Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XXXIX

  THE JOURNEY IS CONTINUED

  Before Waverley awakened from his repose, the day was far advanced, andhe began to feel that he had passed many hours without food. This wassoon supplied in form of a copious breakfast, but Colonel Stewart, asif wishing to avoid the queries of his guest, did not again presenthimself. His compliments were, however, delivered by a servant, with anoffer to provide anything in his power that could be useful to CaptainWaverley on his journey, which he intimated would be continued thatevening. To Waverley's further inquiries, the servant opposed theimpenetrable barrier of real or affected ignorance and stupidity. Heremoved the table and provisions, and Waverley was again consigned tohis own meditations.

  As he contemplated the strangeness of his fortune, which seemed todelight in placing him at the disposal of others, without the powerof directing his own motions, Edward's eye suddenly rested upon hisportmanteau, which had been deposited in his apartment during hissleep. The mysterious appearance of Alice, in the cottage of the glen,immediately rushed upon his mind, and he was about to secure and examinethe packet which she had deposited among his clothes, when theservant of Colonel Stewart again made his appearance, and took up theportmanteau upon his shoulders.

  'May I not take out a change of linen, my friend?'

  'Your honour sall get ane o' the Colonel's ain ruffled sarks, but thismaun gang in the baggage-cart.'

  And so saying, he very coolly carried off the portmanteau, withoutwaiting further remonstrance, leaving our hero in a state wheredisappointment and indignation struggled for the mastery. In a fewminutes he heard a cart rumble out of the rugged courtyard, and madeno doubt that he was now dispossessed, for a space at least, if not forever, of the only documents which seemed to promise some light uponthe dubious events which had of late influenced his destiny. Withsuch melancholy thoughts he had to beguile about four or five hours ofsolitude.

  When this space was elapsed, the trampling of horse was heard in thecourtyard, and Colonel Stewart soon after made his appearance to requesthis guest to take some further refreshment before his departure. Theoffer was accepted, for a late breakfast had by no means left ourhero incapable of doing honour to dinner, which was now presented. Theconversation of his host was that of a plain country gentleman, mixedwith some soldier-like sentiments and expressions. He cautiously avoidedany reference to the military operations or civil politics of the time:and to Waverley's direct inquiries concerning some of these points,replied, that he was not at liberty to speak upon such topics.

  When dinner was finished, the governor arose, and, wishing Edward a goodjourney, said, that having been informed by Waverley's servant that hisbaggage had been sent forward, he had taken the freedom to supply himwith such changes of linen as he might find necessary, till he was againpossessed of his own. With this compliment he disappeared. A servantacquainted Waverley an instant afterwards, that his horse was ready.

  Upon this hint he descended into the courtyard, and found a trooperholding a saddled horse, on which he mounted, and sallied from theportal of Doune Castle, attended by about a score of armed men onhorseback. These had less the appearance of regular soldiers than ofindividuals who had suddenly assumed arms from some pressing motive ofunexpected emergency. Their uniform, which was blue and red, an affectedimitation of that of French chasseurs, was in many respects incomplete,and sat awkwardly upon those who wore it. Waverley's eye, accustomedto look at a well-disciplined regiment, could easily discover that themotions and habits of his escort were not those of trained soldiers, andthat, although expert enough in the management of their horses, theirskill was that of huntsmen or grooms, rather than of troopers. Thehorses were not trained to the regular pace so necessary to executesimultaneous and combined movements and formations; nor did they seemBITTED (as it is technically expressed) for the use of the sword.The men, however, were stout, hardy-looking fellows, and might beindividually formidable as irregular cavalry. The commander of thissmall party was mounted upon an excellent hunter, and although dressedin uniform, his change of apparel did not prevent Waverley fromrecognizing his old acquaintance, Mr. Falconer of Balmawhapple.

  Now, although the terms upon which Edward had parted with thisgentleman were none of the most friendly, he would have sacrificed everyrecollection of their foolish quarrel for the pleasure of enjoying oncemore the social intercourse of question and answer, from which he hadbeen so long secluded. But apparently the remembrance of his defeat bythe Baron of Bradwardine, of which Edward had been the unwilling cause,still rankled in the mind of the low-bred, and yet proud laird. Hecarefully avoided giving the least sign of recognition, riding doggedlyat the head of his men, who, though scarce equal in numbers to asergeant's party, were denominated Captain Falconer's troop, beingpreceded by a trumpet, which sounded from time to time, and a standard,borne by Cornet Falconer, the laird's young brother. The lieutenant, anelderly man, had much the air of a low sportsman and boon companion; anexpression of dry humour predominated in his countenance over featuresof a vulgar cast, which indicated habitual intemperance. His cocked hatwas set knowingly upon one side of his head, and while he whistled the'Bob of Dumblain,' under the influence of half a mutchkin of brandy, heseemed to fret merrily forward, with a happy indifference to the stateof the country, the conduct of the party, the end of the journey, andall other sublunary matters whatever.

  From this wight, who now and then dropped alongside of his horse,Waverley hoped to acquire some information, or at least to beguile theway with talk.

