The Black Dwarf

hattock, cri

nd hattock,

nna ride for

er look in t

er B

the stirrup; and, while Elliot hastily collected arms and accoutrements, no easy matt

take it, Hobbie. Let women sit and greet at hame, men mus

eniors, sternly; “dinna abuse the Word tha

ings, Hobbie?— O, callants, dinna be o

?” said Simon; “if ye canna make help y

ake vengeance or ye ke

fore us?— All evil comes out o’ thereaway — it’s an auld saying and a

Earnscliff’s horses ower th

here had been a fair held there the day before,” said Hugh, the bl

unds,” cried anothe

up, and the dew is aff the gru

ere roving about the ruins of their old habitati

his mis-shapen bouk wi’ my whinger.” He then hastily gave directions to his comrades: “Four o’ ye, wi’ Simon, haud right forward to Graeme’s-gap. If they’re English, they’ll be for being back that way. The rest disperse by twasome and threesome through the waste, and

would speak to Canny Elshie. He can tell you wh

g his arms in order, “what he kens o’ this night’s j

ke o’ him will no bear thrawing. They converse sae muckle wi’ thae fr

s that in my breast this day, that would ower-maister

himself on his horse, and spurred him a

had time to consider maturely in what manner he should address the Dwarf, in order to extract from him the knowledge which he supposed him to be in possession of concerning the authors of his misfortunes. Hobbie, though blunt, plain of speech, and hot of disposition, like most of his countrymen, was by no means

vil as no to take some pity in a case like mine; and folk threep he’ll whiles do good, charitable sort o’ things. I’ll keep my heart d

commodation he approached

f audience, nor could Hobbie percei

aybe to be out o’ the gate; but I’se pu’ it doun

hie, my gude friend!” No reply. “Elshie, canny Father Elshie!” The Dwarf remained mute. “Sorrow be in the crooked carcass of thee!” said the Border

resembling an arrow slit, which he had constructed near the door of his dwelling, and through w

is the better, Elshie? Do you not hear me tel

r! and did I not tell you this morning, when you thought

at gars me come to you for advice now; they

hine is as that of a peasant? society, where there was an interchange of all that was amiable — of all that was intellectual? Have I not lost all this? Am I not residing here, the veriest outcast on the face of Nature, in the mos

goods and gear; ye may hae lost them a’,— but ye ne’er can hae sae sair a heart as mine, for ye

table feelings of poor Hobbie. Ere he had again addressed the Solitary, the bony hand and long fingers of the latter, holding a large leathern bag, was

dily thinks.— Begone; return twice as wealthy as thou wert before yesterday, and tor

ill; and I wad blithely gie you a bond for some o’ the siller, or a wadset ower the lands o’ Wideopen. But I dinna ken, Elshie; to be free wi

poison as ever was dug out of the bowels of the earth. Take i

ty head of finer cattle there werena on this side of the Catrail; but let the gear gang,— if ye could but gie me speerings o’ pu

thou hast not enough of woes of thine own, but must needs seek to burden t

t ? That’s

utter;” and he drew the shutters of his window, leav

it Westburnflat? If I am wrang, say sae. I wadna like to wyte an innocent neighbour wi’ violence — No answer?— It must be the Red Reiver — I didna think he wad hae ventured on me, neither, and sae mony kin as there’s o’ us — I am thinking he’ll hae some bet

ere was

he’s baith; but I hae nae tim

rds the place of rendezvous whi

nd his party, who had followed the track of the cattle as far as the English border, but had halted on the information that a considerable force was drawn together under some of the Jacobite gentlemen in that district, and there were tidings of insurrection in different parts of Scotland. Th

see he’s leagued wi’ the Cumberland Catholics; and that agrees weel wi’ what Elshie hinted about Westburnflat, for E

he himself was to hold a command under him, and that they would be bad neighbours for young Earnscliff; and all that stood out for the established government. The result was a strong belief that Westburnflat had headed the party under Ellieslaw’s orders; and they resolv

was that of an impassable and dangerous bog. The owner of the tower and his inmates alone knew the winding and intricate paths, which, leading over ground that was comparatively sound, admitted visitors to his residence. But among the party which were assembled under Earnscliff’s directions, there was more than one person qualified to act as a guide. For although the owner’s character and habits of life were generally known, yet the laxity of feeling with respect to property prevented his being looked on with the abhorrence with which he must have been regarded in a more civilized country. He was considered, among his more peaceable neighbours, pretty much as a gambler, cock-fighter, or horse-jockey would be regarded at the present day; a person, of course, whose habits were to be condemned, and his society, in general, avoided