``We'll wash our hands o' that,'' said Inverashalloch. ``I came here wi' my men to fight against the red MacGregor that killed my cousin, seven times removed, Duncan MacLaren, in Invernenty;* but I will hae nothing to do touching honest
* This, as appears from the introductory matter to this Tale, is an anachronism. * The slaughter of MacLaren, a retainer of the chief of Appine, * by the MacGregors, did not take place till after Rob Roy's death, since it * happened in 1736.
gentlemen that may be gaun through the country on their ain business.''
``Nor I neither,'' said Iverach.
Major Galbraith took up the matter more solemnly, and, premising his oration with a hiccup, spoke to the following purpose:---
``I shall say nothing against King George, Captain, because, as it happens, my commission may rin in his name---But one commission being good, sir, does not make another bad; and some think that James may be just as good a name as George. There's the king that is---and there's the king that suld of right be---I say, an honest man may and suld be loyal to them both, Captain. But I am of the Lord Lieutenant's opinion for the time, as it becomes a militia officer and a depute-lieutenant ---and about treason and all that, it's lost time to speak of it--- least said is sunest mended.''
``I am sorry to see how you have been employing your time, sir,'' replied the English officer---as indeed the honest gentleman's reasoning had a strong relish of the liquor he had been drinking---``and I could wish, sir, it had been otherwise on an occasion of this consequence. I would recommend to you to try to sleep for an hour.---Do these gentlemen belong to your party?'' ---looking at the Bailie and me, who, engaged in eating our supper, had paid little attention to the officer on his entrance.
``Travellers, sir,'' said Galbraith---``lawful travellers by sea and land, as the 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 think these gentlemen answer nearly the description.''
``Take care what you say, sir,'' said Mr. Jarvie; ``it shall not be your red coat 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---I am 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 the King at Bothwell Brigg.''
``He paid what he ought and what he bought, Mr. Galbraith,'' said the Bailie, ``and was an honester man than ever stude on your shanks.''
``I have no time to attend to all this,'' said the officer; ``I must positively detain you, gentlemen, unless you can produce some respectable security that you are loyal subjects.''
``I desire to be carried before some civil magistrate,'' said the Bailie---``the sherra or the judge of the bounds;---I am not obliged to answer 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 William Osbaldistone of the House of Osbaldistone and Tresham, Crane-Alley, London.''
``I am afraid, sir,'' said the officer, ``your name only increases the suspicions against you, and lays me under the necessity of requesting that you will give up what papers you have in charge.''
I observed the Highlanders look anxiously at each other when this proposal was made.
``I had none,'' I replied, ``to surrender.''
The officer commanded me to be disarmed and searched. To have resisted would have been madness. I accordingly gave up my arms, and submitted to a search, which was conducted as civilly as an operation of the kind well could. They found nothing except the note which I had received that night through the hand of the landlady.
``This is different from what I expected,'' said the officer; ``but it affords us good grounds for detaining you. Here I find you in written communication with the outlawed robber, Robert MacGregor Campbell, who has been so long the plague of this district---How do you account for that?''
``Spies of Rob!'' said Inverashalloch. ``We wad serve them right to strap them up till the neist tree.''
``We are gaun to see after some gear o' our ain, gentlemen,'' said the Bailie, ``that's fa'en into his hands by accident---there's nae law agane a man looking after his ain, I hope?''
``How did you come by this letter?'' said the officer, addressing himself to me.
I could not think of betraying the poor woman who had given it to me, and remained silent.
``Do you know anything of it, fellow?'' said the officer, looking at Andrew, whose jaws were chattering like a pair of castanets at the threats thrown out by the Highlander.
``O ay, I ken a' about it---it was a Hieland loon gied the letter to that lang-tongued jaud the gudewife there; I'll be sworn my maister ken'd naething 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' your red-coats to see him safe back to Glasgow again whether he will or no---And ye can keep Mr. Jarvie as lang as ye like---He's responsible enough for ony fine ye may lay on him---and so's my master for that matter; for me, I'm just a puir gardener lad, and no worth your steering.''
