Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-11-09
KIDNAPPED,
BEING MEMOIRS OF THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID
BALFoUR IN THE YEAR 175L
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER xxx.
l AM COME INTO MY KINGDOM.

/ AM COME 1NIO NJ h1NODOM
For some time Alan volleyed upon the
door, and his knocking only reused the
echoes of the house and neighborhood.
At last. however, | could hear the noise
of a window gently thrust up, and knew
that my uncle had come to his Observa-
tory BY what light there was, he
would see Alan standing, like a dark
shadow, on the steps; the three wit
nesSes were hidden quite out of his view,
so that, in what he saw, there was moth
ing to alarm an honest man in his own
house. For all that, he studied his
visitor awhile n silence, and when he
spoke his voice had a quaver of mis-
givings.
whats this?" says he. 'This is nae
kind of time of night for decent folk
and | haze nae trokings [dealingsl VII
nighthawks. What brings ye here?
have a blunderbus."
''Is that yourself, Mr.. Balfour?' re-
turned Alan, stepping back and looking
up IL the darkness. "Have a care of
that blunderbuss; they're nasty things
to burst"
'What brings we here. and whae are
YEP says my uncle, angrily.
81 have no manner of inclination to
rowt out my name to the countryside, y
said Alan; "but what brings me here
is another story, being more of your
affairs than mine; and if we're sure
tune and sing il to you
And what is't? asked my uncle.
David" said Alan.
what YVES that?' cried my uncle, in
a mighty changed voice.
shall ] give ye the rest of the name,
then?" said Alan.
There was pause; and then, "I'm
thinking I'd better let We ill.," says my
uncle, doubtfully.
II dare say that" said Alan. "but the
point is, would ! go? Now [ will tell
you what I'm thinking, | am thinking
we must confer, undo the fastenings, re-
penting q dare say and taken with
whatever; for [ would have you to un-
derstand that [ am as stiff-necked as
yourself, and gentleman of better fami-
~"
The change of note disconnected Eben-
ezer; he was little while digesting it;
and then says he, "Weel, Weel, what
must be must" and shut the window.
But it took him long time to get down
stairs, and still longer to undo the
fastenings, repenting q dare say and
taken with fresh claps of fear at every
second step and every bolt and bar.
AT last, however, we heard the creak of
the hinges, and it seems my uncle
slipped gingerly out and (seeing that
Alan had stepped back a pace or two)
sat him down on the top doorstep with
the yblunderbnss ready in his hands.
"'And now" says he, ''mind / have my
blunderbush, and if We take a step near
.er ye're as good as deid."
'And a very civil Speech says Alan,
''to be sure"
''Na," says my uncle, ''but this no a
very CLANCY kind of proceeding, and
/ am bound to be prepared. And now
that we understand each other, yell can
name your business.
''Why," says Alan, ''you that are a
of IA mr.
doubtless have perceived that / am a
Hieland gentleman. My name has nae
business in my story; but the country
of my friends is very far from
the Isle of Null, of which We will have
heard. 1t seems there was a ship lost
in those parts; and the next day a gen
tleman of my family was seeking wreck
wood for his fire along the sands, when
hefcame upon a lad that was half
drowned. Well he brought him to- and
he and some other gentlemen took and
clapped him in an auld ruined castle,
where from that day to this he has been
n great expense to my friends My
friends are a wee wild-lke, and not so
particular about the law as some that
l could name; and finding that the lad
owned some decent folk and was your
born nephew, Mr.. Balfour, they asked ye
to give me bit call and to confer upon
the matter. And | may tell We at the
off-go, unless we can agree upon some
terms, We are little likely to set eyes
upon him. For my friends" added
Alan, simply, ''are no very well off,"
My uncle cleared his throat. I'm
no very caring" says he. HE was nae
q good lad at the best of it, and I've nae
call to interfere"
'.Ay, ay,' said Alan, Il see what you
would be at; pretending We don't care,
to make the ransom smaller"
ma" said my uncle, Its the mere
truth. [ take nae manner of interest in
the lad, and I'll pay nae ransom, and
We can make a kirk and a mill of him
for what l care
"Hoot, sir,' says Alan. ''Blood's
thicker than water, in the deil's name!
r, Ye cannae desert your brothers son for
the fair shame of it; and if We did, and
it came to be kermit, We would nae be
very popular in your countryside, or
I'm the more deceived"
I'm no very popular the way it is, =
returned Ebenezer; and | dinnae see
how it would come to be kermit No by
me- anyway; nor yet by you or your
friends SO that's idle talk, my buckle
says he.
''Then it'll have to be David that tells
it, said Alan.
'How that?" says my uncle. sharply.
"Ou, just this way says Alan. my
friends would doubtless keep your
- nephew as long as there was any likeli-
hood of siller to be made of it, but if
there was name, [ am clearly of opinion
they would let him gang where he
pleased and be damned to him.
''Ay, but I'm no very caring for that,
either said my uncle. l wouldnae be
muckIe made up with that
Il was thinking that" said Alan.
- "And what for why?" asked Ebenezer.
'Why, Mr.. Balfour,' replied Alan, by
all that / could hear, there were two
ways of it; either We liked David and
would pay to get him back, or else We
had very good reasons for not wanting
him, and would pay for us to keep him.
1t 81 ems it's not the first; we'll then, it's
the second; and blythe am | to ken it,
for it should be a pretty penny in my
pocket and the pockets of my friends"
81 dinnae follow We there" said my
uncle.
mop said Alan. 'Well, see here;
Won dinnae want the lad back; we'll