CHAPTER XIII
GILLANE SANDS
I did not profit by Alan's pilotage as he had done by his marchingsunder General Cope; for I can scarce tell what way we went. It is myexcuse that we travelled exceeding fast. Some part we ran, some trotted,and the rest walked at a vengeance of a pace. Twice, while we were attop speed, we ran against country-folk; but though we plumped into thefirst from round a corner, Alan was as ready as a loaded musket.
"Hae ye seen my horse?" he gasped.
"Na, man, I haenae seen nae horse the day," replied the countryman.
And Alan spared the time to explain to him that we were travelling "rideand tie"; that our charger had escaped, and it was feared he had gonehome to Linton. Not only that, but he expended some breath (of which hehad not very much left) to curse his own misfortune and my stupiditywhich was said to be its cause.
"Them that cannae tell the truth," he observed to myself as we went onagain, "should be aye mindfu' to leave an honest, handy lee behind them.If folk dinnae ken what ye're doing, Davie, they're terrible taken upwith it; but if they think they ken, they care nae mair for it than whatI do for pease porridge."
As we had first made inland, so our road came in the end to lie verynear due north; the old Kirk of Aberlady for a landmark on the left; onthe right, the top of the Berwick Law; and it was thus we struck theshore again, not far from Dirleton. From North Berwick west to GillaneNess there runs a string of four small islets, Craiglieth, the Lamb,Fidra, and Eyebrough, notable by their diversity of size and shape.Fidra is the most particular, being a strange grey islet of two humps,made the more conspicuous by a piece of ruin; and I mind that (as wedrew closer to it) by some door or window of these ruins the sea peepedthrough like a man's eye. Under the lee of Fidra there is a goodanchorage in westerly winds, and there, from a far way off, we could seethe _Thistle_ riding.
The shore in face of these islets is altogether waste. Here is nodwelling of man, and scarce any passage, or at most of vagabond childrenrunning at their play. Gillane is a small place on the far side of theNess, the folk of Dirleton go to their business in the inland fields,and those of North Berwick straight to the sea-fishing from their haven;so that few parts of the coast are lonelier. But I mind, as we crawledupon our bellies into that multiplicity of heights and hollows, keepinga bright eye upon all sides, and our hearts hammering at our ribs, therewas such a shining of the sun and the sea, such a stir of the wind inthe bent grass, and such a bustle of down-popping rabbits and up-flyinggulls, that the desert seemed to me like a place alive. No doubt it wasin all ways well chosen for a secret embarcation, if the secret had beenkept; and even now that it was out, and the place watched, we were ableto creep unperceived to the front of the sandhills, where they look downimmediately on the beach and sea.
But here Alan came to a full stop.
"Davie," said he, "this is a kittle passage! As long as we lie herewe're safe; but I'm nane sae muckle nearer to my ship or the coast ofFrance. And as soon as we stand up and signal the brig, it's anothermatter. For where will your gentry be, think ye?"
"Maybe they're no come yet," said I. "And even if they are, there's oneclear matter in our favour. They'll be all arranged to take us, that'strue. But they'll have arranged for our coming from the east, and herewe are upon their west."
"Ay," says Alan, "I wish we were in some force, and this was a battle,we would have bonnily out-manoeuvred them! But it isnae, Davit; and theway it is, is a wee thing less inspiring to Alan Breck. I swither,Davie."
"Time flies, Alan," said I.
"I ken that," said Alan. "I ken naething else, as the French folk say.But this is a dreidful case of heids or tails. O! if I could but kenwhere your gentry were!"
"Alan," said I, "this is no like you. It's got to be now or never."
"This is no me, quo' he,"
sang Alan, with a queer face betwixt shame and drollery.
"Neither you nor me, quo' he, neither you nor me, Wow, na, Johnnie man! neither you nor me."
And then of a sudden he stood straight up where he was, and with ahandkerchief flying in his right hand, marched down upon the beach. Istood up myself, but lingered behind him, scanning the sandhills to theeast. His appearance was at first unremarked: Scougal not expecting himso early, and _my gentry_ watching on the other side. Then they awoke onboard the _Thistle_, and it seemed they had all in readiness, for therewas scarce a second's bustle on the deck before we saw a skiff put roundher stern and begin to pull lively for the coast. Almost at the samemoment of time, and perhaps half a mile away towards Gillane Ness, thefigure of a man appeared for a blink upon a sandhill, waving with hisarms; and though he was gone again in the same flash, the gulls in thatpart continued a little longer to fly wild.
Alan had not seen this, looking straight to seaward at the ship andskiff.
"It maun be as it will!" said he, when I had told him. "Weel may yonboatie row, or my craig'll have to thole a raxing."
That part of the beach was long and flat, and excellent walking when thetide was down; a little cressy burn flowed over it in one place to thesea; and the sandhills ran along the head of it like the rampart of atown. No eye of ours could spy what was passing behind there in thebents, no hurry of ours could mend the speed of the boat's coming: timestood still with us through that uncanny period of waiting.
