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19 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen. The House of Fear. Night fell as we
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  Speaker 1: were walking, and the clouds which had broken up in
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  Speaker 1: the afternoon, settled in and thickened, so that it fell,
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  Speaker 1: for the season of the year, extremely dark. The way
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  Speaker 1: we went was over rough mountain sides, and though Alan
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  Speaker 1: pushed on with an assured manner, I could by no
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  Speaker 1: means see how he directed himself. At last, about half
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  Speaker 1: past ten of the clock, we came to the top
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  Speaker 1: of a bray and saw lights below us. It seemed
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  Speaker 1: a house door stood open and let out a beam
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  Speaker 1: of fire and candle light, and all round the house
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  Speaker 1: and steading five or six persons were moving hurriedly about,
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  Speaker 1: each carrying a lighted brand. James must have tint his wits,
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  Speaker 1: said Alan. If this was the soldiers instead of you
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  Speaker 1: and me, he would be in a bonny mess. But
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  Speaker 1: I dare say he'll have a sentry on the road,
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  Speaker 1: and he would ken well enough no soldiers would find
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  Speaker 1: the way that we came Hereupon he whistles three times
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  Speaker 1: in a particular manner. It was strange to see how
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  Speaker 1: at the first sound of it, all the moving torches
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  Speaker 1: came to a stand, as if the bearers were affrighted,
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  Speaker 1: and how at the third the bustle began again as before.
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  Speaker 1: Having thus set folks minds at rest, we came down
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  Speaker 1: the bray and were met at the yard gate, for
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  Speaker 1: this place was like a well doing farm by a tall,
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  Speaker 1: handsome man of more than fifty, who cried out to
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  Speaker 1: Allan and the Gaelic James Stewart said, Allan, I will
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  Speaker 1: ask you to speak in Scotch, for here is a
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  Speaker 1: young gentleman with me that has none of the other.
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  Speaker 1: This is him, he added, putting his arm through mine,
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  Speaker 1: a young gentleman of the lowlands, and a laird in
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  Speaker 1: his country too. But I am thinking it will be
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  Speaker 1: the better for his health if we give his name.
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  Speaker 1: The go by James of the Glens turned to me
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  Speaker 1: for a moment and greeted me courteously enough. The next
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  Speaker 1: he had turned to Alan. This has been a dreadful accident,
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  Speaker 1: he cried. It will be trouble on the country, and
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  Speaker 1: he wrung his hands oots said Alan, you must take
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  Speaker 1: the sour with the sweet man. Paulin Roy is dead,
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  Speaker 1: and be thankful for that, Hi, said James, hen by
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  Speaker 1: my troth, I wish he was alive again. It's all
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  Speaker 1: very fine to blow him boasts beforehand, But now it's done, Allan,
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  Speaker 1: and who's to bear the white of it? The accident
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  Speaker 1: fell out and appened, mind you that Allan, it's happen,
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  Speaker 1: that must pay. And I am a man that has
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  Speaker 1: a family. While this was going on, I looked about
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  Speaker 1: me at the servants. Some were on ladders digging in
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  Speaker 1: the thatch of the house or the farm buildings, from
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  Speaker 1: which they brought out guns, swords, and different weapons of war.
