Latest / Adventure Books Library / 15 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson

Transcript

15 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson · Adventure Books Library

0:00
Chapter fifteen, The lad with a silver button through the Isle of Mull.
0:07
The Ross of Mull, which I had now got upon, was rugged and
0:11
trackless, like the isle I had just left, being all bog and briar
0:16
and big stone. There may be roads for them that know that country well,
0:20
But for my part I had no better guide than my own nose,
0:24
and no other landmark than ben More. I aimed as well as I could
0:28
for the smoke I had seen so often from the island, and with all
0:32
my great weariness and the difficulty of the way, came upon the house in
0:36
the bottom of a little hollow, about five or six at night. It
0:40
was low and longish, roofed with turf, and built of unmortared stones,
0:45
and on a mound in front of it, an old gentleman sat smoking his
0:49
pipe in the sun. With what little English he had, he gave me
0:53
to understand that my shipmates had got safe ashore and had broken bread in that
0:58
very house on the day after. Was there one, I asked? Dressed
1:03
like a gentleman, he said, they all wore rough, greatcoats, But
1:07
to be sure, the first of them, the one that came alone,
1:11
wore breeches and stockings, while the rest had sailor's trousers. Ah, said
1:15
I, and he would have a feathered hat. He told me no,
1:19
that he was bareheaded, like myself. At first I thought Alan might have
1:25
lost his hat, and then the rain came in my mind, and I
1:27
judged it more likely he had it out of harm's way under his greatcoat.
1:33
This set me smiling, partly because my friend was safe, partly to think
1:37
of his vanity in dress. And then the old gentleman clapped his hand to
1:42
his brow and cried out that I must be the lad with a silver button.
1:46
Why, yes, said I, in some wonder Well, then said
1:51
the old gentleman, I have a word for you, that you are to
1:56
follow your friend to his country by toros say. He then asked me how
2:01
I had fared, and I told him my tale. A south country man
2:05
would certainly have laughed. But this old gentleman, I call him so because
2:09
of his manners, for his clothes were dropping off his back, heard me
2:14
all through with nothing but gravity and pity. When I had done, he
2:19
took me by the hand, led me into his hut it was no better,
2:23
and presented me before his wife as if she had been the queen and
2:27
I a duke. The good woman set oat bread before me in a cold
2:30
grouse, patting my shoulder and smiling to me all the time, for she
2:36
had no English, and the old gentleman, not to be behind, brewed
2:39
me a strong punch out of their country spirit. All the while I was
2:45
eating, and after that, when I was drinking the punch, I could
2:47
scarce come to believe in my good fortune, and the house, though it
2:52
was thick with a peat smoke and as full of holes as a colander,
2:55
seemed like a palace. The punch threw me in a strong sweat and a
3:00
deep slumber. The good people let me lie, and it was near noon
3:05
of the next day before I took the road, my throat already easier,
3:09
and my spirits quite restored by good, fair and good news. The old
3:14
gentleman, though I pressed him hard, would take no money, and gave
3:17
me an old bonnet for my head. Though I am free to own,
3:21
I was no sooner out of view of the house than I very jealously washed
3:24
this gift of his than a wayside fountain, thought I to myself, if
3:30
these are the wild highlanders, I could wish my own folk wilder. I
3:35
not only started late, but I must have wandered nearly half the time.
3:39
True, I met plenty of people grubbing in little, miserable fields that would
3:44
not keep a cat, or hurting little kind about the bigness of asses.
3:49
The Highland dress being forbidden by law since the rebellion, and the people condemned
3:53
to the Lowland habit, which they much disliked, it was strange to see
3:59
the variety of their array. Some went bare only for a hanging cloak or
4:03
greatcoat, and carried their trousers on their backs like an useless burden. Some
4:10
have made an imitation of the tartan, with little party colored stripes patched together
4:14
like an old wife's quilt. Others, again, still wore the Highland philibeg,
4:19
but by putting a few stitches between the legs, transformed it into a
4:23
pair of trousers like a dutchman's. All those makeshifts were condemned and punished for.
4:29
The law was harshly applied in hopes to break up the clan's spirit.
4:33
But in that out of the way seabound dial there were few to make remarks,
4:38
and fewer to tell tales. They seemed a great poverty, which was
4:43
no doubt natural now that Raypine was put down, and the chiefs kept no
4:47
longer an open house. And the roads, even such a wandering country by
4:51
track as the one I followed, were infested with beggars. And here again
4:57
I marked a difference from my own part of the for our lowland beggars.
5:01
Even the gownsmen themselves who begged my patent, had a louting, flattering way
5:06
with them. And if you gave them a plaque and ask changed, would
5:11
very civilly return you a bottle. But these highland beggars stood on their dignity,
5:15
asked alms only to buy snuff by their account, and would give no
5:19
change. To be sure, this was no concern of mine, except in
5:26
so far as it entertained me. By the way, what was much more
5:30
to the purpose. Few had any English, and these few, unless they
5:33
were the brotherhood of beggars, not very anxious to place it at my service.
