redgauntlet-第67节

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acefully　was　gliding　fast　away。

'Nay；'　said　the　provost；　'it　was　not　for　myself；　but　this　young　gentlemen。'

'Aweel；　what　for　should　I　not　pleasure　the　young　gentlemen？　　I'll　just　drink　to　honest　folk　at　hame　and　abroad；　and　deil　ane　else。　And　thenbut　you　have　heard　it　before；　Mrs。　Crosbie？'

'Not　so　often　as　to　think　it　tiresome；　I　assure　ye；'　said　the　lady；　and　without　further　preliminaries；　the　laird　addressed　Alan　Fairford。

'Ye　have　heard　of　a　year　they　call　the　FORTY…FIVE；　young　gentleman；　when　the　Southrons'　heads　made　their　last　acquaintance　with　Scottish　claymores？　　There　was　a　set　of　rampauging　chields　in　the　country　then　that　they　called　rebelsI　never　could　find　out　what　forSome　men　should　have　been　wi'　them　that　never　came；　provostSkye　and　the　Bush　aboon　Traquair　for　that；　ye　ken。　Weel；　the　job　was　settled　at　last。　　Cloured　crowns　were　plenty；　and　raxed　necks　came　into　fashion。　　I　dinna　mind　very　weel　what　I　was　doing；　swaggering　about　the　country　with　dirk　and　pistol　at　my　belt　for　five　or　six　months；　or　thereaway；　but　I　had　a　weary　waking　out　of　a　wild　dream。　　When　did　I　find　myself　on　foot　in　a　misty　morning；　with　my　hand；　just　for　fear　of　going　astray；　linked　into　a　handcuff；　as　they　call　it；　with　poor　Harry　Redgauntlet's　fastened　into　the　other；　and　there　we　were；　trudging　along；　with　about　a　score　more　that　had　thrust　their　horns　ower　deep　in　the　bog；　just　like　ourselves；　and　a　sergeant's　guard　of　redcoats；　with　twa　file　of　dragoons；　to　keep　all　quiet；　and　give　us　heart　to　the　road。　　Now；　if　this　mode　of　travelling　was　not　very　pleasant；　the　object　did　not　particularly　recommend　it；　for；　you　understand；　young　man；　that　they　did　not　trust　these　poor　rebel　bodies　to　be　tried　by　juries　of　their　ain　kindly　countrymen；　though　ane　would　have　thought　they　would　have　found　Whigs　enough　in　Scotland　to　hang　us　all；　but　they　behoved　to　trounce　us　away　to　be　tried　at　Carlisle；　where　the　folk　had　been　so　frightened；　that　had　you　brought　a　whole　Highland　clan　at　once　into　the　court；　they　would　have　put　their　hands　upon　their　een；　and　cried；　〃hang　them　a'；〃　just　to　be　quit　of　them。'

'Aye；　aye；'　said　the　provost；　'that　was　a　snell　law；　I　grant　ye。'

'Snell！'　　said　the　wife；　'snell！　　I　wish　they　that　passed　it　had　the　jury　I　would　recommend　them　to！'

'I　suppose　the　young　lawyer　thinks　it　all　very　right；'　said　Summertrees；　looking　at　Fairford〃an　OLD　lawyer　might　have　thought　otherwise。　　However；　the　cudgel　was　to　be　found　to　beat　the　dog；　and　they　chose　a　heavy　one。　　Well；　I　kept　my　spirits　better　than　my　companion；　poor　fellow；　for　I　had　the　luck　to　have　neither　wife　nor　child　to　think　about；　and　Harry　Redgauntlet　had　both　one　and　t'other。You　have　seen　Harry；　Mrs。　Crosbie？'

'In　troth　have　I；'　said　she；　with　the　sigh　which　we　give　to　early　recollections；　of　which　the　object　is　no　more。　　'He　was　not　so　tall　as　his　brother；　and　a　gentler　lad　every　way。　　After　he　married　the　great　English　fortune；　folk　called　him　less　of　a　Scottishman　than　Edward。'

