Latest / Classic Adventure Books Collection / 25 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
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- Chapter twenty five. In balcu Hitter, at the door of the first house, we came to Allan knocked, which was of no very safe enterprise. In such a part of the Highlands as the Braves of balcu Hitter, no great clan held rule. There was filled and disputed by small steps and broken remnants, and what they call chiefless folk, driven into the wild country about the springs of forth and teeth by the advance of the Campbells. Here were Stuarts and mac Larens, which came to the same thing. For the Maclarens followed Allan's chief in war and made but one clan with appen. Here too were many of that old proscribed, nameless, red handed clan of the Macgregors. They had always been ill considered, and now worse than ever, having credit with no side or party in the whole country of Scotland. Their chief, MacGregor of mac Gregor, was in exile. The more i mediate leader of that part of them about balcour Hitter, James Moore, rob Roy's eldest son, lay waiting his trial in Edinburgh Castle. They were in ill blood with Highlander and lowlander, with the Grahams. The McLarens and the Stewarts, and Allan, who took up the quarrel of any friend, however distant, was extremely wishful to avoid them. Chance served us very well, for it was a household of McLarens that we found, where Allan was not only welcome for his name's sake, but known by reputation. Here. Then I was got to bed without delay, and a doctor fetched who found me in a sorry plight. But whether because he was a very good doctor or I a very young strong man, I lay bedridden for no more than a week, and before a month I was able to take the road again with a good heart. All this time Allan would not leave me, though I often pressed him, and indeed his full heartiness in staying was a common subject of outcry with the two or three friends that were let into the secret. He hid by day in a hole of the braves under a little wood, and at night, when the coast was clear, would come into the house to visit me. I need not say if I was pleased to see him. Missus mc laren, our hostess, thought nothing good enough for such a guest. And as Duncan Dew, which was the name of Our host had a pair of pipes in his house, and was much a lover of music. This time of my recovery was quite a festival, and we commonly turned night into day. The soldiers let us be, although once a party of two companies and some dragoons went by in the bottom of the valley, where I could see them through the window as I lay in bed. But was much more astonishing. No magistrate came near me, and there was no question put of whence I came or whither I was going. And in that time of excitement, I was as free of all aquy as though I had lain in a desert. Yet my presence was known before I left to all the people in Balco Hitter and the adjacent parts, many coming about the house on visits, and these, after the custom of the country, spreading the news among their neighbors. The bills, too, had now been printed. There was one pinned near the foot of my bed, where I could read my own, not very flattering portrait, and in larger characters, the amount of the blood money that had been set upon my life, duncan dew, and the rest that knew that I had come there in Allan's company could have entertained no doubt of who I was, and many others must have had their guests, For though I had changed my clothes, I could not change my age or person. And Loland boys of eighteen were not so rife in these parts of the world, and above all about that time, that they could fail to put one thing with another and connect me with the bill. So it was at least other folk keep a secret among two or three near friends, and somehow it leaks out. But among these clansmen it is told to a whole country side, and they will keep it for a century. There was but one thing happening worth narrating, and that is the visit I had of Robin Oig, one of the sons of the notorious Rob Roy. He was sought upon all sides on a charge of carrying a young woman from Balfron and marrying her, as was alleged by force. Yet he stepped about balco hit her like a gentleman in his own walled policy. It was he who had shot James mac laren at the plow Stilts, a quarrel never satisfied. Yet he walked into the house of his blood enemies, as a writer might into a public inn. Duncan had time to pass me word of who it was, and we looked at one another in concern. You should understand. It was then close upon the time of Allan's coming. The two were little likely to agree, and yet if we sent word or sought to make a signal, it was sure to arouse suspicion in a man under so dark a cloud as the MacGregor. He came in with a great show of civility, but like a man among inferiors, took off his bonnet to missus mc laren, but clapped it on his head again to speak to Duncan, and, leaving thus set himself as he would have thought in a proper light, came to my bedside and bowed. I am givin to know, Sir, says he that your name is Balfour. They call me David. Balfour, said I, at your service, I would give ye my name in return, Sir, he replied, but it's one somewhat blown upon of late days, and it'll perhaps suffice if I tell you that I am own brother to James Maud Drummond or MacGregor, of whom you will scarce have failed to hear no, sir, said I a little long armed, nor yet of your father mac Gregor Campbell. And I sat up and bowed in bed, for I thought best to compliment him in case he was proud of having had an outlaw to his father. He bowed in return. But what I am about to say, sir, he went on, is this. In the year forty five, my brother raised a part of the Gregara and marched six companies to strike a stroke for the good side. And the surgeon that marched with our clan and cured my brother's leg when it was broken in the brush it pressed in pans, was a gentleman of the same name precisely as yourself. He was Brother de Balfour of Baith. And if you are in any reasonable degree of nearness one of that gentleman's skin, I have come to put myself in my people at your command. You are to remember that I knew no more of my descent than any cadger's dog. My uncle, to be sure, had prayed of some of her high connections, but nothing to the present purpose. And there was nothing left me but that bitter disgrace of owning that I could not tell. Robin told me shortly he was sorry he had put himself about, turned his back upon me without a sign of salutation, and as he went towards the door, I could hear him telling Duncan that I was only some