The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-29
TALES OF THE BORDERS.
LORD DURlE AND CHRISrIE'S
WILL.


CAY, av Z VIZ the auld limmer," cried one
"and see that his barrels are fresh frae
Norraway ard weel-lined with the bleezing
tar"
"Be sure ana prick her weel," cried ano-
ther; " The foul witch may be ireproof
II she Wilma burn, boil her like Meg Davy at
Smithfeld, or Shirra Melville on the hill O.
Garv0ck"
These cries coming on the ear of the as
t0uisned Judge, did not altogether agree with
hiS proconceiyed notions Of being committed
90 the power of the Evil One; but they tend
IA still farther TO confuse him, and he even
fancied az times that the vengeance Of the
popu'ace, which thus rung 10 his ears, was
in Che act cf being realized, md that he was
actually to suffer the punishment he had so
often awarded to others. Son expressions
wruug from him by his fear, and overheard
by the quick ear Of viii, gave the latter a
ciue 70 lhe workings Of his mind, and he
dld not fail % see how be might take ad-
vantage Of it. AZ night began to fall, they
bad GOT far on their way towards MoFat,
and, consequently, Gar out of danger OF a
pursuit and a rescue. purie's horse was
pricked forward at a speed not inconsistent
with his power Oi keeping the saddle They
stopped al 20 batting place, but kept push
Ing forward, while the silence was still
maintained, or, If it ever was bro zen, it was
70 introduce, 5y interlocutory snatches of
conversation, some reference to the DOOM
which awaited the unhappy Judge. The
darkness in which he was mutfl d, the speed
If Lis journey, the sosnds and nenaccs that
met his ear, all cooperating with the origi-
nal sensations produced by his mysterious
seizure, continued to keep alive the terrOrs
he at hrst felt, TO oyerturn all the ordinary
ideas and feelings Of the living world, and 10
sink him deeper and deeper in the confu-
sion that had overtaken his mind in the
midst Of his legal reverie at the FIggate
Whits.
The cavalcade kept its course all next day,
and, towards evening, they approached
Gi@me's Tower, dark, melancholy Hook
ing erection, situated on Dryls Mater, not
very distant from the village OF MofFat. 10
a deep cell Of this old castle, the President
Of the Al irt Of Session was safely lodged,
with no re light than was supplied bT
small grating, and with small supply OF
meat, only sufficient to allay at first the
pangs Of hunger.
VIII, having thus executed his commits
sion, sat down and wrote on a scrap Of pa
per these expressive w0rds-"1he brooks
IN the pock N and sent It with one Of his
friends To Traquair House. The moment
she Earl read the serawl, be knew that Will
lad performed his promise, and took a
hearty laugh at the extraordinary scheme he
had Tes0rted to for gaining h.s plea. II wasn't
yet, however, MS time 10 commence his pro-
cgedi x; but, in a short while after the i'm
prlsonment of the President, he set of for
Edinburgh, which town he found 10 a state
Of wonder and ferment at the mysterious
disappearance Of the illustrious Durie Every
individual he met had something to say on
the subject; but the prevailing opinion was,
that tue unhappy President had ventured
upon mat part Of the sands near Leith where
the incoming tide usually nc with
great rapidty, large sand-banLs, N j often
overwheims helpless strangers who are un-
acquainted with the manner in which the
tide here flows. Numbers " people had ex-
erted themselves in searching alb the sur
rounding parts, and some had traversed the
whole coast from husselburgh 10 Cramond,
IN the expectation OF finding the body upon
the sea-shore- But all was in vain: no
President vas found and month Of vain
search and expectation having passed, the
original opinion settled down into a convic.
ton that be bad been drowned. His wife,
Lady Durie, 81 fter the first emotions of in
tense grief, went, with her whole family, in
20 mourning; and young and old lamented
the fate Of one of the most learned judges
and best men that ever sat on the judgment
seat Of Scotland.
There was nothing now to prevent Ira
QUAR- from reaping the fruits Of lis enter
prise. lie pressed hard for Judgment in
hiS case and plead that the fourteen Judges
having been equally divided, he was enti-
tied to decision in his favor as defender.
This plea was not at that time sustained;
bot new president having been appointed.
who was favorable 70 his side of the cues.
ton, the case was again to be brought be-
fore the court, and the Earl expected to car
~ bis point, and reap the benefit of Wills
courage and ingenuity.
Meantime, the doad-alive President was
closely confined in the old Tower of Graz.,e.
and had never recovered from the feelings
Of superstition which held the sovereign
power OF bis mind at the lime Of bis confne-
ment. lie never saw the face OF man, bis
food being handed into him by an unseen
hand, through a small hole at the foot OF
the door. The small grating was not stu
ated so as TO WELD him any prospect and
the only sounds that greeted his ears we're
the calls OF the shepherds who tended their
sheep IN the neigbboring moor. Sometimes
ne beard men's voices calling out "Bstty p
and anon female crying "Maud &c ~ The
:Simer wa the name Of a shephe rd's dog.
and the later was the name Of tbs cat be.
longing to an old woman who occupied a
small cottage adjoining the tower. Both