"There is one thing I would like to ken," says Alan. "I would like fineto ken these gentry's orders. We're worth four hunner pound the pair ofus: how if they took the guns to us, Davie? They would get a bonny shotfrom the top of that lang sandy bank."
"Morally impossible," said I. "The point is that they can have no guns.This thing has been gone about too secret; pistols they may have, butnever guns."
"I believe ye'll be in the right," says Alan. "For all which I amwearying a good deal for yon boat."
And he snapped his fingers and whistled to it like a dog.
It was now perhaps a third of the way in, and we ourselves already hardon the margin of the sea, so that the soft sand rose over my shoes.There was no more to do whatever but to wait, to look as much as we wereable at the creeping nearer of the boat, and as little as we couldmanage at the long impenetrable front of the sandhills, over which thegulls twinkled and behind which our enemies were doubtless marshalling.
"This is a fine, bright, caller place to get shot in," says Alan,suddenly; "and, man, I wish that I had your courage!"
"Alan!" I cried, "what kind of talk is this of it? You're just made ofcourage; it's the character of the man, as I could prove myself if therewas nobody else."
"And you would be the more mistaken," said he. "What makes the differwith me is just my great penetration and knowledge of affairs. But forauld, cauld, dour, deidly courage, I am not fit to hold a candle toyourself. Look at us two here upon the sands. Here am I, fair hotchingto be off; here's you (for all that I ken) in two minds of it whetheryou'll no stop. Do you think that I could do that, or would? No me!Firstly, because I havenae got the courage and wouldnae daur; andsecondly, because I am a man of so much penetration and would see yedamned first."
"It's there ye're coming, is it?" I cried. "Ah, man Alan, you can wileyour old wives, but you never can wile me."
Remembrance of my temptation in the wood made me strong as iron.
"I have a tryst to keep," I continued. "I am trysted with your cousinCharlie; I have passed my word."
"Braw trysts that you'll can keep," said Alan. "Ye'll just mistrystaince and for a' with the gentry in the bents. And what for?" he went onwith an extreme threatening gravity. "Just tell me that, my mannie! Areye to be speerited away like Lady Grange? Are they to drive a dirk inyour inside and bury ye in the bents? Or is it to be the other way, andare they to bring ye in with James? Are they folk to be trustit? Wouldye stick your head in the mouth of Sim Fraser and the ither Whigs?" headded with extraordinary bitterness.
"Alan," cried I, "they're all rogues and liars, and I'm with ye there.The more reason there should be one decent man in s
uch a land ofthieves! My word is passed, and I'll stick to it. I said long syne toyour kinswoman that I would stumble at no risk. Do ye mind of that?--thenight Red Colin fell, it was. No more I will, then. Here I stop.Prestongrange promised me my life; if he's to be mansworn, here I'llhave to die."
"Aweel, aweel," said Alan.
All this time we had seen or heard no more of our pursuers. In truth wehad caught them unawares; their whole party (as I was to learnafterwards) had not yet reached the scene; what there was of them wasspread among the bents towards Gillane. It was quite an affair to callthem in and bring them over, and the boat was making speed. They werebesides but cowardly fellows: a mere leash of Highland cattle thieves,of several clans, no gentleman there to be the captain: and the morethey looked at Alan and me upon the beach, the less (I must suppose)they liked the looks of us.
Whoever had betrayed Alan it was not the captain: he was in the skiffhimself, steering and stirring up his oarsmen, like a man with his heartin his employ. Already he was near in, and the boat scouring--alreadyAlan's face had flamed crimson with the excitement of his deliverance,when our friends in the bents, either in despair to see their preyescape them or with some hope of scaring Andie, raised suddenly a shrillcry of several voices.
This sound, arising from what appeared to be a quite deserted coast, wasreally very daunting, and the men in the boat held water instantly.
"What's this of it?" sings out the captain, for he was come within aneasy hail.
"Freens o' mine," says Alan, and began immediately to wade forth in theshallow water towards the boat. "Davie," he said, pausing, "Davie, areye no coming? I am swier to leave ye."
"Not a hair of me," said I.
He stood part of a second where he was to his knees in the salt water,hesitating.
"He that will to Cupar, maun to Cupar," said he, and swashing in deeperthan his waist, was hauled into the skiff, which was immediatelydirected for the ship.
I stood where he had left me, with my hands behind my back; Alan satwith his head turned watching me; and the boat drew smoothly away. Of asudden I came the nearest hand to shedding tears, and seemed to myselfthe most deserted, solitary lad in Scotland. With that I turned my backupon the sea and faced the sand hills. There was no sight or sound ofman; the sun shone on the wet sand and the dry, the wind blew in thebents, the gulls made a dreary piping. As I passed higher up the beach,the sand-lice were hopping nimbly about the stranded tangles. The devilany other sight or sound in that unchancy place. And yet I knew therewere folk there, observing me, upon some secret purpose. They were nosoldiers, or they would have fallen on and taken us ere now; doubtlessthey were some common rogues hired for my undoing, perhaps to kidnap,perhaps to murder me outright. From the position of those engaged, thefirst was the more likely; from what I knew of their character andardency in this business, I thought the second very possible; and theblood ran cold about my heart.
