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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six. End of the flight we passed the fourth,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the month, as I have said, was not yet out,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: but it was already far through August and beautiful warm weather,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: with every sign of an early and great harvest. When
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: I was pronounced able for my journey, our money was
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: now run to so low an ebb that we must
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: think first of all on speed. For if we came
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: not too soon to mister Wrangeller's, or if when we
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: came there he should fail to help me, we must
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: surely starve in Allan's view. Besides, the hunt must now
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: have greatly slackened, and the line of the fourth and
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: even Sterling Bridge, which is the main pass over that river,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: would be watched with little interest. It's a chief principle
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: in military affairs, said he to go where ye are
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: least expected. Forth is our trouble, Ye ken to saying
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: forth bridles the wild Highliament. Well, if we seek to
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: creep round about the head of that river and come
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: down by Kippen or Belfrum, is just precisely there that
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: they'll be looking to lay hands on us. But if
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: we stave on straight to the old brig of Sterling,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: I lay my sword, they let us pass unchallenged the
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: first night. Accordingly, we pushed to the house of a
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: mac laren in Strathire, a friend of Duncan's, where we
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: slept the twenty first of the month, And once we
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: set forth again about the fall of night to make
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: another easy stage. The twenty second we lay in a
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: heather bush on the hill side, and um var within
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: view of a herd of deer. The happiest ten hours
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: of sleep, in a fine, breathing sunshine, and on bone
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: dry ground that I have ever tasted. That night we
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: struck Allan water and followed it down, and coming to
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: the edge of the hills, saw the whole carse of
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: sterling underfoot, as flat as a pancake, with a town
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: and castle on a hill in the midst of it,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: and the moon shining on the lynks of Forth. Now
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: said Allan, I Kenna, if you care, but you're on
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: your own land again. We passed the highland line in
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: that first hour, and now if we could but pass
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Yon crooked Water, we might cast our bonnets in the air.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: In Allyan water near by, where it falls into the Forth,
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: we found a little sandy islet overgrown with burdock butter
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: birr and the like low plants that would just cover
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: us if we lay flat. Here it was we made
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: our camp within plain view of Stirling Castle. Whence we
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: could hear the drums beat as some part of the
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: garrison paraded, and we could hear the stones going on
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: the hooks, and the voices, and even the words of
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: the men talking. It behooved to lie close and keep silent.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: But the sand of the little isle was sun warm.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: The green plants gave a shelter for our heads. We
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: had food and drink in plenty, and to crown all
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: we were within sight of safety. As soon as the
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: shearers quit their work in the dust began to fall,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: we waded ashore and struck for the bridge of Sterling,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: keeping to the fields and under the field fences. The
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: bridge is close under the castle hill, an old, high,
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: narrow bridge with pinnacles along the parapet. And you may
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: conceive with how much interest I looked upon it, not
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: only as a place famous in history, but as the
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: very doors of salvation to allan and myself. The moon
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: was not yet up when we came there. A few
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: lights shone along the front of the fortress, and lowered
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: down a few lighted windows in the town, but it
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: was all mighty still, and there seemed to be no
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: guard upon the passage. I was for pushing straight across,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: but Alan was more wary. It looks unco quiet, said he.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: But for all that, we'll lie down here cannily behind
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: a dike and make sure. So we lay for about
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: a quarter of an hour, whilst whispering, whilst lying still,
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: and hearing nothing earthly but the washing of the water
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: on the piers. At last there came by an old,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: hobbling woman with a crutch stick, who first stopped a
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: little close to where we lay, and bemoaned herself and
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: the long way she had traveled, and then set forth
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: again up the steep spring of the bridge. The woman
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: was so little, and the night still so dark, that
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: we soon lost sight of her, only heard the sound
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: of her steps and her stick, and a cough that
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: she had by fits draw slowly farther away. She's bound
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: to be across now, I whispered, Nah, said Alan. Her
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: foot still sounds boss upon the breach, And just then
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: who goes? Cried a voice, and we heard the butt
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: of a musket rattle on the stones. I must suppose
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: the sentry had been sleeping, so that had we tried,
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: we might have passed unseen. But he was awake now
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: and the chance forfeited. This'll never do, said Alan, This'll