  'A fine evening, sir,' was Edward's salutation.

  'Ow, aye, sir! a bra' night,' replied the lieutenant, in broad Scotch ofthe most vulgar description.

  'And a fine harvest, apparently,' continued Waverley, following up hisfirst attack.

  'Aye, the aits will be got bravely in: but the farmers, deil burst them,and the corn-mongers will make the auld price gude against them as hashorses till keep.'

  'You perhaps act as quarter-master, sir?'

  'Aye, quarter-master, riding-master, and lieutenant,' answered thisofficer of all work. 'And, to be sure, wha's fitter to look after thebreaking and the keeping of the poor beasts than mysell, that bought andsold every ane o' them?'

  'And pray, sir, if it be not too great a freedom, may I beg to knowwhere we are going just now?'

  'A fule's errand, I fear,' answered this communicative personage.

  'In that case,' said Waverley, determined not to spare civility, 'Ishould have thought a person of your appearance would not have beenfound on the road.'

  'Vera true, vera true, sir,' replied the officer, 'but every why has itswherefore. Ye maun ken, the laird there bought a' thir beasts frae'me to munt his troop, and agreed to pay for them according to thenecessities and prices of the time. But then he hadna the ready penny,and I hae been advised his bond will not be worth a boddle against theestate, and then I had a' my dealers to settle wi' at Martinmas; and soas he very kindly offered me this commission, and as the auld Fifteen[The Judges of the Supreme Court of Session in Scotland are proverbiallytermed, among the country people, The Fifteen.] wad never help me to mysiller for sending out naigs against the Government, why, conscience!sir, I thought my best chance for payment was e'en to GAE OUT mysell;and ye may judge, sir, as I hae dealt a' my life in halters, I think namickle o' putting my craig in peril of a St. Johnstone's tippet.' [TO GOOUT, or TO HAVE BEEN OUT, in Scotland, was a conventional phrase similarto that of the Irish respecting a man having been UP, both havingreference to an individual who had been engaged in insurrection. It wasaccounted ill-breeding in Scotland, about forty years since, to use thephrase rebellion or rebel, which might be interpreted by some of theparties present as a personal insult. It was also esteemed more politeeven for stanch Whigs to denominate Charles Edward the Chevalier,than to speak of him as the Pretender; and this kind of accommodatingcourtesy was usually observed in society where individuals of each partymixed on friendly terms.]

  'You are not, then, by profession a sold
ier?' said Waverley.

  'Na, na; thank God,' answered this doughty partisan, 'I wasna bred atsae short a tether; I was brought up to hack and manger. I was bred ahorse-couper, sir; and if I might live to see you at Whitson-tryst, orat Stagshawbank, or the winter fair at Hawick, and ye wanted a spankerthat would lead the field, I'se be caution I would serve ye easy; forJamie Jinker was ne'er the lad to impose upon a gentleman. Ye'rea gentleman, sir, and should ken a horse's points; ye see thatthrough-ganging thing that Balmawhapple's on; I selled her till him.She was bred out of Lick-the-Ladle, that wan the king's plate atCaverton-Edge, by Duke Hamilton's White-foot,' &c. &c. &c.

  But as Jinker was entered full sail upon the pedigree of Balmawhapple'smare, having already got as far as great-grandsire and great-grand-dam,and while Waverley was watching for an opportunity to obtain from himintelligence of more interest, the noble captain checked his horse untilthey came up, and then, without directly appearing to notice Edward,said sternly to the genealogist, 'I thought, lieutenant', my orders werepreceese, that no one should speak to the prisoner?'

  The metamorphosed horse-dealer was silenced of course, and slunk to therear, where he consoled himself by entering into a vehement dispute uponthe price of hay with a farmer, who had reluctantly followed his lairdto the field, rather than give up his farm, whereof the lease hadjust expired. Waverley was therefore once more consigned to silence,foreseeing that further attempts at conversation with any of the partywould only give Balmawhapple a wished-for opportunity to display theinsolence of authority, and the sulky spite of a temper naturallydogged, and rendered more so by habits of low indulgence and the incenseof servile adulation.

  In about two hours' time, the party were near the Castle of Stirling,over whose battlements the union flag was brightened as it waved in theevening sun. To shorten his journey or perhaps to display his importanceand insult the English garrison, Balmawhapple, inclining to the right,took his route through the royal park, which reaches to and surroundsthe rock upon which the fortress is situated.

  With a mind more at ease, Waverley could not have failed to admirethe mixture of romance and beauty which renders interesting the scenethrough which he was now passing--the field which had been the sceneof the tournaments of old--the rock from which the ladies beheldthe contest, while each made vows for the success of some favouriteknight--the towers of the Gothic church, where these vows might bepaid--and, surmounting all, the fortress itself, at once a castle andpalace, where valour received the prize from royalty, and knights anddames closed the evening amid the revelry of the dance, the song,and the feast. All these were objects fitted to arouse and interest aromantic imagination.