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  Speaker 1: Others carried them away, and by the sound of mattock
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  Speaker 1: blows from somewhere farther down the bray, I suppose they
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  Speaker 1: buried them. Though they were all so busy there prevailed
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  Speaker 1: no kind of order in their efforts. Men struggled together
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  Speaker 1: for the same gun and ran into each other with
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  Speaker 1: their burning torches, and James was con ginually turning about
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  Speaker 1: from his talk with Alan to cry out orders which
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  Speaker 1: were apparently never understood. The faces in the torch like
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  Speaker 1: were like those of people overcome with hurry and panic,
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  Speaker 1: and though none spoke above his breath, their speech that
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  Speaker 1: of both anxious and angry. It was about this time
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  Speaker 1: that a lassie came out of the house carrying a
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  Speaker 1: pack or bundle, and it has often made me smile
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  Speaker 1: to think how Allan's instinct awoke at the mere sight
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  Speaker 1: of it. What's that the lassie has, he asked, We're
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  Speaker 1: just setting the house and order, Allan, said James, in
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  Speaker 1: his frightened and somewhat fawning way. They'll sarchrappin with candles,
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  Speaker 1: and we must have all things straight. We're digging the
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  Speaker 1: bit guns and swords into the moste sea, and these,
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  Speaker 1: I am thinking, will be your unFrench clothes, will be
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  Speaker 1: to bury them. I believe bury my French clothes, cried
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  Speaker 1: Alan Troth. No. They laid hold upon the packet and
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  Speaker 1: retired into the barn to shift himself, recommending me in
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  Speaker 1: the meanwhile to his kinsman. James carried me accordingly into
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  Speaker 1: the kitchen and sat down with me at table, smiling
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  Speaker 1: and talking at first in a very hospitable manner, but
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  Speaker 1: presently the gloom returned upon him. He sat frowning and
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  Speaker 1: biting his fingers, only remembered me from time to time,
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  Speaker 1: and then gave me but a word or two and
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  Speaker 1: a poor smile, and back into his private terrors. His
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  Speaker 1: wife sat by the fire and wept with her face
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  Speaker 1: in her hands. Her eldest son was crouched upon the floor,
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  Speaker 1: running over a great mass of papers, and now and
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  Speaker 1: again setting one alight and burning it to the bitter end.
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  Speaker 1: All the while a servant lass with a red face,
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  Speaker 1: was rummaging about the room in a blind hurry of fear,
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  Speaker 1: and whimpering as she went. And every now and again
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  Speaker 1: one of the men would thrust in his face from
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  Speaker 1: the yard and cry for orders. At last James could
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  Speaker 1: keep his seat no longer, and begged my permission to
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  Speaker 1: be so unmannerly as walk about. I am but poor
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  Speaker 1: company altogether, Sir, says he. But I can think of
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  Speaker 1: nothing but this dreadful accident, and the trouble it is
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  Speaker 1: like to bring upon quite innocent persons. A little after,
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  Speaker 1: he observed his son burning a paper which he thought
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  Speaker 1: should have been kept, and at that his excitement burst out,
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  Speaker 1: so that it was painful to witness. He struck the
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  Speaker 1: lad repeatedly. Are you gondite? He cried, do you wish
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  Speaker 1: to hang your father? And forgetful of my presence, carried
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  Speaker 1: on at him a long time together in the Gaelic,
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  Speaker 1: the young man, answering nothing only the wife at the
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  Speaker 1: name of hanging, throwing her apron over her face, and
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  Speaker 1: sobbing out louder than before. This was all wretched for
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  Speaker 1: a stranger like myself to hear and see. And I
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  Speaker 1: was right glad when Alan returned, looking like himself in
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  Speaker 1: his fine French clothes, though to be sure they were
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  Speaker 1: now grown almost too battered and withered to deserve the
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  Speaker 1: name of fine. I was then taken out in my
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  Speaker 1: turn by another of the sons, and give even that
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  Speaker 1: change of clothing of which I had stood so long
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  Speaker 1: in need, and a pair of highland brogues made of
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  Speaker 1: deer leather, rather strange at first, but after a little practice,
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  Speaker 1: very easy to the feet. By the time I came back,
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  Speaker 1: Alan must have told his story, for it seemed understood
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  Speaker 1: that I was to fly with him, and they were
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  Speaker 1: all busy upon our equipment. They gave us each a
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  Speaker 1: sword and pistols, though I professed my inability to use
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  Speaker 1: the former, And with these and some ammunition, a bag
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  Speaker 1: of oatmeal, an iron pan, and a bottle of bright
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  Speaker 1: French brandy, we were ready for the heather. Money indeed
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  Speaker 1: was lacking. I had about two guineas left Alan's belt
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  Speaker 1: having been dispatched by another hand, that trusty messenger had
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  Speaker 1: no more than seventeen pence to his whole fortune. And
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  Speaker 1: as for James, it appears he had brought himself so
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  Speaker 1: low with journeys to Edinburgh and beagle expenses on behalf
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  Speaker 1: of the tenants, that he could only scrape together three
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  Speaker 1: and fivepence halfpenny, the most of it in coppers. This do,
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  Speaker 1: said Allan. You must find a safe bit somewhere near by,
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  Speaker 1: said James, and get words sent to me. You see,
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  Speaker 1: you'll have to get this business prettily off, Allan. This
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  Speaker 1: is no time to be stayed for a guinea or two.