5:39
I knew torres Say to be my destination, and repeated the name to
5:43
them and pointed. But instead of simply pointing in reply, they would give
5:46
me a screed of the Gaelic that set me foolish. So it was small
5:51
wonder if I went out of my road as often as I stayed in it.
5:56
At last, about eight at night, and already very weary, I
6:00
came to a lone house, where I asked admittance, and was refused until
6:04
he bethought me of the power of money in so poor a country, and
6:09
held up one of my guineas in my finger and thumb. Thereupon, the
6:13
man of the house, who had hitherto pretended to have no English, and
6:16
driven me from his door by signals, suddenly began to speak as clearly as
6:20
was needful, and agreed for five shillings to give me a night's lodging and
6:26
guide me the next day to Torressay. I slept uneasily that night, fearing
6:30
I should be robbed, But I might have spared myself the pain, for
6:34
my host was no robber, only miserably poor and a great cheat. He
6:40
was not alone in his poverty. But the next morning we must go five
6:44
miles about to the house of what he called a rich man, to have
6:47
one of my guineas changed. This was perhaps a rich man for mull He
6:53
would have scarce been thought so in the South, for it took all he
6:57
had the whole house was turned upside down, and a neighbor brought under contribution
7:01
before he could scrape together twenty shillings in silver, the odd shilling he kept
7:06
for himself, protesting he could ill afford to have so great a sum of
7:12
money lying locked up. For all that, he was very curious and well
7:15
spoken, made us both sit down with his family to dinner, and brewed
7:20
punch in a fine china bowl, over which my rascal guide grew so merry
7:25
that he refused to start. I was forgetting angry, and appealed to the
7:30
rich man, Hector mc lean was his name, who had been a witness
7:33
to our bargain and to my pavement of the five shillings. But mc lean
7:38
had taken his share of the punch and vowed that no gentleman should leave his
7:42
table after the bowl was brewed. So there was nothing for it but to
7:46
sit and hear Jacobite toast and Gaelic songs till all were tipsy and staggered off
7:50
to the bed or the barn for the night's rest. Next day, the
7:56
fourth of my travels, we were up before five upon them clock, but
8:01
my rascal guide got to the bottle at once, and it was three hours
8:05
before I had him clear of the house. And then, as you shall
8:07
hear, only for a worse disappointment. As long as we went down a
8:13
heathery valley that lay before mister mc lean's house, all went well. Only
8:18
my guide looked constantly over his shoulder, and when I asked him the cause
8:22
only grinned at me. No sooner, however, have we crossed the back
8:26
of the hill and got out of sight of the house windows, than he
8:30
told me Torrosay lay right in front, and that a hilltop, which he
8:33
pointed out, was my best landmark. I care very little for that,
8:39
said I, since you are going with me. The infinite cheat answered me
8:43
in the Gaelic that he had no English. My fine fellow, I said,
8:48
I know very well your English. Comes and goes, tell me what
8:52
we'll bring it back? Is it more money you wish? Five shillings mere,
8:58
said he and hersel we'll bring you there. I reflected, awhile,
9:03
and then offered him two, which he accepted greedily and insisted on having in
9:07
his hands at once for luck, as he said, but I think it
9:11
was rather for my misfortune. The two shillings carried him, not quite as
9:16
many miles, at the end of which distance he sat down upon the wayside
9:22
and took off his brogues from his feet, like a man about to rest.
9:26
I was now red hot, HA said, I have you no more
9:31
English? He said impudently no. At that. I boiled over and lifted
9:37
my hand to strike him, and he, drawing a knife from his rags,
9:41
squatted back and grinned at me like a wildcat. At that forgetting everything
9:46
but my anger. I ran in upon him, put aside his knife with
9:50
my left, and struck him in the mouth with the right. I was
9:54
a strong lad and very angry, and he but a little man, And
9:58
he went down before me. By good luck, his knife flew out of
10:01
his hand as he fell. I picked up both that and his brogues,
10:05
wished him a good morning, and set off upon my way, leaving him
10:09
barefoot and disarmed. I chuckled to myself as I went, being sure I
10:15
was done with that rogue for a variety of reasons. First, he knew
10:20
he could have no more of my money. Next, the brogues were worth
10:22
in that country only a few pence. And lastly, the knife, which
10:26
was really a dagger, it was against the law for him to carry.
10:31
In about half an hour of walk, I overtook a great ragged man,
10:35
moving pretty fast, but feeling before him with a staff. He was quite
10:41
blind, and told me he was a catechist, which should have put me
10:43
at my ease, But his face went against me. It seemed dark and
10:48
dangerous and secret. And presently, as we began to go on alongside,
10:54
I saw the steel butt of a pistol sticking from under the flap of his
10:58
coat pocket. Every such a thing meant to find a fifteen pounds sterling upon
11:03
a first offense, and transportation to the colonies upon a second. Nor could
11:07
I quite see why a religious teacher should go armed, or what a blind
11:11
man could be doing with a pistol. I told him about my guide,
11:16
for I was proud of what I had done, and my vanity for once
11:20
got the heels of my prudence. At the mention of the five shillings,
11:24
he cried out so loud that I made up my mind I should say nothing
11:28
of the other two, and was glad he could not see my blushes.
