Salute to Adventurers

to the Edinburgh highroad. I had a swimming head, and a hard crupper to grate my ribs at every movement, and my captor would shift me about with as

a trooper with shameful ease, so that my manhood cried out against me. Lastly, I had cut the sorriest figure in the eyes of t

the sorrel had gone, and so had the maid Janet, for I could not see her among the dishevelled wretches in the cart. The thought of that girl filled me with bitter animosity. She must have known that I was none of Gib's company, for had I not risked my life at the muzzle of his pistol? I had taken her part

ottage doors to see the portent. Groups of children followed us from every wayside clachan, so that we gave great entertainment to the dwellers in Lothian that day. The thing infuriated the dragoons, for it made them a laughing-stock, and the sins of Gib were visited upon the more silent prisoners. We were hurried along at a cruel pace, so that I had often to run to avoid the dragging at my wrists, and behind us bumped the cart full of wailful women. I was sick from fatigue and lack of food, and the South Port of Edinburgh was a welcome sight to me. Welcome, and yet shamef

s high up on one wall gave us such light and air as was going, but the place reeked with human breathing, and smelled as rank as a kennel. I have a delicate nose, and I could not but believe on my entrance that an hour of such a hole would be the death of me. Soon the darkness came, and we were given a tallow dip in a horn lantern hung on a nail to light us to food. Such food I had never dreamed of. There was a big iron basin of some kind of broth, made, as I judged, fr

men were mostly countryfolk, culled, as I could tell by their speech, from the west country, whose only fault, no doubt, was that they had attended some field-preaching. One old man, a mi

ry, and when he heard

as now reciting gi

thful of devilish blasphemies. He is without doubt a child of Belial, as much as any proud persecutor. Woe is the Kirk, when her foes shall be of her own household, for it is with the words of the Gospel that he seeks to overthrow the Gospel work. And h

s little of a partisan, finding it hard enough to keep my own feet from temptation without judging others. "I am weary," I said, "of all covenants and resolutions and excommunications and the constraining of men's conscience either by

r times. I do not know. It may be that God wills that the Laodiceans have their day, for the fires of our noble covenant have flamed too smokily. Yet

re to his devotions. I was very weary, my head was splitting with the foul air of the place, and I would fain have got me to sleep. S

rom his Highness of York down to one Welch of Borrowstoneness, who had been the means of his first imprisonment; he cursed the indulged and tolerated ministers; and he cursed every man of the hill-folk whose name he could remember. He testified against all dues and cesses, against all customs and excises, taxes and burdens; against beer and ale and wines and tobacco; against mumming and peep-shows and dancing, and every sort o

is fingers in his ears, and, advancing to the maniac, bade him be silent before God should blast him. But what could his thin old voice do

olk. But my anger and discomfort banished all fear, and I rushed at the prophet in a whirlwind. He had no eyes for my coming till my head took him fairl

out of grips with him. I was light on my feet, and in our country bouts had often worsted a heavier antagonist by my quickness in movement. So when Muckle John leaped

eside himself with fury, and was swinging his arms wildly like a flail. Three or four times I avoided his rushes, noting with satisfaction that one of the countrymen had got hold of the shrieking Isobel. Then my chance cam

"we must silence this mountebank." With three leathern belts, one my own and two borrowed, we made fast his feet and arms, I stuffed a kerchief into his mouth, and bound his jaws with another, but not so tight as to hinder his

*

ce his limbs were freed he would try to kill me. The others were still asleep while I tiptoed over to his corner. At first sight I got a fearsome shock, for I thought he was dead of suffocation. He had worked the gag out of his mouth, and lay

satisfied, from the look of Muckle John, that his dangerous fit was over, so I gave my voice for release. Gib shook himself like a great dog, and fell to his breakfast without a word. I found the thin brose provided more palatable than the so

ds crossing it, and a gust of the clean air of morning was blown into our cell. Gib s

nny Nettles,' sir?"

equest in that place an

the best of my skil

it after me. "I aye love the way of it. Yon's the tune I use

little thing wrought a change in my view of him. His madness was seemingly like that of an

were beating down the Forth in the Loupin' Jean. Sh

you leave a clean job for

tic was suddenly revealed to me. One or two distorted notions, a wild imagination, and fierce passions, and there you have the ingredients ready. But momen

the second time I've fallen into the hands o' the Amale

tions maybe, or the Bass! It's a bonny creel you've

nock, and once in the _Luckpenny _o' Leith. It's a het land but a bonny, and full o' all manner o' fruits. You c

and the gaoler appeared. He looked at our heads, then singled me out, and cried

ough this he thrust me, and I found myself in a handsome panelled apartment with the city arms carved above the chimney. A window stood open, and I breathed the sweet, fresh air with delight. But I caught a reflection of myself in the polishe

y handsomely dressed in a plum-coloured silken coat, with a snowy cravat at his neck. At the si

hen turned to his companion. "Is this the fellow,

r colour was high with the fresh morning, and

"It is the very man, though none th

company, but interfered on your beh

if I were not a match for a dozen crazy h

His Majesty's servants, to wit, the trooper John Donald,

iend from foe in a mellay? Have you never seen a dog i

ate. Your plea is that this young man, whose name I do not know and do not seek to hear, should be freed

g eyes roamed about the apartment wi

" said the little gentleman. "Speak, sir, and thank His Ma

the Canongate at this hour. 'Twas justice only that moved her, I thought, and no gratitude or kindness. To her I was something so lowly that she need not take the pains to be civil, but must

aid gruffly-"and the la

free

t stairway, and you will be in

t of bow and mo

ep a cheerful countenance, or they'll think you

my ears I made my way into the Canongate,

*

examination before the Council, and had had frequent bouts of madness since, but for the moment he was peaceable. I found him in a little cell by himself, outside the common room of the gaol. He was sitting in an attitude of great dejection, and when I entered could scarcely recall me t

k countryside for ever. "I used aye to think o' the first sight o' Inchkeith and the Lomond hills, and the smell o' herrings at the pier o' Leith. What sa

I could do hi

imidly. "She might like to ken what had

ch I used for College notes. It was surely the queerest love-letter ever indited, for the most part of it was theology, and the rest was inst