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  Speaker 1: They're sure to get wind of ye, sure to seek ya,
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  Speaker 1: and by my way of it, sure to lay on
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  Speaker 1: ye the white of this day's accident. If it falls
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  Speaker 1: on you, it falls on me, that am your near
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  Speaker 1: kinsman and harbored you while you were in the country.
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  Speaker 1: And if it comes on me, he paused, and bit
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  Speaker 1: his fingers with a white face. It would be a
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  Speaker 1: painful thing for our friends if I was to hang,
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  Speaker 1: said he. It would be an ill day for appin,
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  Speaker 1: says Allan. It's a day that sticks in my throat,
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  Speaker 1: said James. Oh Man, Man, Man, Man, Allan, you and
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  Speaker 1: me have spoken like two fools, he cried, striking his
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  Speaker 1: hand upon the wall so that the house rang again. Well,
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  Speaker 1: and that's true too, said Alan. And my friend from
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  Speaker 1: the Lowlands here, nodding at me, gave me a good
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  Speaker 1: word upon that head, if I would only listened to him.
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  Speaker 1: But see here, said James, returning to his former manner.
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  Speaker 1: If they lay me by the heels, Allan, it's then
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  Speaker 1: that you'll be needin the money, for with all that
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  Speaker 1: I have said and that you have said, it will
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  Speaker 1: look very black against the two of us. Do ye
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  Speaker 1: mark that? Well? Follow me out and ye'll I'll see that.
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  Speaker 1: I'll have to get a paper out against ye mysel
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  Speaker 1: have to offer a reward for ye ay, will I?
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  Speaker 1: It's a sore thing to do between such near friends.
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  Speaker 1: But if I get the dirham of this dreadful accident,
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  Speaker 1: I'll have to fend for myself. Man, do you see that?
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  Speaker 1: He spoke with a pleading earnestness, taking Allan by the
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  Speaker 1: breast of the coat, I said, Alan, I see that,
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  Speaker 1: and you'll have to be clear of the country, Alan, ay,
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  Speaker 1: and clearer Scotland you and your friend from the Lowlands too,
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  Speaker 1: for I'll have to paper your friend from the lowlands.
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  Speaker 1: You'll see that, Allan, say that, you see that. I
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  Speaker 1: thought Allan flushed a bit. This is uncle hard on
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  Speaker 1: me that brought him here, James said, he throwing his
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  Speaker 1: head back. It's like making me a traitor. No, Allan, man,
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  Speaker 1: cried James, look things in the face. He'll be papered anyway, Mungo.
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  Speaker 1: Campbell'll be sure to paper him. What matters if I
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  Speaker 1: paper him too, And then Allan, I'm a man that
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  Speaker 1: has a family. And then, after a little pause on
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  Speaker 1: both sides, and Alan it'll be a jury of Campbell's
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  Speaker 1: said he. There's one thing, said Allan, musingly, that nobody
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  Speaker 1: cans his name, nor yet they shall na Allan, there's
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  Speaker 1: my hand on that, cried James, for all the world,
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  Speaker 1: as if he had really known my name and was
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  Speaker 1: foregoing some advantage. But just the habit he was in,
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  Speaker 1: and what he looked like, and his age and the like,
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  Speaker 1: I couldna well do less. I wonder at your father's son,
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  Speaker 1: cried Alan sternly. Would ye sell the lad with a gift?