``I believe,'' said the officer, ``the best thing I can do is to send these persons to the garrison under an escort. They seem to be in immediate correspondence with the enemy, and I shall be in no respect answerable for suffering them to be at liberty. Gentlemen, you will consider yourselves as my prisoners. So soon as dawn approaches, I will send you to a place of security. If you be the persons you describe yourselves, it will soon appear, and you will sustain no great inconvenience from being detained a day or two. I can hear no remonstrances,'' he continued, turning away from the Bailie, whose mouth was open to address him; ``the service I am on gives me no time for idle discussions.''
``Aweel, aweel, sir,'' said the Bailie, ``you're welcome to a tune on your ain 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 the Highlanders, but carried on in so low a tone, that it was impossible to catch the sense. So soon as it was concluded they all left the house. At their departure, the Bailie thus expressed himself:---``Thae Hielandmen are o' the westland clans, and just as light-handed as their neighbours, an a' 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 hae at him and his sirname. And there's the Grahames, and the Buchanans, and the Lennox gentry, a' mounted and in order---It's weel ken'd their quarrel; and I dinna blame them---naebody likes to lose his kye. And then there's sodgers, puir things, hoyed out frae the garrison at a' body's bidding---Puir Rob will hae his hands fu' by the time the sun comes ower the hill. Weel---it's wrang for a magistrate to be wishing onything agane the course o' justice, but deil o' me an I wad break my heart to hear that Rob had gien them a' their paiks!''
CHAPTER THIRTIETH.
------ General, Hear me, and mark me well, and look upon me Directly in my face---my woman's face--- See if one fear, one shadow of a terror, One paleness dare appear, but from my anger, To lay hold on your mercies. Bonduca.
We were permitted to slumber out the remainder of the night in the best manner that the miserable accommodations of the alehouse permitted. The Bailie, fatigued with his journey and the subsequent scenes---less interested also in the event of our arrest, which to him could only be a matter of temporary inconvenience--- perhaps less nice than habit had rendered me about the cleanliness or decency of his couch,---tumbled himself into one of the cribs which I have already described, and soon was heard to snore soundly. A broken sleep, snatched by intervals, while I rested my head up
on the table, was my only refreshment. In the course of the night I had occasion to observe that there seemed to be some doubt and hesitation in the motions of the soldiery. Men were sent out, as if to obtain intelligence, and returned apparently without bringing any satisfactory information to their commanding officer. He was obviously eager and anxious, and again despatched small parties of two or three men, some of whom, as I could understand from what the others whispered to each other, did not return again to the Clachan.
The morning had broken, when a corporal and two men rushed into the hut, dragging after them, in a sort of triumph, a Highlander, whom I immediately recognised as my acquaintance the ex-turnkey. The Bailie, who started up at the noise with which they entered, immediately made the same discovery, and exclaimed---``Mercy on us! they hae grippit the puir creature Dougal.---Captain, I will put in bail---sufficient bail, for that Dougal creature.''
To this offer, dictated undoubtedly by a grateful recollection of the late interference of the Highlander in his behalf, the Captain only answered by requesting Mr. Jarvie to ``mind his own affairs, and remember that he was himself for the present a prisoner.''
``I take you to witness, Mr. Osbaldistone,'' said the Bailie, who was probably better acquainted with the process in civil than in military cases, ``that he has refused sufficient bail. It's my opinion that the creature Dougal will have a good action of wrongous imprisonment and damages agane him, under the Act seventeen hundred and one, and I'll see the creature righted.''
The officer, whose name I understood was Thornton, paying no attention to the Bailie's threats or expostulations, instituted a very close inquiry into Dougal's life and conversation, and compelled him to admit, though with apparent reluctance, the successive facts,---that he knew Rob Roy MacGregor---that he had seen him within these twelve months---within these six months---within this month---within this week; in fine, that he had parted from him only an hour ago. All this detail came like drops of blood from the prisoner, and was, to all appearance, only extorted by the threat of a halter and the next tree, which Captain Thornton assured him should be his doom, if he did not give direct and special information.