'Folk　lee'd；　then；'　said　Summertrees；　'poor　Harry　was　none　of　your　bold…speaking；　ranting　reivers；　that　talk　about　what　they　did　yesterday；　or　what　they　will　do　to…morrow；　it　was　when　something　was　to　do　at　the　moment　that　you　should　have　looked　at　Harry　Redgauntlet。　　I　saw　him　at　Culloden；　when　all　was　lost；　doing　more　than　twenty　of　these　bleezing　braggarts；　till　the　very　soldiers　that　took　him　cried　not　to　hurt　himfor　all　somebody's　orders；　provostfor　he　was　the　bravest　fellow　of　them　all。　Weel；　as　I　went　by　the　side　of　Harry；　and　felt　him　raise　my　hand　up　in　the　mist　of　the　morning；　as　if　he　wished　to　wipe　his　eye　for　he　had　not　that　freedom　without　my　leavemy　very　heart　was　like　to　break　for　him；　poor　fellow。　　In　the　meanwhile；　I　had　been　trying　and　trying　to　make　my　hand　as　fine　as　a　lady's；　to　see　if　I　could　slip　it　out　of　my　iron　wristband。　　You　may　think；'　he　said；　laying　his　broad　bony　hand　on　the　table；　'I　had　work　enough　with　such　a　shoulder…of…mutton　fist；　but　if　you　observe；　the　shackle…bones　are　of　the　largest；　and　so　they　were　obliged　to　keep　the　handcuff　wide；　at　length　I　got　my　hand　slipped　out；　and　slipped　in　again；　and　poor　Harry　was　sae　deep　in　his　ain　thoughts；　I　could　not　make　him　sensible　what　I　was　doing；'

'Why　not？'　　said　Alan　Fairford；　for　whom　the　tale　began　to　have　some　interest。

'Because　there　was　an　unchancy　beast　of　a　dragoon　riding　close　beside　us　on　the　other　side；　and　if　I　had　let　him　into　my　confidence　as　well　as　Harry；　it　would　not　have　been　long　before　a　pistol…ball　slapped　through　my　bonnet。Well；　I　had　little　for　it　but　to　do　the　best　I　could　for　myself；　and；　by　my　conscience；　it　was　time；　when　the　gallows　was　staring　me　in　the　face。　　We　were　to　halt　for　breakfast　at　Moffat。　　Well　did　I　know　the　moors　we　were　marching　over；　having　hunted　and　hawked　on　every　acre　of　ground　in　very　different　times。　　So　I　waited；　you　see；　till　I　was　on　the　edge　of　Errickstane…braeYe　ken　the　place　they　call　the　Marquis's　Beef…stand；　because　the　Annandale　loons　used　to　put　their　stolen　cattle　in　there？'

Fairford　intimated　his　ignorance；

'Ye　must　have　seen　it　as　ye　came　this　way；　it　looks　as　if　four　hills　were　laying　their　heads　together；　to　shut　out　daylight　from　the　dark　hollow　space　between　them。　　A　dd　deep；　black；　blackguard…looking　abyss　of　a　hole　it　is；　and　goes　straight　down　from　the　roadside；　as　perpendicular　as　it　can　do；　to　be　a　heathery　brae。　　At　the　bottom；　there　is　a　small　bit　of　a　brook；　that　you　would　think　could　hardly　find；　its　way　out　from　the　hills　that　are　so　closely　jammed　round　it。'