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: never never do for us, David, And without another word,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: he began to crawl away through the fields, and a
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: little after being well out of eyeshot, got to his
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: feet again and struck along a road that led to
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: the eastward. I could not conceive what he was doing,
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: And indeed I was so sharply cut by the disappointment
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: that I was little likely to be pleased with anything.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: A moment back, and I had seen myself knocking at
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: mister Wrangkawer's door to claim my inheritance, like a hero
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: in a ballad. And here was I back again, a wandering,
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: hunted blagguard on the wrong side of forth. Well said I, Well, said, Allan,
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: what would you have? They're none such fools as I
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: took em for. We have stilled the fourth to pass, Davy.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: We refall the rains that fed and the hillsides that
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: guided it. And why go east? Said I? Oh? Just
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: upon the chance? Said he. If we cannot pass, sirrip
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: will have to see what we can do for the firth.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: There are fords upon the river, and none upon the firth,
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: said I. To be sure there are fords and a
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: bridge for by quoth Alan, And of what service when
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: they are watched? Well? Said I. But a river can
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: be swum by them that have the skill of it,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: returned he. But I've yet to hear that either you
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: or me is much of a hand at that exercise.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: And for my own part, I swim like a stone.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: I'm not up to you and talking back, Allan, I said,
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: but I can see we're making bad worse. If it's
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: hard to pass the river, it stands to reason it
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: must be worse to pass a sea. But there's such
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: a thing as a boat, says Allan. Or I'm the
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: more deceived, aye, And such a thing as money, says I.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: But for us that have neither one nor other, they
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: might just as well not have been invented. You think so,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: said Allan. I do that, said I. David, says he.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: You're a man of small invention and less faith. But
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: let me set my wits upon the horn. And if
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: I cannot beg borrow or yet steal a boat, I'll
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: make one I think I see, ye, said I. And
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: what's more than all of that? If you pass a bridge,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: it can tell no tales. But if we pass the firth,
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: there's the boat on the wrong side. Somebody must have
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: brought it the country side will all be in a
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: buzz man, cried Allan. If I can make a boat,
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: I'll make a body to take it back again. So
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: deeve me with no more of your nonsense, but walk,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: for that's what you've got to do. And let Alan
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: think for ye all night. Then we walked through the
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: north side of the cars, under the high line of
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: the Orkill Mountains, and by Alloa and Clachmannon and Coolras,
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: all of which we avoided. And about ten in the morning,
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: mighty hungry and tired, came to the little clockin of
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: Lime Kilns. This is a place that sits near Inn
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: by the water side, and looks across the Hope to
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: the town of the Queen's Ferry. Smoke went up from
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: both of these, and from other villages and farms upon
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: all hands. The fields were being reaped. Two ships lay anchored,
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  Speaker 1: and boats were coming and going on the Hope. It
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: was altogether a right pleasant sight to me, and I
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: could not take my fill of gazing at these comfortable,
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: green cultivated hills and the busy people, both of the
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: field and sea. For all that, there was mister Rankeller's
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: house on the south shore, where I had no doubt
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: wealth awaited me. And here was I upon the north glad,
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: in poor enough attire of an outlandish fashion, with three
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  Speaker 1: silver shillings left to me, of all my fortune, a
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: price set upon my head, an outlawed man for my
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: sole company. Oh Allen, said I to think of it.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: Over there, there's all that hart could want waiting me.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: And the birds go over, and the boats go over,
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: all dick leaves can go, but just me only, oh man,
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: But it's a heartbreak in limekilns. We entered a small
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: change house which we only knew to be a public
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  Speaker 1: by the wand over the door and bought some bread
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  Speaker 1: and cheese from a good looking lass that was the servant.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: This we carried with us in a bundle, meaning to
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: sit and eat it in a bush of wood on
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: the seashore that we saw some third part of a
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: mile in front. As we went, I kept looking across
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  Speaker 1: the water and sighing to myself, And though I took
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: no heed of it. Alan had fallen into a muse.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: At last, he stopped in the way, do you take
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: heed of the last? We bought this of says he,
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  Speaker 1: tapping on the bread and cheese to be sure, said I,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: and a body lass she was your thoughts. Sah, you
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: thought that, cries he man. David. That's good news in
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: the name of all that's wonderful. Why so, says I?
