Salute to Adventurers

as stiff and sore as if I had been whipped, my clothes were sodden and heavy, and not till I had washed my face and

ot, and all but two-three were ancient beldames who should have been at home in the chimney corner. I noticed one decent-looking young woman, who had the air of a farm servant; and two were well-fed country wives who had probably left a brood of children to mourn them. The men were little better. On

eature, in the strange lift of his voice, in his grim jowl, and in the fire of his sombre eyes. The others I pitied, but him I hated and feared. On him and his kind were to be blamed all the madness of the land, which had sent my father ove

of the plains called it the Cauldstaneslap, and it made an easy path for sheep and cattle between the Lothians and Tweeddale. The camp had been snugly chosen, for, except by the gleam of a fire

ng over the moor. The horse leaped the burn lightly, and before I could gather m

in a green riding-coat, and over the lace collar of it her hair fell in dark, clustering curls. Her face was grave, like a determined child's; but the winds of the morning had

t of his rhapsodies. He stared blankly at the

here, thou shameles

was brought me that she had joined a mad company called the Sweet-Singers, that lay at the Cauldstaneslap. Jane

the one I had already noted as more decent-like than the

horse; "you'll never make a Sweet-Singer, for

the woman, blushing. "I follow the call o' th

h Blair. Forget these havers, Janet, and come back like a good Ch

ce broke into the prettiest of smiles. Perhaps Janet would have obey

om the way of salvation. Begone, or it is strongly borne in upon me that ye will dree the fa

alting maid. "Come, Janet, woman," she said again. "It's no job

nd. The girl did not move, but looked him square in the face, the young eyes fronting his demoniac g

st. The sight of her and the music of her voice had so enthralled me that I had made no plan as to my own conduct. But this sudden peril put fire into my heels, and in a second I was at

of throwing, having seen their brawls at the pier of Leith, and I had no notion for the steel in my throat. The man was far beyond me in size and strength, so I dared not close wi

id of the women, who with their long claws would have scratched my eyes out, and I knew they would not spare the girl. To her I turned anxiously, and, to my amazement, she was laughing. She recognized

round again, crying, "I must have Janet," and faced the crowd with her whip. That was well enough, but I saw Muckle Jo

Lay a hand on me, and I will cut you to ribb

d gone round to our rear, and in a second or two she would have been torn from the saddle. A hea

dragoons in the king's buff and scarlet, and they rode us down as if we had been hares in a field. The next I knew of it I was sprawling on the ground with a dizzy head, and horses trampling around me,

hung together like hens in a storm, while the dragoons laid about them with the flat of their swords. There was one poor creature came running my way, a

with many oaths, "I'll

were so pitifully feeble, a pack of humble, elderly folk, worn out with fasting and marching and ill weather. I had been sickened by

t, and bade the

aimed a clour at my head. "Take that, my mannie,"

e of naked folly. I flew at his throat, and since I had stood on a little eminence, the force of my assault toppled him over. My vi

s he beat me. "Ye'll pay dear for p

nd legs, haled me to his horse, and flung me sack-like over the crupper. There was no more shameface