'A　bad　pass；　indeed；'　said　Alan。

'You　may　say　that；'　continued　the　laird。　　'Bad　as　it　was；　sir；　it　was　my　only　chance；　and　though　my　very　flesh　creeped　when　I　thought　what　a　rumble　I　was　going　to　get；　yet　I　kept　my　heart　up　all　the　same。　　And　so；　just　when　we　came　on　the　edge　of　this　Beef…stand　of　the　Johnstones；　I　slipped　out　my　hand　from　the　handcuff；　cried　to　Harry　Gauntlet；　'Follow　me！'whisked　under　the　belly　of　the　dragoon　horseflung　my　plaid　round　me　with　the　speed　of　lightningthrew　myself　on　my　side；　for　there　was　no　keeping　my　feet；　and　down　the　brae　hurled　I；　over　heather　and　fern；　and　blackberries；　like　a　barrel　down　Chalmer's　Close；　in　Auld　Reekie。　　G；　sir；　I　never　could　help　laughing　when　I　think　how　the　scoundrel　redcoats　must　have　been　bumbazed；　for　the　mist　being；　as　I　said；　thick；　they　had　little　notion；　I　take　it；　that　they　were　on　the　verge　of　such　a　dilemma。　　I　was　half　way　down　for　rowing　is　faster　wark　than　rinningere　they　could　get　at　their　arms；　and　then　it　was　flash；　flash；　flashrap；　rap；　rap　from　the　edge　of　the　road；　but　my　head　was　too　jumbled　to　think　anything　either　of　that　or　the　hard　knocks　I　got　among　the　stones。　　I　kept　my　senses　thegither；　whilk　has　been　thought　wonderful　by　all　that　ever　saw　the　place；　and　I　helped　myself

with　my　hands　as　gallantly　as　I　could；　and　to　the　bottom　I　came。　There　I　lay　for　half　a　moment；　but　the　thoughts　of　a　gallows　is　worth　all　the　salts　and　scent…bottles　in　the　world　for　bringing　a　man　to　himself。　　Up　I　sprang；　like　a　four…year…auld　colt。　　All　the　hills　were　spinning　round　with　me；　like　so　many　great　big　humming…tops。　　But　there　was　nae　time　to　think　of　that　neither；　more　especially　as　the　mist　had　risen　a　little　with　the　firing。　I　could　see　the　villains；　like　sae　mony　craws　on　the　edge　of　the　brae；　and　I　reckon　that　they　saw　me；　for　some　of　the　loons　were　beginning　to　crawl　down　the　hill；　but　liker　auld　wives　in　their　red　cloaks；　coming　frae　a　field　preaching；　than　such　a　souple　lad　as　I　was。　　Accordingly；　they　soon　began　to　stop　and　load　their　pieces。　　Good…e'en　to　you；　gentlemen；　thought　I；　if　that　is　to　be　the　gate　of　it。　　If　you　have　any　further　word　with　me；　you　maun　come　as　far　as　Carriefraw…gauns。　　And　so　off　I　set；　and　never　buck　went　faster　ower　the　braes　than　I　did；　and　I　never　stopped　till　I　had　put　three　waters；　reasonably　deep；　as　the　season　was　rainy；　half　a　dozen　mountains；　and　a　few　thousand　acres　of　the　worst　moss　and　ling　in　Scotland；　betwixt　me　and　my　friends　the　redcoats。'

'It　was　that　job　which　got　you　the　name　of　Pate…in…Peril；'　said　the　provost；　filling　the　glasses；　and　exclaiming　with　great　emphasis；　while　his　guest；　much　animated　with　the　recollections　which　the　exploit　excited；　looked　round　with　an　air　of　triumph　for　sympathy　and　applause；'Here　is　to　your　good　health；　and　may　you　never　put　your　neck　in　such　a　venture　again。'　　＇The　escape　of　a　Jacobite　gentleman　while　on　the　road　to　Carlisle　to　take　his　trial　for　his　share　in　the　affair　of　1745；　took　place　at　Errickstane…brae；　in　the　singular　manner　ascribed　to　the　Laird　of　Summertrees　in　the　text。　　The　author　has　seen　in　his　youth　the　gentleman　to　whom　the　adventure　actually　happened。　　The　distance　of　time　makes　some　indistinctness　of　recollection；　but　it　is　believed　the　real　name　was　MacEwen　or　MacMillan。＇

'Humph！I　do　not　know；'　answered　Summertrees。　　'I　am　not　like　to　be　tempted　with　another　opportunity＇An　old　gentleman　of　the　author's　name　was　engaged　in　the　affair　of　1715；　and　with　some　difficulty　was　saved　from　the　gallows　by　the　intercession　of　the　Duchess　of　Buccleugh　and　Monmouth。　　Her　Grace；　who　maintained　a　good　deal　of　authority　over　her　clan；　sent　for　the　object　of　her　intercess