They parted, the shepherd turning sharp off to the right, while the farmer descended towards his cottage. He had not advanced above half the distance when an object a little to the left of his path induced him to stop. It resembled a round stone, and was too small to have attracted the attention of any eye save one which was familiar with every bush and stone on the ground. Grasping a stout thorn stick which he carried, Andrew advanced towards the object in question with catlike caution until quite close to it, when he discovered that it was the head of a man who was sleeping soundly under a whin-bush. A closer inspection showed that the man wore an iron headpiece, a soldiers coat, and huge jack-boots.
A dragoon and a spy! thought Andrew, while he raised his cudgel, the only weapon he carried, and frowned. But Andrew was a merciful man; he could not bring himself to strike a sleeping man, even though waking him might entail a doubtful conflict, for he could see that the troopers hand grasped the hilt of his naked sword. For a few moments he surveyed the sleeper, as if calculating his chances, then he quietly dropped his plaid, took off his coat, and untying his neckcloth, laid it carefully on one side over a bush. Having made these preparations, he knelt beside Will Wallacefor it was heand grasped him firmly by the throat with both hands.
As might have been expected, the young trooper attempted to spring up, and tried to use his weapon; but, finding this to be impossible at such close quarters, he dropped it, and grappled the farmer with all his might; but Andrew, holding on to him like a vice, placed his knee upon his chest and held him firmly down.
Its o nae manner o use to strive, ye see, said Andrew, relaxing his grip a little; Ive gotten ye, an if ye like to do my biddin Ill no be hard on ye.
If you will let me rise and stand before me in fair fight, Ill do your business if not your bidding, returned Wallace in a tone of what may be termed stern sulkiness.
Div ye think its likely Ill staund before you in fair fecht, as you cadyou wi a swurd, and me wi a bit stick, my lad? Na, na, yell hae to submit, little though ye like it.
Give me the stick, then, and take you the sword, I shall be content, said the indignant trooper, making another violent but unsuccessful effort to free himself.
Its a fair offer, said Andrew, when he had subdued the poor youth a second time, an reflecs favourably on yer courage, but Im a man o peace, an have no thirst for bloodshedwhilk is more than ye can say, young man; but if yell let me tie yer hands thegither, an gang peaceably hame wi me, Is promise that nae mischiefll befa ye.
No man shall ever tie my hands together as long as there is life in my body, replied the youth.
Stop, stop, callant! exclaimed Andrew, as Will was about to renew the struggle. The pride o youth is awful. Hear what Ive gotten to say to ye, man, or Ill hae to throttle ye ootright. Itll come to the same thing if yell alloo me to tie ane o my hands to ane o yours. Ye canna objec to that, surely, for Ill be your prisoner as muckle as youll be mineand thatll be fair play, for well leave the swurd lyin on the brae to keep the bit stick company.
Well, I agree to that, said Wallace, in a tone that indicated surprise with a dash of amusement.
An ye promise no to try to get away when youre tied towhen Im tied to you?
I promise.
Hereupon the farmer, reaching out his hand, picked up the black silk neckcloth which he had laid aside, and with it firmly bound his own left wrist to the right wrist of his captive, talking in a grave, subdued tone as he did so.
Nae doot the promise o a spy is hardly to be lippened to, but if I find that yere a dishonourable man, yell find that Im an uncomfortable prisoner to be tied to. Noo, git up, lad, an well gang hame thegither.
On rising, the first thing the trooper did was to turn and take a steady look at the man who had captured him in this singular manner.
Weel, what dye think o me? asked Andrew, with what may be termed a grave smile.
If you want to know my true opinion, returned Wallace, I should say that I would not have thought, from the look of you, that you could have taken mean advantage of a sleeping foe.
Ayan I would not have thought, from the look o you, retorted Andrew, that ye could hae sellt yersel to gang skulkin aboot the hills as a spy upon the puir craters that are only seekin to worship their Maker in peace.
Without further remark Andrew Black, leaving his coat and plaid to keep company with the sword and stick, led his prisoner down the hill.
Andrews cottage occupied a slight hollow on the hillside, which concealed it from every point of the compass save the high ground above it. Leading the trooper up to the door, he tapped gently, and was promptly admitted by some one whom Wallace could not discern, as the interior was dark.
Oh, Uncle Andrew! Im glad yeve come, for Peter hasna come back yet, an Im feared somethin has come ower him.
Strike a light, lassie. Ive gotten haud o a spy here, an canna weel dot mysel.
When a light was procured and held up, it revealed the pretty face of Jean Black, which underwent a wondrous change when she beheld the face of the prisoner.
Uncle Andrew! she exclaimed, this is nae spy. Hes the man that cam to the help o Aggie an me against the dragoon.
Is that sae? said Black, turning a look of surprise on his prisoner.
It is true, indeed, that I had the good fortune to protect Jean and her friend from an insolent comrade, answered Wallace; and it is also true that that act has been partly the cause of my deserting to the hills, being starved for a day and a night, and taken prisoner now as a spy.
Sir, said Andrew, hastily untying the kerchief that bound them together, I humbly ask your pardon. Moreover, its my opeenion that if ye hadna been starvin ye wadna have been here e noo, for yere uncommon teuch. Rin, lassie, an fetch some breed an cheese. Whars Marion an Isbl?
They went out to seek for Peter, said Jean, as she hastened to obey her uncles mandate.
At that moment a loud knocking was heard at the door, and the voice of Marion, one of the maid-servants, was heard outside. On the door being opened, she and her companion Isabel burst in with excited looks and the information, pantingly given, that the sodgers were comin.
Haud yer noise, lassie, an licht the firepit on the parritch pat. Come, Peter, lets hear a aboot it.
Ramblin Peter, who had been thus named because of his inveterate tendency to range over the neighbouring hills, was a quiet, undersized, said-to-be weak-minded boy of sixteen years, though he looked little more than fourteen. No excitement whatever ruffled his placid countenance as he gave his reportto the effect that a party of dragoons had been seen by him not half an hour before, searching evidently for his masters cottage.
Theyll soon find it, said the farmer, turning quickly to his domestics Away wi ye, lassies, and hide.
The two servant-girls, with Jean and her cousin Aggie Wilson, ran at once into an inner room and shut the door. Ramblin Peter sat stolidly down beside the fire and calmly stirred the porridge-pot, which was nearly full of the substantial Scottish fare.