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: What good can that do? Well, said Allan, with one
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: of his droll looks. I is rather in hopes it
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: would maybe get us that boat. If it were the
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: other way about, it would be like her, it, said I.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: That's all you can, you see, said Allan. I don't
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: want the last to fall in love with ye. I
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: want her to be sorry for ye, David, which end
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: there is no manner of need that she should take
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: you for a beauty. Let me see, looking me curiously over,
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: I wish you were a wee thing paler. But apart
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: from that, you'll do fine for my purpose. Ye've a
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: fine hang dog rag and tatter clappermac claw kind of
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: a look to ye, as if he had stolen the
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: coat from a potato bogle. Come right about and back
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: to the change house for that boat of ours. I
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: followed him, laughing. David Balfour said he you're a very
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: funny gentleman by your way of it, and this is
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: a very funny employ for you, no doubt for all
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: that if you have any affection for my neck, to
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: say nothing of your own, you will perhaps be kind
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: enough to take this matter responsibly. I am going to
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: do a bit of play acting, the bottom ground of
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: which is just exactly as serious as the gallows for
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: the pair of us. So bear it if you please
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: in mind and conduct yourself according well well said, I
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: have it as you will. As we got near the Clachan,
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: he made me take his arm and hang upon it
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: like one almost helpless with weariness, and by the time
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: he pushed open the change house to her, he seemed
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: to be half carrying me. The maid appeared surprised as
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: well she might be at our speedy return, but Alan
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: had no words to spare for her. An explanation, helped
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: me to a chair, called for a tass of brandy,
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: with which he fed me in little SIPs, and then
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: breaking up the bread and cheese, helped me to eat
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: it like a nursery lass, the whole with that grave
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: concerned affectionate countenance that might have imposed upon a judge.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: It was small wonder if the maid were taken with
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: the picture we presented of a poor, sick, overwrought lad
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: and his most tender comrade. She drew quite near, and
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: stood leaning with her back on the next table. What's
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: like wrong with him? Said she? At last Alan turned
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: upon her, to my great wonder, with a kind of fury. Wrong,
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: cries he. He's walked more hundreds of miles than he
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: has hairs upon his chin, and slept oftener in wet
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: heather than dry sheets. Wrong, quoth she, Wrong enough, I
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: would think wrong. Indeed, he kept grumbling to himself as
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: he fed me like a man ill pleased. He's young
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: for the like of that, said the maid. Oh we're young,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: said Alan, with his back to her. He would be
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: better riding, said she. And where could I get a horse?
