redgauntlet-第48节

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of。Friends；'　he　said；　raising　his　voice　as　we　approached　them；　'who　and　what　are　you；　and　with　what　purpose　are　you　here　on　my　property？'

A　loud　cheer　was　the　answer　returned；　and　a　brace　of　fiddlers　who　occupied　the　front　of　the　march　immediately　struck　up　the　insulting　air；　the　words　of　which　begin

　　Merrily　danced　the　Quaker's　wife；　　　And　merrily　danced　the　Quaker。

Even　at　that　moment　of　alarm；　I　think　I　recognized　the　tones　of　the　blind　fiddler；　Will；　known　by　the　name　of　Wandering　Willie；　from　his　itinerant　habits。　　They　continued　to　advance　swiftly　and　in　great　order；　in　their　front

　　The　fiery　fiddlers　playing　martial　airs；

when；　coming　close　up；　they　surrounded　us　by　a　single　movement；　and　there　was　a　universal　cry；　'Whoop；　Quakerwhoop；　Quaker！　Here　have　we　them　both；　the　wet　Quaker　and　the　dry　one。'

'Hang　up　the　wet　Quaker　to　dry；　and　wet　the　dry　one　with　a　ducking；'　answered　another　voice。

'Where　is　the　sea…otter；　John　Davies；　that　destroyed　more　fish　than　any　sealch　upon　Ailsa　Craig？'　　exclaimed　a　third　voice。　　'I　have　an　old　crow　to　pluck　with　him；　and　a　pock　to　put　the　feathers　in。'

We　stood　perfectly　passive；　for；　to　have　attempted　resistance

against　more　than　a　hundred　men；　armed　with　guns；　fish…spears；　iron…crows；　spades；　and　bludgeons；　would　have　been　an　act　of　utter　insanity。　　Mr。　Geddes；　with　his　strong　sonorous　voice；　answered　the　question　about　the　superintendent　in　a　manner　the　manly　indifference　of　which　compelled　them　to　attend　to　him。

'John　Davies；'　he　said；　'will；　I　trust；　soon　be　at　Dumfries'

'To　fetch　down　redcoats　and　dragoons　against　us；　you　canting　old　villain！'

A　blow　was；　at　the　same　time；　levelled　at　my　friend；　which　I　parried　by　interposing　the　stick　I　had　in　my　hand。　　I　was　instantly　struck　down；　and　have　a　faint　recollection　of　hearing　some　crying；　'Kill　the　young　spy！'　　and　others；　as　I　thought；　interposing　on　my　behalf。　　But　a　second　blow　on　the　head；　received　in　the　scuffle；　soon　deprived　me　of　sense　and　consciousness；　and　threw　me　into　it　state　of　insensibility；　from　which　I　did　not　recover　immediately。　　When　I　did　come　to　myself；　I　was　lying　on　the　bed　from　which　I　had　just　risen　before　the　fray；　and　my　poor　companion；　the　Newfoundland　puppy；　its　courage　entirely　cowed　by　the　tumult　of　the　riot；　had　crept　as　close　to　me　as　it　could；　and　lay　trembling　and　whining；　as　if　under　the　most　dreadful　terror。　　I　doubted　at　first　whether　I　had　not　dreamed　of　the　tumult；　until；　as　I　attempted　to　rise；　a　feeling　of　pain　and　dizziness　assured　me　that　the　injury　I　had　sustained　was　but　too　real。　　I　gathered　together　my　senses　listenedand　heard　at　a　distance　the　shouts　of　the　rioters；　busy；　doubtless；　in　their　work　of　devastation。　　I　made　a　second　effort　to　rise；　or　at　least　to　turn　myself；　for　I　lay　with　my　face　to　the　wall　of　the　cottage；　but　I　found　that　my　limbs　were　secured；　and　my　motions　effectually　preventednot　indeed　by　cords；　but　by　linen　or　cloth　bandages　swathed　around　my　ankles；　and　securing　my　arms　to　my　sides。　　Aware　of　my　utterly　captive　condition；　I　groaned　betwixt　bodily　pain　and　mental　distress；

