The sun., 1895-05-26
of the Dluo Bannor, of the Covenant that was
not yet wholly put down.
CHAPTER XVII.
urusAy THE COuHJ,rR.

-
tieH,ins .SS; Of many inches and noble maE,
converse having been much with my mother
indeed. never long away from her side till m,
As for Enrlstoun we heard It was to be for.
fGultcd very soon. and given TO Robert Grier Of
| Lag who was very grahail among them. In.
| deed. no che was better than another. for even
Claverhcuse got French lin confederation" 4
His brother David got another estate in the
Shire and Rothcs and Lauderdale were az
pcrseruted gentry. Whencvcr there was man
| wel-to-do and of good rernte, these men
snare. or Z TO get him caught hurboring on his
estate somc intercommuned persons. Then they
even G cried @ out and shook hands for JOY. Dccause
itgayc them color for more exactione. and for
keeping army In the field. which, with pro-
viding and accounting. was also very profitable
for them.
At hight we withdrew to the barn. whero be-
hind the corn NOW very secure and quaint
wall. as % In most OF the barns in that country
side there were no windows OF any size--in fact.
nothing save number Of three-cornsred wick
trivnnce in keeping With the spirit Of an evil
had been so constructed that It turned outward
upon n hinge, which enlarged the opening
that one man at n time had no difficulty In pass
ing through. This cunning trapdoor was in the
gable end Of the barn, and conducted the fugi-
psd to Rs cenr Here lay
many time while the troopers ragged about the
house Itself staobi1E every sHs2Sst9ha H. c9rner OF
us quite safe behind the great mass OF the NOW.
Yet for all # wnsa not unquiet time with US,
hut I have now to tell what befel at the
suit had waxed dull after Boutwell,. and before
the Sanquhar affair had kindled a new flame.
and ne sraers s the sos saGs
families had need OF them. Now there was one
actions it was impossible to mistake. When the
troopcrs were jnGling past beneath us he flung
his mouth 10 prevent his crying out for fear. SO
ptiful did he look that when all was past my
What m manner ] O Of nil lin man art thouT'
For indeed the men OF the broad bonnet were
neither cowards nor % ,nidderlings , But this fel-
am poor Brsny the cobblsr." ths ,s, man an.
come SO near thae i'll looms of soldiers"
"What sent you to the conventicle. then.
when you fear the redcoats so greatiy?' asked
The little man glanced up at my cousin with
toseRer hs
as he walked he threw himself into all kinds of
"Weei." he said. "ye see. It's no easy kennin'
scale in hurry apd leave ten su,d R!sids on the
But surely, ] said to the cobbler, you do
not steal what the poor honest folk leave be-
The word seemed to startle him greatly.
ss ftsas tina, ans s.as hrs, mo
up IN fnn pfd.n lows "st as the beardie aud man
sand And the cobbier illustrated the nature of the
contiapration with his hand.
Ma, ma" he cried. in the strange. yammer:
in nS gstherin' st thegither What ither folks hae
strawed, surely. That's T. the guild bulk itsel'.
An then after the bizz is bye: an the soueh
ocht lately. did ye. guild wife, '.Ay.'. says she.
ms Sa my dd ye AT
They're terrible looms thae sodEers for griprin''
that has mony a dizzen o thae things
shs f"a Wiz
Ea ss haf StGs ssss . % r1 M.,s tie
wssh nd and Master Gothe in the hin
ner so' sac saws tne Guaa af hand like supposn noo
gotten your bit bulk. an that for friendship to.
b ks Worth % ye s @
has sic thing and rank to TIL
Az. man, Birsay.",i said. to encourage him.
for saw 5hst ths liisls s man ,s loved to talk. AM
-" Faith. she'll gie me siller to TAX to Sergeant
Multeather and get back her bit bukie: Ar
wull." he concluded cantily:
And hae:ye opy mair TO tell me, Birsay !
as for belief. there was no reason that ono
should believe more than seemed good of Bir-
Ay. there's wan thing more Brsav has to say
moq rsRt sSs sd T M I
n hp ~ he am ~ n n In a
said: "Wheesht, Birsay! Be eanny VII your
! Trust Birsay." he returned cunningly. cock
Ing his, frowsy head like a year-old sparrow
mair harm than you an me wusses him. he'll
eeme gey wee eel cot o. some o the plovs that thev
)" How kenned 20. Birsay."'- said. to humor
him, that we werna Whigs"?
20, kenned brawley bv the fashion o. your
but for honest Kings folk. Ma, ma, they dinna
gree weel wi the moss broo aya-thae sort WI
sWesrin resardiess feik. wuss % the efSns KIM
weel. tryst shoon like them y
1t was clear that Birsay thought us as great
traitors and spies 10 the camp as he was him
self So he opened his heart to us. 1t was not
b. Sn IN
occasion felt that we would assurediy not IN
nut we had to pay for the distinstion. for from
dom of wit and often of sculduddery.
Birsay had no sense of his personal dishonor.
and would tell the most alarming story to his
own discredit, wi thout wincing In the least He
held 1t proof of his superior caution that he had
always managed TO keep his SIX in safe, and so |
there was no more to be said. |
times TO be arnane the Wild hill folk Yin wad
need to be wee payed for 1t a. There's the tive
black McMichaels- wad think nae mair o.
splatterin' your harms again the dyke than o. |
killin' whutterlck. Deli hair An then, on |
the ither hand, there's il-contrved, turncoats
poother and shot at puir men as II they were |
muirfowl. An he's no parteecler eneuch ava |
"Then there's the awesome NIGHTS whan the |
ghaists and warlocks are abOot. l Gamma bide |
the nicht ava Gods daylight is guild eneuch |
for Birsay, an as lang as the sun shines there |
nae fear o dell or witchwife gettin' haud o. the
puir cobbler chiel. But when the gloamin' cud- |
dies doom Until the lap o. the ncht, and the corp
cannles lowe ! the boes an ye hear the deils |
busses at the roadsdes, declare every stound |
o. manhood fees AVA clean oot o. Birsay's |
the Aftercome. An deed. In the mirkeerie |
midncht, whether he's fearder TO dec or to |
leeye, muir Birsay disna ken!" |
But. Birsay," I said. "ill-doers are ILL., |
dreaders. Gin ye were to drap a. this thievery |
man or deil"