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: To him? Cried Allan, turning on her with the same
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: appearance of fury. Would you have me steal? I thought
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: this roughness would have sent her off in dudgeon, as
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: indeed it closed her mouth for the time. But my
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: companion knew very well what he was doing, And for
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: as simple as he was in some things of life,
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: had a great fund of roguishness in such affairs as these.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: You need na tell me, she said. At last, you're gentry, well,
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: said Allan, softened a little. I believe against his will
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: by this artless comment. And suppose we were, did ever
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: you hear the gentriest put money in folks pockets? She
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: sighed at this, as if she were herself some disinherited
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: great lady. No, says she, that's true. Indeed I was
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: all this while chafing at the part I played, and
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: sitting tongue tied between shame and merriment. But somehow, at
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: this I could hold in no longer and bade Alan
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: let me be, for I was better already. My voice
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: stuck in my throat, for I ever hated to take
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: part in lies, but my very embarrassment helped on the
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: plot for the last, no doubt set down my husky
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: voice to sickness and fatigue. Has he no friends, said she,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: in a tearful voice. That has he so cried Alan,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: if we could but win to them friends and rich friends,
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: beds to lie in, food to eat, doctors to see
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: to him, and hear he must tramp in the doves
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: and sleep in the heather like a beggar man. And
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: why that, says the Lass, my dear, said Allan. I
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: cannot very safely say, but I'd tell you what I'll
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: do instead, says he, I wiz ye a bit tune.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: And with that he leaned pretty far over the table,
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: and in a mere breath of a whistle, with a wonderful,
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: pretty sentiment, gave her a few bars of Charlie, is
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: my darling, wished, says she, and looked over her shoulder
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: to the door. That's it, said Alan. And him so young,
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: cries the Lass. He's old enough to And Alan stuck
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: his forefinger on the back part of his neck, meaning
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: that I was old enough to lose my head. It
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: would be a black shame, she cried, flushing high. It's
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: what will be, though, said Allan, unless we manage the better.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: At this, the last turned and ran out of that
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: part of the house, leaving us alone together. Alan in
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: high good humor at the furthering of his schemes. And
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: I am bitter dudgeon at being called a jacobite and
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: treated like a child, Allen, I cried, I can stand
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: no more of this. You have to sit it. Then,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: Davy said he, for if you upset the pot, now
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: you may grape your own life out of the fire.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: But Alan Brick is a dead man. This was so
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: true that I could only groan, And even my groan
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: served Allan's purpose, for it was overheard by the lass
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: as she came flying in again with a dish of
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: white puddings and a bottle of strong ale. Poor Lamb
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: says she, and had no sooner set the meat before
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: us than she touched me on the shoulder with a
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: little friendly touch, as much as to bid me cheer up.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: Then she told us to fall too, and there would
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: be no more to pay. For the inn was her own,
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: or at least her father's, and he was gone for
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: the day. To Pittancreef. We waited for no second bidding,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: for bread and cheese is but cold comfort, and the
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: puddings smelt excellently well. And while we sat and ate,
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: she took up that same place by the next table,
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: looking on and thinking, and frowning to herself, and drawing
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: the string of her apron through her hand. I'm thinking
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: you have a rather long tongue, she said at last
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: to Allan. Aye said Allan, But you see I can
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: the folk I speak too. I would never betray you,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: said she. If you mean that, no, said he. You're
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: not that kind. But I'd tell yo what you would do.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: You would help, I couldna, said she, shaking her head.