A　voice　by　my　bedside　whispered；　in　a　whining　tone；　'Whisht　a…ye；　hinnieWhisht　a…ye；　haud　your　tongue；　like　a　gude　bairnye　have　cost　us　dear　aneugh　already。　　My　hinnie's　clean　gane　now。'

Knowing；　as　I　thought；　the　phraseology　of　the　wife　of　the　itinerant　musician；　I　asked　her　where　her　husband　was；　and　whether　he　had　been　hurt。

'Broken；'　answered　the　dame；　'all　broken　to　pieces；　fit　for　naught　but　to　be　made　spunks　ofthe　best　blood　that　was　in　Scotland。'

'Broken？blood？is　your　husband　wounded；　has　there　been　bloodshed　broken　limbs？'

'Broken　limbs　I　wish；'　answered　the　beldam；　'that　my　hinnie　had　broken　the　best　bane　in　his　body；　before　he　had　broken　his　fiddle；　that　was　the　best　blood　in　Scotlandit　was　a　Cremony；　for　aught　that　I　ken。'

'Pshawonly　his　fiddle？'　　said　I。

'I　dinna　ken　what　waur　your　honour　could　have　wished　him　to　do；　unless　he　had　broken　his　neck；　and　this　is　muckle　the　same　to　my　hinnie　Willie　and　me。　　Chaw；　indeed！　　It　is　easy　to　say　chaw；　but　wha　is　to　gie　us　ony　thing　to　chaw？the　bread…winner's　gane；　and　we　may　e'en　sit　down　and　starve。'

'No；　no；'　I　said；　'I　will　pay　you　for　twenty　such　fiddles。'

'Twenty　such！　　is　that　a'　ye　ken　about　it？　　the　country　hadna　the　like　o't。　　But　if　your　honour　were　to　pay　us；　as　nae　doubt　wad　be　to　your　credit　here　and　hereafter；　where　are　ye　to　get　the　siller？'

'I　have　enough　of　money；'　said　I；　attempting　to　reach　my　hand　towards　my　side…pocket；　'unloose　these　bandages；　and　I　will　pay　you　on　the　spot。'

This　hint　appeared　to　move　her；　and　she　was　approaching　the　bedside；　as　I　hoped；　to　liberate　me　from　my　bonds；　when　a　nearer　and　more　desperate　shout　was　heard；　as　if　the　rioters　were　close　by　the　hut。

'I　daurna　I　daurna；'　said　the　poor　woman；　'they　would　murder　me　and　my　hinnie　Willie　baith；　and　they　have　misguided　us　aneugh　already；but　if　there　is　anything　worldly　I　could　do　for　your　honour；　leave　out　loosing　ye？'

What　she　said　recalled　me　to　my　bodily　suffering。　　Agitation；　and　the　effects　of　the　usage　I　had　received；　had　produced　a　burning　thirst。　　I　asked　for　a　drink　of　water。

'Heaven　Almighty　forbid　that　Epps　Ainslie　should　gie　ony　sick　gentleman　cauld　well…water；　and　him　in　a　fever。　　Na；　na；　hinnie；　let　me　alane；　I'll　do　better　for　ye　than　the　like　of　that。'

'Give　me　what　you　will；'　I　replied；　'let　it　but　be　liquid　and　cool。'

The　woman　gave　me　a　large　horn　accordingly；　filled　with　spirits　and　water；　which；　without　minute　inquiry　concerning　the　nature　of　its　contents；　I　drained　at　a　draught。　　Either　the　spirits　taken　in　such　a　manner　acted　more　suddenly　than　usual　on　my　brain；　or　else　there　was　some　drug　mixed　with　the　beverage。　　I　remember　little　after　drinking　it　off；　only　that　the　appearance　of　things　around　me　became　indistinct；　that　the　woman's　form　seemed　to　multiply　itself；　and　to　flit　in　various　figures　around　me；　bearing　the　same　lineaments　as　she　herself　did。　　I　remember　also　that　the　discordant　noises　and　cries　of　those　without　the　cottage　seemed　to　die　away　in　a　hum　like　that　with　which　a　nurse　hushes　her　babe。　　At　length　I　fell　into　a　deep　sound　sleep；　or　rather；　a　state　of　absolute　insensibility。

