The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-29


in the ears of the President, and sorely did
he tax his wits as to what they implied.
Every day he heard them, and every time
be heard them, meditated more and more
as 10 the species Of beings they dencmina-
ted. Still remaining in the belief that he
was in the hands of evil powers, be ina
gined that these strange names, Batty and
Maudge, were the earthly titles Of two
demons that held the important authority Of
watching and tOrmenting the President Of
the Court of Session. He had heard these
often, and suffered so much from their cruel
tyranny, that he became nervous when the
omlnous sounds struck on his ear, and often
AS he himself subsequently admitted-he
adjured Heaven, in bis prayers, to take away
Maudge and Batty, and torment him no
longer by their Internal agency. "Reiieye
me, relieve me, from these conjunct and con.
hdent spirits, cruel Maudge and inexorable
Bstiy," (he prayed,) "and any other pun
ishment due to my crimes | will willingly
bear" Exorcisms In abundance be applied
to them, and used many fa-ciful tricks Of
demoD-expellng agency to ,ree him from
their tyranny; but all to no purpose. The
names still struck his ear ia the silence oi
his cell aud kept alive the ssperstitious ter
Traquair, meanwhile, pushed hard for a
decision, and, at last, after period Of about
three months, the famous cause was brought
before the court, and the successor Of the
dead-alve President having gwen his vote
1 for the defender, the willy Warden carried
his point, and secured to him and his heirs
in time coming, the fine barony in dispute,
\ which, for aught we know, is in the family
to this day.
1 Ii now remained for the actors in this
strange drama TO let free the unhappy Du-
rie, snd relieve him from the power Of his
enemies The Warden accordingly des-
patched a messenger 70 Christie's Viii, with
the lacOnie and emphatic demand-"Let the
brock out o. the pock"-a return Of Wills
own humorous message, which he well IN
derstood VIII aud his associates accord
ingiy went about the important deliverance
IN manner worthy Of the texterity by
which the Imprisonment had been effected
Having opened the door Of his cell, they
mutfisd him up in the same black cloak IN
which be was enveloped at the tiggate
Whins and, leading him to the door, placed
him on the back Of swift Steed, while they
mounted others, with view to accompany
MIN. Setting off at a swift pace, they made
confined, and, continuing the same circuit
Gus route round and round the castle for
period Of two or three hours, they stopped
at the very door Of bis cell from which they
had started. They then set him down upon
the ground, and, again mounting their
horses, took to their heels, and never halted
till they arrived at Gilnockie
On being left alone, DuIie proceeded to
hn a. bzfr b5rb ~ al. fua
ened about his head; and, for the FIRST time
after three months, bresthed the fresh air
and saw the light Of Heaven. lie had rid
den, according to his own calculation,
about twenty miles; and, looking round him,
be saw alongside Of him the tower Of Greme,
an old castle he had seen many years before
and recOlected as being famous in antigua
Ran reminiscence. The place be had been
condned in must have been some castle
twenty miles distant frorI Greme's Tower
"a circumstance that would lead him, be
thought, TO discover the place OF his confins-
ment, though he was free 10 confess that he
was utterly ignorant Of the direction N
which be had travelled. Thankful for his
deiveTance, he fell on hts knees, and poured
out long prayer Of gratitude for being thus
freed from his enemies, BaItv ana Maudge
The distance be had travelled must have
taken him far away from the regions Of their
niuence-the most grateful of all the
y ughts that now rose in wondering
ilind. No more would these hated lanes
strike bis ear with terror and dismav, --and
no more would be feel the tyranny OF
their demoniac sway. AS these thoughts
were passing through lis mind, a sound
struck his ear.
"Hey, Batty, ladl-far yaudp - cried voice
BY his side.
"God have mercy on me here sssin p
CALCULATED the president
"Maudge, ye jaud ~ cried another voice,
from the door OF poor woman's cottage.
The terrified president lifted his eyes,
and saw a go0dly shepherd, with long staff
in bis hand, crying to his dog, Batty, to
drive bis sheep to distance; and, little
beyond, poor woman sat at her door, look
ing for her black cat, hat sat on the
root Of the cottage, and would not come
doSn for all the energies Of her squeaking
voice.
"What could all this mean ?" now ei cu-
lated Durie. "Have not been for Il rec
moaths tortured with these sounds, which
attributed to evil spirits | have ridden
from them twenty miles, and here they are
again, in the form Of fair, honest denomina-
tons of living animals. | am in greater
perplexity tran ever. While | thought
them evil spirits, feared them as such; but
now, God help me, they have taken on the
forms of dog and cat, and this shepherd
and this old woman are kindred devils, un-
der whose command they are. What snail
| do-whther run TO AVOID .hem-sinee
twenty miles have been to them as a fight in
the air ?"
ITS Draw morning, sir" said the shep.
herd. SHOW far hae ye come the past nighlY
-ior ken nae habitation near whar We may
hae rested"
TITS seldom we see strangers herewa,n
said the old woman, sat this early hour
will ye come in, sir, and rest YET"
Durie looked first at the one and then at
the other. The fair face Of nature before
him, with the forms Of Gods creatures, and
the sounds Of human voices in bis ears,
we're as nothing to recollectiOns and sensa.
tons which ne could not shake from bis
mInd.- lie had, for certain, heard those
dreadful sounds for three months be had
ridden twenty miles, and now he heard them
again, mixed up with the delusive accompa-
nIments OF the enticing speeches Of man and
woman. He would hy, but felt himself un-
able; and, standing under the influence Of
the charm Of his own terrors, be continued
TO look, first ct the shepherd and then at
the old woman, in wonder and dismay. The
people knew as little what to think Of him
as he did in regard to them. He looked
wild and haggard, his eyes rolled about in
his head, his voice was mute; and the cloak,
which he had partially unloosed from bis
head, hung in stfangs guise down bis back,
and tapped in the wind The old castle had
its "red cap" fact known to both the
shepherd and the old woman, who had lat
teriy heard strsnge sounds coming from IT,
Might not Durie be the spirit 10 another
forms The question was reasonable, and
was well answered by the wildly-sLaring
president. who WAS still under the smell Of