11:33
Was it too much, I asked, a little faltering too much? Cries
11:37
he? Why I would guide you to torosay myself for a drama, brandy,
11:43
and didn't give you the great pleasure of my company. Me that is
11:46
a man of some learning. In the bargain, I said, I did
11:50
not see how a blind man could be a guide. But at that he
11:54
laughed aloud and said his stick was eyes enough for an eagle. In the
11:58
isle of Mull at least, says he. Where I know every stone and
12:03
heather bush by mark of head. See now, he said, striking right
12:07
and left, as if to make sure. Down there a burn is running,
12:13
and at the head of it there stands a bit of a small hill
12:16
with a stone cocked upon the top of that. And it's hard at the
12:20
foot of the hill that the way runs by to Taurus. Say, And
12:24
the way here, being for droves, is plainly trodden and will show grassy
12:28
through the heather. I had to own. He was right in every feature
12:33
and told my wonder ha, says he. That's nothing. Would you believe
12:37
me now that before the act came out, and when there were weapons in
12:43
this country I could shoot, I could, I cries he, and then
12:46
with a leer, if he had such a thing as a pistol, here
12:50
to try with. I would show you how it's done. I told him
12:54
I had nothing of the sort, and gave him a wider berth. If
12:58
he had known. His pistol still stuck at that time quite plainly out of
13:01
his pocket, and I could see the sun twinkle on the steel of the
13:05
butt. But by the better luck for me, he knew nothing, thought
13:09
all was covered and lied on in the dark. He then began to question
13:13
me cunningly where I came from, whether I was rich, whether I could
13:18
change a five shilling piece for him, which he declared he had that moment
13:22
in his sporan. And all the time he kept edging up to me,
13:28
and I avoiding him. We were now upon a sort of green cattle track
13:31
which crossed the hills towards Torosay, and we kept changing sides upon that,
13:37
like answers and a reel. I had so plainly the upper hand that my
13:41
spirits rose, and indeed I took a pleasure in this game of blind man's
13:46
bluff. But the Catechists grew angrier and angrier, and at last began to
13:50
swear in Gaelic and to strike from my legs with his staff. Then I
13:54
told him that sure enough I had a pistol in my pocket as well as
13:58
he, and if he did not strike across the hill due south, I
14:03
would even blow his brains out. He became at once very polite, and
14:07
after trying to soften me for some time, but quite in vain, he
14:11
cursed me once more in Gaelic, and took himself off. I watched him
14:16
striding along through bog and briar, tapping with his stick, until he turned
14:22
the end of a hill and disappeared in the next hollow. Then I struck
14:26
on again for Torosay, much better pleased to be alone than to travel with
14:30
that man of learning. This was an unlucky day, and these two of
14:35
whom I had just rid myself, one after the other, were the two
14:39
worst men I met with in the highlands. At Torrossay, on the sound
14:43
of Mull, and looking over to the mainland of Morven, there was an
14:48
inn with an inn keeper who was a mc Lean. It appeared of a
14:52
very high family, for to keep an inn is thought even more genteel in
14:56
the Highlands than it is with us. Perhaps his partaking of hous fatality,
15:01
or perhaps because the trade is idle and drunken he spoke good English, and,
15:05
finding me to be something of a scholar, tried me first in French,
15:09
where he easily beat me, and then in the Latin, in which
15:13
I don't know which of us did best. This pleasant rivalry put us at
15:16
once upon friendly terms, and I sat up and drank punch with him,
15:22
or, to be more correct, sat up and watched him drink it until
15:26
he was so tipsy that he wept upon my shoulder. I tried him as
15:31
if, by accident were the sight of Alan's button, but it was plain
15:33
he had never seen or heard of it. Indeed, he bore some grudge
15:37
against the family and friends of Ardshield, and before he was drunk he read
15:41
me a lampoon in very good Latin, but with a very ill meaning,
15:46
which he had made in elegiac verses upon a person of that house. When
15:52
I told him of my catechist, he shook his head and said, I
15:56
was lucky to have got clear off. But that is a very dangerous man,
16:00
he said. Duncan mc hee is his name. He can shoot by
16:04
the ear at several yards, and he has often been accused of highway robberies,
16:10
and once of murder. The cream of it is, says I,
16:15
that he called himself a catechist, And why should he not, says he,
16:21
when that is what he is. It was mc lean of Doert gave
16:25
it to him before he was blind. But perhaps it was a pity,
16:29
says my host, for he is always on the road, going from one
16:32
place to another, to hear the young folks say their religion, and doubtless
16:37
that is a great temptation to the poor man. At last, when my
16:41
landlord could drink no more, he showed me to a bed, and I
16:45
lay down in very good spirits, having traveled the greater part of that big
16:48
and crooked island of Mull, from Arid to Torresay fifty miles, says the
16:53
crow flies, and with my wanderings, much nearer a hundred in four days,
17:00
and with little fatigue. Indeed, I was by far in better heart
17:03
and health of body at the end of that long tramp than I had been
17:07
at the beginning end of chapter