``And now, my friend,'' said the officer, ``you will please inform me how many men your master has with him at present.''
Dougal looked in every direction except at the querist, and began to answer, ``She canna just be sure about that.''
``Look at me, you Highland dog,'' said the officer, ``and remember your life depends on your answer. How many rogues had that outlawed scoundrel with him when you left him?''
``Ou, no aboon sax rogues when I was gane.''
``And where are the rest of his banditti?''
``Gane wi' the Lieutenant agane ta westland carles.''
``Against the westland clans?'' said the Captain. ``Umph ---that is likely enough; and what rogue's errand were you despatched upon?''
``Just to see what your honour and ta gentlemen red-coats were doing doun here at ta Clachan.''
``The creature will prove fause-hearted, after a','' said the Bailie, who by this time had planted himself close behind me; ``it's lucky I didna pit mysell to expenses anent him.''
``And now, my friend,'' said the Captain, ``let us understand each other. You have confessed yourself a spy, and should string up to the next tree---But come, if you will do me one good turn, I will do you another. You, Donald---you shall just, in the way of kindness, carry me and a small party to the place where you left your master, as I wish to speak a few words with him on serious affairs; and I'll let you go about your business, and give you five guineas to boot.''
``Oigh! oigh!'' exclaimed Dougal, in the extremity of distress and perplexity; ``she canna do tat---she canna do tat; she'll rather be hanged.''
``Hanged, then, you shall be, my friend'' said the officer; ``and your blood be upon your own head. Corporal Cramp, do you play Provost-Marshal---away with him!''
The corporal had confronted poor Dougal for some time, ostentatiously twisting a piece of cord which he had found in the house into the form of a halter. He now threw it about the culprit's neck, and, with the assistance of two soldiers, had dragged Dougal as far as the door, when, overcome with the terror of immediate death, he exclaimed, ``Shentlemans, stops ---stops! She'll do his honour's bidding---stops!''
``Awa' wi' the creature!'' said the Bailie, ``he deserves hanging mair now than ever; awa' wi' him, corporal. Why dinna ye tak him awa'?''
``It's my belief and opinion, honest gentleman,'' said the corporal, ``that if you were going to be hanged yourself, you would be in no such d---d hurry.'
This by-dialogue prevented my hearing what passed between the prisoner and Captain Thornton; but I heard the former snivel out, in a very subdued tone, ``And ye'll ask her to gang nae farther than just to show ye where the MacGregor is?--- Ohon! ohon!''
``Silence your howling, you rascal---No; I give you my word I will ask you to go no farther.---Corporal, make the men fall in, in front of the houses. Get out these gentlemen's horses; we must carry them with us. I cannot spare any men to guard them here. Come, my lads, get under arms.''
The soldiers bustled about, and were ready to move. We were led out, along with Dougal, in the capacity of prisoners. As we left the hut, I heard our companion in captivity remind the Captain of ``ta foive kuineas.''
``Here they are for you,'' said the officer, putting gold into his hand; ``but observe, that if you attempt to mislead me, I will blow your brains out with my own hand.''
``The creature,'' said the Bailie, ``is waur than I judged him ---it is a warldly and a perfidious creature. O the filthy lucre of gain that men gies themsells up to! My father the deacon used to say, the penny siller slew mair souls than the naked sword slew bodies.''
The landlady now approached, and demanded payment of her reckoning, including all that had been quaffed by Major Galbraith and his Highland friends. The English officer remonstrated, but Mrs. MacAlpine declared, if ``she hadna trusted to his honour's name being used in their company, she wad never hae drawn them a stoup o' liquor; for Mr. Galbraith, she might see him again, or she might no, but weel did she wot she had sma' chance of seeing her siller---and she was a puir widow, had naething but her custom to rely on.''
