Latest / Classic Adventure Books Library / 19 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
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- Chapter nineteen. The House of Fear. Night fell as we were walking, and the clouds which had broken up in the afternoon, settled in and thickened, so that it fell, for the season of the year, extremely dark. The way we went was over rough mountain sides, and though Alan pushed on with an assured manner, I could by no means see how he directed himself. At last, about half past ten of the clock, we came to the top of a bray and saw lights below us. It seemed a house door stood open and let out a beam of fire and candle light, and all round the house and steading five or six persons were moving hurriedly about, each carrying a lighted brand. James must have tint his wits, said Alan. If this was the soldiers instead of you and me, he would be in a bonny mess. But I dare say he'll have a sentry on the road, and he would ken well enough no soldiers would find the way that we came Hereupon he whistles three times in a particular manner. It was strange to see how at the first sound of it, all the moving torches came to a stand, as if the bearers were affrighted, and how at the third the bustle began again as before. Having thus set folks minds at rest, we came down the bray and were met at the yard gate, for this place was like a well doing farm by a tall, handsome man of more than fifty, who cried out to Allan and the Gaelic James Stewart said, Allan, I will ask you to speak in Scotch, for here is a young gentleman with me that has none of the other. This is him, he added, putting his arm through mine, a young gentleman of the lowlands, and a laird in his country too. But I am thinking it will be the better for his health if we give his name. The go by James of the Glens turned to me for a moment and greeted me courteously enough. The next he had turned to Alan. This has been a dreadful accident, he cried. It will be trouble on the country, and he wrung his hands oots said Alan, you must take the sour with the sweet man. Paulin Roy is dead, and be thankful for that, Hi, said James, hen by my troth, I wish he was alive again. It's all very fine to blow him boasts beforehand, But now it's done, Allan, and who's to bear the white of it? The accident fell out and appened, mind you that Allan, it's happen, that must pay. And I am a man that has a family. While this was going on, I looked about me at the servants. Some were on ladders digging in the thatch of the house or the farm buildings, from which they brought out guns, swords, and different weapons of war. Others carried them away, and by the sound of mattock blows from somewhere farther down the bray, I suppose they buried them. Though they were all so busy there prevailed no kind of order in their efforts. Men struggled together for the same gun and ran into each other with their burning torches, and James was con ginually turning about from his talk with Alan to cry out orders which were apparently never understood. The faces in the torch like were like those of people overcome with hurry and panic, and though none spoke above his breath, their speech that of both anxious and angry. It was about this time that a lassie came out of the house carrying a pack or bundle, and it has often made me smile to think how Allan's instinct awoke at the mere sight of it. What's that the lassie has, he asked, We're just setting the house and order, Allan, said James, in his frightened and somewhat fawning way. They'll sarchrappin with candles, and we must have all things straight. We're digging the bit guns and swords into the moste sea, and these, I am thinking, will be your unFrench clothes, will be to bury them. I believe bury my French clothes, cried Alan Troth. No. They laid hold upon the packet and retired into the barn to shift himself, recommending me in the meanwhile to his kinsman. James carried me accordingly into the kitchen and sat down with me at table, smiling and talking at first in a very hospitable manner, but presently the gloom returned upon him. He sat frowning and biting his fingers, only remembered me from time to time, and then gave me but a word or two and a poor smile, and back into his private terrors. His wife sat by the fire and wept with her face in her hands. Her eldest son was crouched upon the floor, running over a great mass of papers, and now and again setting one alight and burning it to the bitter end. All the while a servant lass with a red face, was rummaging about the room in a blind hurry of fear, and whimpering as she went. And every now and again one of the men would thrust in his face from the yard and cry for orders. At last James could keep his seat no longer, and begged my permission to be so unmannerly as walk about. I am but poor company altogether, Sir, says he. But I can think of nothing but this dreadful accident, and the trouble it is like to bring upon quite innocent persons. A little after, he observed his son burning a paper which he thought should have been kept, and at that his excitement burst out, so that it was painful to witness. He struck the lad repeatedly. Are you gondite? He cried, do you wish to hang your father? And forgetful of my presence, carried on at him a long time together in the Gaelic, the young man, answering nothing only the wife at the name of hanging, throwing her apron over her face, and sobbing out louder than before. This was all wretched for a stranger like myself to hear and see. And I was right glad when Alan returned, looking like himself in his fine French clothes, though to be sure they were now grown almost too battered and withered to deserve the name of fine. I was then taken out in my turn by another of the sons, and give even that change of clothing of which I had stood so long in need, and a pair of highland brogues made of deer leather, rather strange at first, but after a little practice, very easy to the feet. By the time I came back, Alan must have told his story, for it seemed understood that I was to fly with him, and they were all busy upon our equipment. They gave us each a sword and pistols, though I professed