I　have　reason　to　think　this　species　of　trance　lasted　for　many　hours；　indeed；　for　the　whole　subsequent　day　and　part　of　the　night。　　It　was　not　uniformly　so　profound；　for　my　recollection　of　it　is　chequered　with　many　dreams；　all　of　a　painful　nature；　but　too　faint　and　too　indistinct　to　be　remembered。　　At　length　the　moment　of　waking　came；　and　my　sensations　were　horrible。

A　deep　sound；　which；　in　the　confusion　of　my　senses；　I　identified　with　the　cries　of　the　rioters；　was　the　first　thing　of　which　I　was　sensible；　next；　I　became　conscious　that　I　was　carried　violently　forward　in　some　conveyance；　with　an　unequal　motion；　which　gave　me　much　pain。　　My　position　was　horizontal；　and　when　I　attempted　to　stretch　my　hands　in　order　to　find　some　mode　of　securing　myself　against　this　species　of　suffering；　I　found　I　was　bound　as　before；　and　the　horrible　reality　rushed　on　my　mind　that　I　was　in　the　hands　of　those　who　had　lately　committed　a　great　outrage　on　property；　and　were　now　about　to　kidnap；　if　not　to　murder　me。　　I　opened　my　eyes；　it　was　to　no　purposeall　around　me　was　dark；　for　a　day　had　passed　over　during　my　captivity。　　A　dispiriting　sickness　oppressed　my　headmy　heart　seemed　on　fire；　while　my　feet　and　hands　were　chilled　and　benumbed　with　want　of　circulation。　　It　was　with　the　utmost　difficulty　that　I　at　length；　and　gradually；　recovered　in　a　sufficient　degree　the　power　of　observing　external　sounds　and　circumstances；　and　when　I　did　so；　they　presented　nothing　consolatory。

Groping　with　my　hands；　as　far　as　the　bandages　would　permit；　and　receiving　the　assistance　of　some　occasional　glances　of　the　moonlight；　I　became　aware　that　the　carriage　in　which　I　was　transported　was　one　of　the　light　carts　of　the　country；　called　TUMBLERS；　and　that　a　little　attention　had　been　paid　to　my　accommodation；　as　I　was　laid　upon　some　sacks　covered　with　matting；　and　filled　with　straw。　　Without　these；　my　condition　would　have　been　still　more　intolerable；　for　the　vehicle；　sinking　now　on　one　side；　and　now　on　the　other；　sometimes　sticking　absolutely　fast　and　requiring　the　utmost　exertions　of　the　animal　which　drew　it　to　put　it　once　more　in　motion；　was　subjected　to　jolts　in　all　directions；　which　were　very　severe。　　At　other　times　it　rolled　silently　and　smoothly　over　what　seemed　to　be　wet　sand；　and；　as　I　heard　the　distant　roar　of　the　tide；　I　had　little　doubt　that　we　were　engaged　in　passing　the　formidable　estuary　which　divides　the　two　kingdoms。

There　seemed　to　be　at　least　five　or　six　people　about　the　cart；　some　on　foot；　others　on　horseback；　the　former　lent　assistance　whenever　it　was　in　danger　of　upsetting；　or　sticking　fast　in　the　quicksand；　the　others　rode　before　and　acted　as　guides；　often　changing　the　direction　of　the　vehicle　as　the　precarious　state　of　the　passage　required。

I　addressed　myself　to　the　men　around　the　cart；　and　endeavoured　to　move　their　compassion。　　I　had　harmed；　I　said；　no　one；　and　for　no　action　in　my　life　had　deserved　such　cruel　treatment；　I　had　no　concern　whatever　in　the　fishing　station　which　had