  But Waverley had other objects of meditation, and an incident soonoccurred of a nature to disturb meditation of any kind. Balmawhapple, inthe pride of his heart, as he wheeled his little body of cavalry roundthe base of the castle, commanded his trumpet to sound a flourish,and his standard to be displayed. This insult produced apparentlysome sensation; for when the cavalcade was at such a distance from thesouthern battery as to admit of a gun being depressed so as to bear uponthem, a flash of fire issued from one of the embrasures upon the rock;and ere the report with which it was attended could be heard, therushing sound of a cannon-ball passed over Balmawhapple's head, and thebullet, burying itself in the ground at a few yards' distance, coveredhim with the earth which it drove up. There was no need to bid the partytrudge. In fact, every man, acting upon the impulse of the moment, soonbrought Mr. Jinker's steeds to show their mettle, and the cavaliers,retreating with more speed than regularity, never took to a trot, asthe lieutenant afterwards observed, until an intervening eminence hadsecured them from any repetition of so undesirable a compliment on thepart of Stirling Castle. I must do Balmawhapple, however, the justiceto say, that he not only kept the rear of his troop, and laboured tomaintain some order among them, but, in the height of his gallantry,answered the fire of the castle by discharging one of his horse-pistolsat the battlements; although, the distance being nearly half a mile, Icould never learn that this measure of retaliation was attended with anyparticular effect.

  The travellers now passed the memorable field of Bannockburn, andreached the Torwood,--a place glorious or terrible to the recollectionsof the Scottish peasant, as the feats of Wallace, or the cruelties ofWude Willie Grime, predominate in his recollection. At Falkirk, a townformerly famous in Scottish history, and soon to be again distinguishedas the scene of military events of importance, Balmawhapple proposedto halt and repose for the evening. This was performed with very littleregard to military discipline, his worthy quarter-master being chieflysolicitous to discover where the best brandy might be come at. Sentinelswere deemed unnecessary, and the only vigils performed were those ofsuch of the party as could procure liquor. A few resolute men mighteasily have cut off the detachment; but of the inhabitants somewere favourable, many indifferent, and the rest overawed. So nothingmemorable occurred in the course of the evening, except that Waverley'srest was sorely interrupted by the revellers hallooing forth theirJacobite songs, without remorse or mitigation of voice.

  Early in the morning they were again mounted, and on the road toEdinburgh, though the pallid visages of some of the troop betrayedthat they had spent a night of sleepless debauchery. They halted atLinlithgow, distinguished by its ancient palace, which, Sixty Yearssince, was entire and habitable, and whose venerable ruins, not quiteSixty Years since, very narrowly escaped the unworthy fate of beingconverted into a barrack for French prisoners. May repose and blessingsattend the ashes of the patriotic statesman, who, amongst his lastservices to Scotland, interposed to prevent this profanation!

  As they approached the metropolis of Scotland, through a champaign andcultivated country, the sounds of war began to be heard. The distant,yet distinct report of heavy cannon, fired at intervals, apprizedWaverley that the work of destruction was going forward. EvenBalmawhapple seemed moved to take some precautions, by sending anadvanced party in front of his troop, keeping the main body in tolerableorder, and moving steadily forward.

  Marching in this manner they speedily reached an eminence, from whichthey could view Edinburgh stretching along the ridgy hill which slopeseastward from the Castle. The latter, being in a state of siege, orrather of blockade, by the northern insurgents, who had already occupiedthe town for two or three days, fired at intervals upon such partiesof Highlanders as exposed themselves, either on the main street, orelsewhere in the vicinity of the fortress. The morning being calm andfair, the effect of this dropping fire was to invest the Castle inwreaths of smoke, the edges of which dissipated slowly in the air, whilethe central veil was darkened ever and anon by fresh clouds poured forthfrom the battlements; the whole giving, by the partial concealment, anappearance of grandeur and gloom, rendered more terrific when Waverleyreflected on the cause by which it was produced, and that each explosionmight ring some brave man's knell.

  Ere they approached the city, the partial cannonade had wholly ceased.Balmawhapple, however, having in his recollection the unfriendlygreeting which his troop had received from the battery of Stirling,had apparently no wish to tempt the forbearance of the artillery of theCastle. He therefore left the direct road, and sweeping considerably tothe southward, so as to keep out of the range of the cannon, approachedthe ancient palace of Holyrood, without having entered the walls ofthe city. He then drew up his men in front of that venerable pile,and delivered Waverley to the custody of a guard of Highlanders, whoseofficer conducted him into the interior of the building.

  A long, low, and ill-proportioned gallery, hung with pictures, affirmedto be the portraits of kings, who, if they ever flourished at all, livedseveral hundred years before the invention of painting in oil colours,served as a sort of guard-chamber, or vestibule, to the apartmentswhich the adventurous Charles Edward now occupied in the palace of hisancestors. Officers, both in the Highland and Lowland garb, passed andrepassed in haste, or loitered in the hall, as if waiting for orders.Secretaries were engaged in making out pa
sses, musters, and returns.All seemed busy, and earnestly intent upon something of importance;but Waverley was suffered to remain seated in the recess of a window,unnoticed by any one, in anxious reflection upon the crisis of his fate,which seemed now rapidly approaching.