I had a mad idea to loosen my sword in the scabbard; for though I wasvery unfit to stand up like a gentleman blade to blade, I thought Icould do some scathe in a random combat. But I perceived in time thefolly of resistance. This was no doubt the joint "expedient" on whichPrestongrange and Fraser were agreed. The first, I was very sure, haddone something to secure my life; the second was pretty likely to haveslipped in some contrary hints into the ears of Neil and his companions;and if I were to show bare steel I might play straight into the hands ofmy worst enemy and seal my own doom.
These thoughts brought me to the head of the beach. I cast a lookbehind, the boat was nearing the brig, and Alan flew his handkerchieffor a farewell, which I replied to with the waving of my hand. But Alanhimself was shrunk to a small thing in my view, alongside of this passthat lay in front of me. I set my hat hard on my head, clenched myteeth, and went right before me up the face of the sand-wreath. It madea hard climb, being steep, and the sand like water underfoot. But Icaught hold at last by the long bent grass on the brae-top, and pulledmyself to a good footing. The same moment men stirred and stood up hereand there, six or seven of them, ragged-like knaves, each with a daggerin his hand. The fair truth is, I shut my eyes and prayed. When I openedthem again, the rogues were crept the least thing nearer without speechor hurry. Every eye was upon mine, which struck me with a strangesensation of their brightness, and of the fear with which they continuedto approach me. I held out my hands empty: whereupon one asked, with astrong Highland brogue, if I surrendered.
"Under protest," said I, "if ye ken what that means, which I misdoubt."
At that word, they came all in upon me like a flight of birds upon acarrion, seized me, took my sword, and all the money from my pockets,bound me hand and foot with some strong line, and cast me on a tussockof bent. There they sat about their captive in a part of a circle andgazed upon him silently like something dangerous, perhaps a lion or atiger on the spring. Presently this attention was relaxed. They drewnearer together, fell to speech in the Gaelic, and very cynicallydivided my property before my eyes. It was my diversion in this timethat I could watch from my place the progress of my friend's escape. Isaw the boat come to the brig and be hoisted in, the sails fill, and theship pass out seaward behind the isles and by North Berwick.
In the course of two hours or so, more and more ragged Highlandmen keptcollecting, Neil among the first, until the party must have numberednear a score. With each new arrival there was a fresh bout of talk, thatsounded like complaints and explanations; but I observed one thing, noneof those that came late had any share in the division of my spoils. Thelast discussion was very violent and eager, so that once I thought theywould have quarrelled; on the heels of which their company parted, thebulk of them returning westward in a troop, and only three, Neil and twoothers, remaining sentries on the prisoner.
"I could name one who would be very ill pleased with your day's work,Neil Duncanson," said I, when the rest had moved away.
He assured me in answer I should be tenderly used, for he knew he was"acquent wi' the leddy."
This was all our talk, nor did any other son of man appear upon thatportion of the coast until the sun had gone down among the Highlandmountains, and the gloaming was beginning to grow dark. At which hour Iwas aware of a long, lean, bony-like Lothian man of a very swarthycountenance, that came towards us among the bents on a farm horse.
"Lads," cried he, "hae ye a paper like this?" and held up one in hishand. Neil produced a second, which the new comer studied through a pairof horn spectacles, and saying all was right and we were the folk he wasseeking, immediately dismounted. I was then set in his place, my feettied under the horse's belly, and we set forth under the guidance of theLowlander. His path must have been very well chosen, for we met but onepair--a pair of lovers--the whole way, and these, perhaps taking us tobe free-traders, fled on our approach. We were at one time close at thefoot of Berwick Law on the south side; at another, as we passed oversome open hills, I spied the lights of a clachan and the old tower of achurch among some trees not far off, but too far to cry for help, if Ihad dreamed of it. At last we came again within sound of the sea. Therewas moonlight, though not much; and by this I could see the three hugetowers and broken battlements of Tantallon, that old chief place of theRed Douglases. The horse was picketed in the bottom of the ditch tograze, and I was led within, and forth into the court, and thence into atumble-down stone hall. Here my conductors built a brisk fire in themidst of the pavement, for there was a chill in the night. My hands wereloosed, I was set by the wall in the inner end, and (the Lowlanderhaving produced provisions) I was given oatmeal bread and a pitcher ofFrench brandy. This done, I was left once more alone with my threeHighlandmen. They sat close by the fire drinking and talking; the windblew in by the breaches, cast about the smoke and flames, and sang inthe tops of the towers; I could hear the sea under the cliffs, and mymind being reassured as to my life, and my body and spirits wearied withthe day's employment, I turned upon one side and slumbered.
I had no means of guessing at what hour I was wakened, only the m
oon wasdown and the fire low. My feet were now loosed, and I was carriedthrough the ruins and down the cliff-side by a precipitous path to whereI found a fisher's boat in a haven of the rocks. This I was had on boardof, and we began to put forth from the shore in a fine starlight.
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