Captain Thornton put a stop to her remonstrances by paying the charge, which was only a few English shillings, though the amount sounded very formidable in Scottish denominations. The generous officer would have included Mr. Jarvie and me in this general acquittance; but the Bailie, disregarding an intimation from the landlady to ``make as muckle of the Inglishers as we could, for they were sure to gie us plague eneugh,'' went into a formal accounting respecting our share of the reckoning, and paid it accordingly. The Captain took the opportunity to make us some slight apology for detaining us. ``If we were loyal and peaceable subjects,'' he said, ``we would not regret being stopt for a day, when it was essential to the king's service; if otherwise, he was acting according to his duty.''
We were compelled to accept an apology which it would have served no purpose to refuse, and we sallied out to attend him on his march.
I shall never forget the delightful sensation with which I exchanged the dark, smoky, smothering atmosphere of the Highland hut, in which we had passed the night so uncomfortably, for the refreshing fragrance of the morning air, and the glorious beams of the rising sun, which, from a tabernacle of purple and golden clouds, were darted full on such a scene of natural romance and beauty as had never before greeted my eyes. To the left lay the valley, down which the Forth wandered on its easterly course, surrounding the beautiful detached hill, with all its garland of woods. On the right, amid a profusion of thickets, knolls, and crags, lay the bed of a broad mountain lake, lightly curled into tiny waves by the breath of the morning breeze, each glittering in its course under the influence of the sunbeams. High hills, rocks, and banks, waving with natural forests of birch and oak, formed the borders of this enchanting sheet of water; and, as their leaves rustled to the wind and twinkled in th
e sun, gave to the depth of solitude a sort of life and vivacity. Man alone seemed to be placed in a state of inferiority, in a scene where all the ordinary features of nature were raised and exalted. The miserable little bourocks, as the Bailie termed them, of which about a dozen formed the village called the Clachan of Aberfoil, were composed of loose stones, cemented by clay instead of mortar, and thatched by turfs, laid rudely upon rafters formed of native and unhewn birches and oaks from the woods around. The roofs approached the ground so nearly, that Andrew Fairservice observed we might have ridden over the village the night before, and never found out we were near it, unless our horses' feet had ``gane through the riggin'.''
From all we could see, Mrs. MacAlpine's house, miserable as were the quarters it afforded, was still by far the best in the hamlet; and I dare say (if my description gives you any curiosity to see it) you will hardly find it much improved at the present day, for the Scotch are not a people who speedily admit innovation, even when it comes in the shape of improvement.*
* Note I. Clachan of Aberfoil.
The inhabitants of these miserable dwellings were disturbed by the noise of our departure; and as our party of about twenty soldiers drew up in rank before marching off, we were reconnoitred by many a beldam from the half-opened door of her cottage. As these sibyls thrust forth their grey heads, imperfectly covered with close caps of flannel, and showed their shrivelled brows, and long skinny arms, with various gestures, shrugs, and muttered expressions in Gaelic addressed to each other, my imagination recurred to the witches of Macbeth, and I imagined I read in the features of these crones the malevolence of the weird sisters. The little children also, who began to crawl forth, some quite naked, and others very imperfectly covered with tatters of tartan stuff, clapped their tiny hands, and grinned at the English soldiers, with an expression of national hate and malignity which seemed beyond their years. I remarked particularly that there were no men, nor so much as a boy of ten or twelve years old, to be seen among the inhabitants of a village which seemed populous in proportion to its extent; and the idea certainly occurred to me, that we were likely to receive from them, in the course of our journey, more effectual tokens of ill-will than those which lowered on the visages, and dictated the murmurs, of the women and children. It was not until we commenced our march that the malignity of the elder persons of the community broke forth into expressions. The last file of men had left the village, to pursue a small broken track, formed by the sledges in which the natives transported their peats and turfs, and which led through the woods that fringed the lower end of the lake, when a shrilly sound of female exclamation broke forth, mixed with the screams of children, the whooping of boys, and the clapping of hands, with which the Highland dames enforce their notes, whether of rage or lamentation. I asked Andrew, who looked as pale as death, what all this meant.
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