kinness loon, that he didn't know his own father. Angry as I was at these words, and ashamed of my own ignorance, I could scarce keep from smiling that a man who was under the lash of the law, and was indeed hanged some three years later, should be so nice as to the descent of his acquaintances. Just in the door he met Allan coming in, and the two drew back and looked at each other like strange dogs. They were neither of them big men, but they seemed fairly to swell out with pride. Each wore a sword, and by a movement of his haunch, thrust clear the hilt of it, so that it might be the more readily grabbed asp and the blade drawn. Mister Stuart, I am thinking, says Robin. Truth, mister mac gregor, it's not a mean to be ashamed of, answered Allan. I did not know you were in my country, sir, says Robin. It sticks in my mind that I am in the country of my friends. Mac Laurence, says Allan. That's a kittle point, returned the other. There may be two words to say to that, but I think I will have heard that you are mad of your sword. Unless you were born deaf, mister MacGregor, you would have heard a great deal more than that, says Allan. I am not the only man that can draw steel and appen. And when my kinsman and Captain Ardshield had a talk with a gentleman of your name not so many years back, I could never hear that the MacGregor had the best of it. Do you mean my father, sir, says Robin. Well, I would no wonder, said Allan. The gentleman I have in mind, had the ill taste to clap campbell to his name. My father was an old man, returned Robin. The match was unequal. You and me would make a better pyre, Sir, I was thinkin that, said Allan. I was half out of bed, and Duncan had been hanging at the elbow of these fighting cocks, ready to intervene upon the least occasion. But when that word was uttered, it was a case of now or never, and Duncan, with something of a white face, to be sure, thrust himself between gentlemen, said he, I will have been thinking of a very different matter. Whatever, here are my pipes, and here are you, two gentlemen, who are both acclaimed pipers. It's in all dispute which one of you is the best. He will be a broad chance to settle it, Why, sir, said Allan, still addressing Robin, from whom indeed he had not so much as shifted his eyes, nor yet Robin from him. Why, sir, says Alan, I think I will have heard some soft of the sort, have ye music? As folks say? Are ye a bit of a piper? I can pipe like a mac crimon, cries Robin. And that is a very bold word, quoth Alan. I have made bolder words good before now, returned Robin. And that against better adversaries, it is easy to try, that, says Allan. Duncan. Dew made haste to bring out a pair of pipes that was his principal possession, and to set before his guests a mutton ham and a bottle of that drink which they call athol bros, which is made of old whiskey strained honey and sweet green, slowly beaten together in the right order and proportion. The two enemies were still on the very breach of a quarrel, but down they sat, one upon each side of the peat fire. With a mighty show of politeness, mc laren pressed them to taste his mutton ham men the wife's bros, reminding them the wife was out of Athol and had a name far and wide for her skill in that confection. But Robin put aside these hospitalities as bad for the breath. I would have you to remark, sir, said Alan, that I haven't broken bread for near upon ten hours, which will be worse for the breath than any bros in Scotland. I will take no advantages, mister Stewart, replied Robin. Eat and drink. I'll follow you. He JdE a small portion of the ham and drank a glass of the bros to missus mc laren. And then, after a great number of civilities, Robin took the pipes and played a little spring in a very ranting manner. Ay you can blow, said Alan, and taking the instrument from his rival, he first played the same spring in a manner identical with Robin's and then wandered into variations, which, as he went on he decorated with a perfect flight of grace, notes such as Piper's Love and call the Warblers. I have been pleased with Robin's playing. Allan's ravished me. That's not so very bad, mister Stuart said the rival. But you show a poor device in you warblers. Me, cried Allan, the blood starting to his face. I give you the lie? Do you own yourself beaten at the pipes? Then said Robin, that you seek that changed them for the sword. And that's very well, said mister mac gregor, returned Alan, and in the meantime, laying a strong accent on the word, I take back the lie. I appealed to Duncan. Indeed you need appeal to nobody, said Robin. You're far better judge than any mc laren in balk Hitter, for it's a god's truth that you're a very credible pipe Afore Stuart and me the pipes. Allan did as he asked, and Robin proceeded to imitate and correct some part of Allan's variations, which it seemed that he remembered perfectly. I ye have music, said Allan gloomily, and now be the judge yourself, mister Stuart, said Robin, and taking up the variations from the beginning, he worked them throughout to so new a purpose, with such ingenuity and sentiment, and with so odd a fancy, and so quick a knack in the grace notes that I was amazed to hear him. As for Allan, his face grew dark and hot, and he sat and gnawed his fingers like a man under some deep affront. Enough, he cried, ye can blow the pipes, make the most of that, and he made as if to rise, But Robin only held out his hand as if to ask for silence, and struck into the slow measure of a pibroch. It was a fine piece of music in itself, and nobly played, But it seems besides it was a piece peculiar to the appens Stuarts, and a chief favored with Allan. The first notes were scarce out before there came a change in his face. When the time quickened, he seemed to grow restless in his seat, And long before that piece was at an end, the last signs of his anger died from him, and he had no thought but for the music, Robin oig, he said, when it was done, ye are a great piper. I am not fit to blow in the same kingdom with ye body of me. Ye have more music in your sporin than I have in my head. And though it still sticks to my mind that I could maybe show ye another of it with the cold steel, I warn you beforehand it'll no be fair. It would go against my heart to haggle a man that can blow the pipes as you can. Thereupon that quarrel was made up. All night long, the broughs was going and the pipes changing hands, and the day had come pretty bright, and the three men were none the better for what they had been taking before. Robin as much as thought upon the road, and doctor