The Little Minister

at the minister, and the

e you goi

et you see there's one man in Thrums that h

t I don't know that th

d in tying the p

hing about that," G

I hide

you to do that. I

ut a cry. There was a tread of heavier feet, and a dozen soldiers, with several

minister in des

e they locked up their prisoners, Dow was skul

they're fechting on the brae, the

was an ex

ched the scene to see the soldiers marching down the brae, guarding a small body of policemen. The armed weavers were retreating before them. A hundr

forces, some crawled through the hedge, where they were instantly seized by policemen. Others sought to climb up the hillock and then escape into the country. The policemen clambered after them. The men were too frightened to fight, but a woman se

ordered to advance down the brae. Thus the weavers who had not escaped at once were driven before them, and soon hemmed in between t

ght of one divit in it. He had been watching the handsome young captain, Halliwell, riding with his men; admiring him, too, for h

y fling straight!"

was so lost in misery over the probable effect of the night's rioting that he had forgotten where he was. Suddenly the Egyptian's bea

of earth, and hit H

lness that only the Egyptian witnessed the deed. Gavin, I suppose, had

he crie

ar," she said

d been read from the town-house stair. It is still remembered that the baron-bailie, to whom this duty f

y immediately said and did. I had from Dite Deuchar's own lips the curious story of his sleeping placidly throughout the whole disturbance, and on wakening in the morning yoking to his loom as usual; and also his statement that such ill-luck was enough to shake a man's faith in religion. The police had knowledge that enabled them to go straight to the houses of the weavers wanted, but they sometimes brought away the wrong man, for such of the people as did not escape from the town had swopped houses for the night-a trick that served them better than all their drilling on the hill. Old Yuill's son escaped by burying himself in a peat-

mmed on fair nights and empty for the rest of the year, the sheriff and Halliwell were in the round-room o

ur failing to take them by surprise. Why, three-fourths of those taken will ha

eavy cloak, "I have brought your policemen into

ense of alarming the country- sid

hosts. Could your police have com

mischief. This woman, who, so many of our prisoners admit, brought the news of our c

despite our precautions, but you forget that she told them how we we

it was a close secret

nd not half-a-

explanation. If she is still in the town s

een ten mi

oad of their wives instead. I have only seen the backs of the men of Thrums, but, on my word, I very n

t was John Dunwoodie, looking very sly. Probably there was not, even in Thrums, a cannier man than Dunwoodie. His religious views were those

ho brought the alarm. He admits himself havi

man?" the she

woodie," the tinsmith

is

a say i

Tilliedrum

ht hae

re

ear to n

y n

I'm a c

him," Halliwell cr

understand the sort of man. Now, Dunwo

nticed to a writer there," answered Du

e you yo

a tinsmith

that a lawyer was willing to take your so

nd I hae siller, and that's how the writer

He left the laddie at Tilliedrum, and yet when he came home the first person he sees at the fireside is the laddie himself

e," the sheriff said, "and if you cannot

nd o' life he would hae to lead, clean hands, clean dickies, and no gutters on his breeks, his heart took mair scunner at genteelity than ever, and he ran hame. Ay, I was ma

e Langlands, was conf

ohn but the Egyptian that gave the alarm. I tell you what, sheriff, if it'll make me innocenter-li

est fellow," sa

ng of him," growled Halliwell

"to meddle in other folks' business? She's no a Thrums la

o such a cur, Riac

Speak out,

was in the wind

re a wa

l wi' another man," Dave went on

name?" deman

to tell you about," Dave sa

tell tales about wo

ole in the door, and I saw it was an Egyptian lassie 'at I had never clapped een on afore. She saw the licht in the window, and she cried, 'Hie, you billies in the windmill, the sojers is coming!' I fel

urself up first," s

ed me up; ay, and she picked

he town.' But, sheriff, I didna do't. Na

, "you also bolted, and left the

her that blew the horn. I ken that, for I looked back and sa

ho did

that the horn was to be the signal except We

l you saw o

ht to my garret, and

hame now

Describe the wo

most extraordinary face. I canna exact describe it, for she would be lauchin' one second and syne solemn the next. I t

entered c

m officer said; "we have been searching fo

een?" asked the s

is at this hour," replie

gnore your duty

eman answered, pleasantly, in

me in

tfallen. "It canna be done. You'll need to c

re in this night's work if you do not speak to the

ere's rough characters about, and the place for honest folk is their bed. So to my bed I gaed, and I was in't when your men gripped me." "W

't a lassie wi' ro

Have you

? Whatever it is, I'll uphaud she didna do't, fo

want her for. Whe

ay, no lang afore I heard the disturbance in the square. I was standing in the middle o'

,' I says to her, for nobody but th

hough she was breathing quick like as if she

ys I, 'and

uir gypsy lass

that in your

he wood,' says she, 'but i

ance, and says I, 'I wa

elieve you,

lasts on't. Ay, you see she didna ken the way o't. 'Thank you kindly,' sa

ied the sheriff. "Then it

den you?" honest Wearyw

sight, sir!" ro

captain

aid. "Hie, obliging friend, let us hear how

unca snod," replied

underst

couthie, but n

earth i

stocky, but g

are you speakin

y a bonny bit kimmer rather

ir haughtily, declaring that the sheriff was an unreasonable man, and t

, sheriff?" asked L

ever else you do, see that you capture this woman. Halliwell, I am goi

xen has slipped thr

ear I'll have her before day breaks. See to it, Halliwell, that if she

"you must return and protect me. It would be cruelty to

woman. You have been

am not

it the appearance of a pulpit. Left to himself, Halliwell flung off his cloak and taking a chair near this dais rested his legs on the bare wood