my inability to use the former, And with these and some ammunition, a bag of oatmeal, an iron pan, and a bottle of bright French brandy, we were ready for the heather. Money indeed was lacking. I had about two guineas left Alan's belt having been dispatched by another hand, that trusty messenger had no more than seventeen pence to his whole fortune. And as for James, it appears he had brought himself so low with journeys to Edinburgh and beagle expenses on behalf of the tenants, that he could only scrape together three and fivepence halfpenny, the most of it in coppers. This do, said Allan. You must find a safe bit somewhere near by, said James, and get words sent to me. You see, you'll have to get this business prettily off, Allan. This is no time to be stayed for a guinea or two. They're sure to get wind of ye, sure to seek ya, and by my way of it, sure to lay on ye the white of this day's accident. If it falls on you, it falls on me, that am your near kinsman and harbored you while you were in the country. And if it comes on me, he paused, and bit his fingers with a white face. It would be a painful thing for our friends if I was to hang, said he. It would be an ill day for appin, says Allan. It's a day that sticks in my throat, said James. Oh Man, Man, Man, Man, Allan, you and me have spoken like two fools, he cried, striking his hand upon the wall so that the house rang again. Well, and that's true too, said Alan. And my friend from the Lowlands here, nodding at me, gave me a good word upon that head, if I would only listened to him. But see here, said James, returning to his former manner. If they lay me by the heels, Allan, it's then that you'll be needin the money, for with all that I have said and that you have said, it will look very black against the two of us. Do ye mark that? Well? Follow me out and ye'll I'll see that. I'll have to get a paper out against ye mysel have to offer a reward for ye ay, will I? It's a sore thing to do between such near friends. But if I get the dirham of this dreadful accident, I'll have to fend for myself. Man, do you see that? He spoke with a pleading earnestness, taking Allan by the breast of the coat, I said, Alan, I see that, and you'll have to be clear of the country, Alan, ay, and clearer Scotland you and your friend from the Lowlands too, for I'll have to paper your friend from the lowlands. You'll see that, Allan, say that, you see that. I thought Allan flushed a bit. This is uncle hard on me that brought him here, James said, he throwing his head back. It's like making me a traitor. No, Allan, man, cried James, look things in the face. He'll be papered anyway, Mungo. Campbell'll be sure to paper him. What matters if I paper him too, And then Allan, I'm a man that has a family. And then, after a little pause on both sides, and Alan it'll be a jury of Campbell's said he. There's one thing, said Allan, musingly, that nobody cans his name, nor yet they shall na Allan, there's my hand on that, cried James, for all the world, as if he had really known my name and was foregoing some advantage. But just the habit he was in, and what he looked like, and his age and the like, I couldna well do less. I wonder at your father's son, cried Alan sternly. Would ye sell the lad with a gift? Would you change his clothes? And then betray him. No, no, Allan said James. No, No, the habit he took off, the habit Mungo saw him in. But I thought he seemed crestfallen. Indeed he was clutching at every straw, and all the time, I dare say, saw the faces of his hereditary foes on the bench and in the jury box, and the gallows in the background. Well, sir, says Allan, turning to me, what say yo to that? Yea here under the safeguard of my honor, and it's my part to see nothing done. But what shall please yer? I have but one word to say, said I, For to all this dispute I am a perfect stranger. But the plain common sense is to set the blame it belongs, and that is on the man who fired the shot, paper him, as you call it, set the hunt on him, and let honest, innocent folks show their faces in safety. But at this both Allan and James cried out in horror, bidding me hold my tongue, for that was not to be thought of, and asking me what the camerons would think, which confirmed me it must have been a cameron from memour that did the act. And if I did not see that the lad might be caught. You have not surely thought of that, said they, with such innocent earnestness that my hands dropped at my side, and I despaired of argument. Very well, then said I paper me, if you please, paper Allen, paper King George. Were all three innocent, and that seems to be what's wanted. But at least, sir, said I to James, recovering from my little fit of annoyance. I am Alan's friend, and if I can be helpful to friends of his, I will not stumble at the risk. I thought it best to put a fair face on my consent, for I saw alan trouble, And besides, thinks I to myself. As soon as my back is turned, they will paper me as they call it, whether I consent or not. But in this I saw I was wrong, for I had no sooner said the words than missus Stewart leaped out of her chair, came running over to us, and wept first upon my neck and then on Allan's blessing God for our goodness to her family. As for you, Allan, it was no more than your bound in duty, she said, But for this lad that has come here and seen us at a worst, and seen the good man fleeching like a suitor, him that by right should give his commands like any king. As for you, my lad, she says, my heart is well not to have your name, but I have your face, And as long as my heart beats under my bosom, I will keep it and think of it and bless it. And with that she kissed me, and burst once more into such sobbing that I stood abashed. Hoot, Hoot, said Allan, looking mighty silly. The day comes uncle soon, in this month of July, and tomorrow there'll be a fine to do, and appen, a fine riding of dragoons, and crying of Krakhun, and running of bredcoats, And it behoos you and me to the sooner be gone. Thereupon we said farewell, and set out again, bending somewhat eastwards in a fine, mild, dark night, and over much the same broken country as before. End of chapter