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: Nah I could na, no, said he. But if you could,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: she answered him nothing. Look here, my lass, said Allan.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: There are boats in the Kingdom of Fife. For I
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: saw too, no less upon the beach as I came
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: in by your town's end. Now, if we could have
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: the use of a boat to pass under cloud of
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: night into Lothian, and some secret, decent kind of a
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: man to bring that boat back again and keep his counsel,
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: there would be two souls saved, mine to all likelihood,
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: his to a dead surety. If we lack that boat,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: we have but three shillings left in the wide world.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: And where to go, and how to do? And what
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: other place there is for us except the chains of
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: a GiB it. I give you my naked word. I
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: cannot shall we go wanting, Lassie, are ye to lie
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: in your warm bed and think upon us? When the
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: wind gallops in the chimney and the rain turtles on
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: the roof, are ye to each a meat by the
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: cheeks of a red fire. And think upon this poor
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: sick lad of mine, biting his finger ends on a
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: blameere for cold and hunger, sick or sound. He must
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: I be moving with the death grapple at his throat.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: He must I be trailing in the rain on the
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: long roads. And when he gants his last on a
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: rickle of cold stones, there will be enough friends near him,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: but only me and God. At this appeal, I could
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: see the lass was in a great trouble of mind,
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: being tempted to help us, and yet in some fear
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: she might be helping malefactors. And so now I determined
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: to step in myself and to allay her scruples with
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: a portion of the truth. Do you ever hear, said
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: I of mister Wrangkeyler of the fairy raincutner Rangkller, The
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: writer said, she I dar say that, well, said I.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: It's to his door that I am bound. So you
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: may judge by that if I am an ill doer.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: And I will tell you more that though I am
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: indeed by a dreadful error in some peril of my life.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: King George has no truer friend in all Scotland than myself.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: Her face cleared up mightily at this, although Allan's darkened.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: That's more than I would ask, said she. Mister Wrangkeyler
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: is a kentman, And she bade us finish our meat
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: yet clear of the clockin as soon as might be,
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: and lie close in the bit wood on the sea beach,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: and you can trust me, says she, I'll find some
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: means to put you over. At this we waited for
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: no more, but shook hands with her upon the bargain,
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: made short work of the puddings, and set forth again
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: from lime kilns as far as to the wood. It
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: was a small piece of perhaps a score of elders
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: and hawthorns, and a few young ashes, not thick enough
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: to veil us from passers by upon the road or beach.
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: Here we must lie, however, making the best of the
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: brave warm weather and the good hopes we now had
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: of a deliverance, and planning more particularly what remained for
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: us to do. We had but one trouble all day,
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: when a strolling piper came and sat in the same
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: wood with us. A red nosed, bleary eyed, drunken dog,
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: with a great bottle of whiskey in his pocket, and
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: a long story of wrongs that had been done him
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: by all sorts of persons, from the Lord President of
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: the Court of Session, who had denied him justice, down
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: to the Baileys of Inverkeithing, who had given him more
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: of it than he desired. It was impossible but that
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: he should conceive some suspicion of two men lying all
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: day concealed in a thicket, and having no business to allege.
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: As long as he stayed there, he kept us in
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: hot water with prying questions. And after he was gone,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: as he was a man not very likely to hold
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: his tongue, we were in the greater impatience to be
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: gone ourselves. The day came to an end with the
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: same brightness. The night fell quiet, and clear lights came
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: out in houses and hamlets, and then one after another
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: began to be put out. But it was past eleven,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: and we were long since strangely tortured with anxieties before
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: we heard the grinding of oars upon the rowing pins.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: At that we looked out and saw the Lass herself
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: coming rowing to us in a boat. She had trusted
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: no one with our affairs, not even her sweetheart, if
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: she had one, But as soon as her father was asleep,
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: had left the house by a window, stolen a neighbor's boat,
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: and come to our assistance single handed. I was abashed
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: how to find expression for my thanks, But she was
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: no less abashed at the thought of hearing them. Begged
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: us to lose no time and to hold our peace,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: saying very properly that the heart of our matter was
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: in haste and silence, and so what with one thing
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: and another. She had set us on the Lothian shore,
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: not far from Carradin, had shaken hands with us, and
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: was out again at sea and rowing for lime kilns.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: For there was one word said either of her service
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: or our gratitude. Even after she was gone, we had
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: nothing to say, as indeed nothing was enough for such
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: a kindness. Only Alan stood a great while upon the shore,
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: shaking his head. It is a very fine lass, he
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: said at last, David, it is a very fine lass.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: And a matter of an hour later, as we were
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: lying in a den on the sea shore, and I
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: had been already dozing, he broke out again in commendations
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: of her care. For my part, I could say nothing.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: She was so simple a creature that my heart smote
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: me both with remorse and fear, remorse because we had
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: traded upon her ignorance, and fear lest we should have
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: any way involved her in the dangers of our situation.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: End of chapter