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  Speaker 1: Would you change his clothes? And then betray him. No, no,
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  Speaker 1: Allan said James. No, No, the habit he took off,
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  Speaker 1: the habit Mungo saw him in. But I thought he
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  Speaker 1: seemed crestfallen. Indeed he was clutching at every straw, and
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  Speaker 1: all the time, I dare say, saw the faces of
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  Speaker 1: his hereditary foes on the bench and in the jury box,
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  Speaker 1: and the gallows in the background. Well, sir, says Allan,
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  Speaker 1: turning to me, what say yo to that? Yea here
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  Speaker 1: under the safeguard of my honor, and it's my part
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  Speaker 1: to see nothing done. But what shall please yer? I
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  Speaker 1: have but one word to say, said I, For to
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  Speaker 1: all this dispute I am a perfect stranger. But the
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  Speaker 1: plain common sense is to set the blame it belongs,
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  Speaker 1: and that is on the man who fired the shot,
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  Speaker 1: paper him, as you call it, set the hunt on him,
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  Speaker 1: and let honest, innocent folks show their faces in safety.
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  Speaker 1: But at this both Allan and James cried out in horror,
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  Speaker 1: bidding me hold my tongue, for that was not to
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  Speaker 1: be thought of, and asking me what the camerons would think,
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  Speaker 1: which confirmed me it must have been a cameron from
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  Speaker 1: memour that did the act. And if I did not
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  Speaker 1: see that the lad might be caught. You have not
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  Speaker 1: surely thought of that, said they, with such innocent earnestness
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  Speaker 1: that my hands dropped at my side, and I despaired
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  Speaker 1: of argument. Very well, then said I paper me, if
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  Speaker 1: you please, paper Allen, paper King George. Were all three innocent,
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  Speaker 1: and that seems to be what's wanted. But at least, sir,
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  Speaker 1: said I to James, recovering from my little fit of annoyance.
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  Speaker 1: I am Alan's friend, and if I can be helpful
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  Speaker 1: to friends of his, I will not stumble at the risk.
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  Speaker 1: I thought it best to put a fair face on
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  Speaker 1: my consent, for I saw alan trouble, And besides, thinks
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  Speaker 1: I to myself. As soon as my back is turned,
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  Speaker 1: they will paper me as they call it, whether I
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  Speaker 1: consent or not. But in this I saw I was wrong,
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  Speaker 1: for I had no sooner said the words than missus
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  Speaker 1: Stewart leaped out of her chair, came running over to us,
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  Speaker 1: and wept first upon my neck and then on Allan's
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  Speaker 1: blessing God for our goodness to her family. As for you, Allan,
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  Speaker 1: it was no more than your bound in duty, she said,
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  Speaker 1: But for this lad that has come here and seen
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  Speaker 1: us at a worst, and seen the good man fleeching
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  Speaker 1: like a suitor, him that by right should give his
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  Speaker 1: commands like any king. As for you, my lad, she says,
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  Speaker 1: my heart is well not to have your name, but
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  Speaker 1: I have your face, And as long as my heart
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  Speaker 1: beats under my bosom, I will keep it and think
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  Speaker 1: of it and bless it. And with that she kissed me,
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  Speaker 1: and burst once more into such sobbing that I stood abashed. Hoot, Hoot,
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  Speaker 1: said Allan, looking mighty silly. The day comes uncle soon,
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  Speaker 1: in this month of July, and tomorrow there'll be a
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  Speaker 1: fine to do, and appen, a fine riding of dragoons,
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  Speaker 1: and crying of Krakhun, and running of bredcoats, And it
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  Speaker 1: behoos you and me to the sooner be gone. Thereupon
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  Speaker 1: we said farewell, and set out again, bending somewhat eastwards
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  Speaker 1: in a fine, mild, dark night, and over much the
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  Speaker 1: same broken country as before. End of chapter