to the following purpose:--
"I shall say nothing against King George, Captain, because, as ithappens, my commission may rin in his name--But one commission beinggood, sir, does not make another bad; and some think that James may bejust as good a name as George. There's the king that is--and there's theking that suld of right be--I say, an honest man may and suld be loyal tothem both, Captain. But I am of the Lord Lieutenant's opinion for thetime, as it becomes a militia officer and a depute-lieutenant--and abouttreason and all that, it's lost time to speak of it--least said is sunestmended."
"I am sorry to see how you have been employing your time, sir," repliedthe English officer--as indeed the honest gentleman's reasoning had astrong relish of the liquor he had been drinking--"and I could wish, sir,it had been otherwise on an occasion of this consequence. I wouldrecommend to you to try to sleep for an hour.--Do these gentlemen belongto your party?"--looking at the Bailie and me, who, engaged in eating oursupper, had paid little attention to the officer on his entrance.
"Travellers, sir," said Galbraith--"lawful travellers by sea and land, asthe prayer-book hath it."
"My instructions." said the Captain, taking a light to survey us closer,"are to place under arrest an elderly and a young person--and I thinkthese gentlemen answer nearly the description."
"Take care what you say, sir," said Mr. Jarvie; "it shall not be your redcoat nor your laced hat shall protect you, if you put any affront on me.I'se convene ye baith in an action of scandal and false imprisonment--Iam a free burgess and a magistrate o' Glasgow; Nicol Jarvie is my name,sae was my father's afore me--I am a bailie, be praised for the honour,and my father was a deacon."
"He was a prick-eared cur," said Major Galbraith, "and fought agane theKing at Bothwell Brigg."
"He paid what he ought and what he bought, Mr. Galbraith," said theBailie, "and was an honester man than ever stude on your shanks."
"I have no time to attend to all this," said the officer; "I mustpositively detain you, gentlemen, unless you can produce some respectablesecurity that you are loyal subjects."
"I desire to be carried before some civil magistrate," said theBailie--"the sherra or the judge of the bounds;--I am not obliged toanswer every red-coat that speers questions at me."
"Well, sir, I shall know how to manage you if you are silent--And you,sir" (to me), "what may your name be?"
"Francis Osbaldistone, sir."
"What, a son of Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone of Northumberland?"
"No, sir," interrupted the Bailie; "a son of the great WilliamOsbaldistone of the House of Osbaldistone and Tresham, Crane-Alley,London."
"I am afraid, sir," said the officer, "your name only increases thesuspicions against you, and lays me under the necessity of requestingthat you will give up what papers you have in charge."
I observed the Highlanders look
anxiously at each other when thisproposal was made.
"I had none," I replied, "to surrender."
The officer commanded me to be disarmed and searched. To have resistedwould have been madness. I accordingly gave up my arms, and submitted toa search, which was conducted as civilly as an operation of the kind wellcould. They found nothing except the note which I had received that nightthrough the hand of the landlady.
"This is different from what I expected," said the officer; "but itaffords us good grounds for detaining you. Here I find you in writtencommunication with the outlawed robber, Robert MacGregor Campbell, whohas been so long the plague of this district--How do you account forthat?"
"Spies of Rob!" said Inverashalloch. "We wad serve them right to strapthem up till the neist tree."
"We are gaun to see after some gear o' our ain, gentlemen," said theBailie, "that's fa'en into his hands by accident--there's nae law agane aman looking after his ain, I hope?"
"How did you come by this letter?" said the officer, addressing himselfto me.
I could not think of betraying the poor woman who had given it to me, andremained silent.
"Do you know anything of it, fellow?" said the officer, looking atAndrew, whose jaws were chattering like a pair of castanets at thethreats thrown out by the Highlander.
"O ay, I ken a' about it--it was a Hieland loon gied the letter to thatlang-tongued jaud the gudewife there; I'll be sworn my maister ken'dnaething about it. But he's wilfu' to gang up the hills and speak wi'Rob; and oh, sir, it wad be a charity just to send a wheen o' yourred-coats to see him safe back to Glasgow again whether he will orno--And ye can keep Mr. Jarvie as lang as ye like--He's responsibleenough for ony fine ye may lay on him--and so's my master for thatmatter; for me, I'm just a puir gardener lad, and no worth yoursteering."
"I believe," said the officer, "the best thing I can do is to send thesepersons to the garrison under an escort. They seem to be in immediatecorrespondence with the enemy, and I shall be in no respect answerablefor suffering them to be at liberty. Gentlemen, you will consideryourselves as my prisoners. So soon as dawn approaches, I will send youto a place of security. If you be the persons you describe yourselves, itwill soon appear, and you will sustain no great inconvenience from beingdetained a day or two. I can hear no remonstrances," he continued,turning away from the Bailie, whose mouth was open to address him; "theservice I am on gives me no time for idle discussions."
"Aweel, aweel, sir," said the Bailie, "you're welcome to a tune on yourain fiddle; but see if I dinna gar ye dance till't afore a's dune."
An anxious consultation now took place between the officer and theHighlanders, but carried on in so low a tone, that it was impossible tocatch the sense. So soon as it was concluded they all left the house. Attheir departure, the Bailie thus expressed himself:--"Thae Hielandmen areo' the westland clans, and just as light-handed as their neighbours, ana' tales be true, and yet ye see they hae brought them frae the head o'Argyleshire to make war wi' puir Rob for some auld ill-will that they haeat him and his sirname. And there's the Grahames, and the Buchanans, andthe Lennox gentry, a' mounted and in order--It's weel ken'd theirquarrel; and I dinna blame them--naebody likes to lose his kye. And thenthere's sodgers, puir things, hoyed out frae the garrison at a' body'sbidding--Puir Rob will hae his hands fu' by the time the sun comes owerthe hill. Weel--it's wrang for a magistrate to be wishing onything aganethe course o' justice, but deil o' me an I wad break my heart to hearthat Rob had gien them a' their paiks!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
