aside the pike of the foremost man, and brought the shovel down on his
iron headpiece with such force that he was driven back into the passage
or landing, and fell prostrate. Black was so ably and promptly seconded
by his stalwart comrades that the room was instantly cleared.
Glendinning, driven back by an irresistible blow from the rolling-pin,
tripped over the fallen man and went headlong down the winding stairs,
at the bottom of which he lay dead, with his neck broken by the fall.
But the repulse thus valiantly effected did not avail them much, for the
leader of the guard had reinforcements below, which he now called up.
Before the door could be shut these swarmed into the room and drove the
defenders back into their corner. The leader hesitated, however, to
give the order to advance on them, partly, it may be, because he wished
to induce submission and thus avoid bloodshed, and partly, no doubt,
because of the terrible aspect of the four desperate men, who, knowing
that the result of their capture would be almost certain death, preceded
by imprisonment, and probably torture, had evidently made up their minds
to fight to the death.
At that critical moment a quick step was heard upon the stair, and the
next moment the Reverend Frank Selby entered the room.
"Just in time, I see," he said in a cool nonchalant manner that was
habitual to him. "I think, sir," he added, turning to the leader of the
guard, "that it may be as well to draw off your men and return to the
guard-room."
"I'll do that," retorted the man sharply, "when I receive orders from my
superiors. Just now I'll do my duty."
"Of course you will do what is right, my good sir," replied the Reverend
Frank; "yet I venture to think you will regret neglecting my advice,
which, allow me to assure you, is given in quite a friendly and
disinterested spirit. I have just left the precincts of the Council
Chamber, where I was told by a friend in office that the Councillors
have been thrown into a wild and excusable state of alarm by the news
that William, Prince of Orange, who, perhaps you may know, is James's
son-in-law and nephew, has landed in Torbay with 15,000 Dutchmen. He
comes by invitation of the nobles and clergy of the kingdom to take
possession of the Crown which our friend James has forfeited, and James
himself has fled to France--one of the few wise things of which he has
ever been guilty. It is further reported that the panic-stricken Privy
Council here talks of throwing open all the prison-doors in Edinburgh,
after which it will voluntarily dissolve itself. If it could do so in
prussic acid or some chemical solvent suited to the purpose, its exit
would be hailed as all the more appropriate. Meanwhile, I am of opinion
that all servants of the Council would do well to retire into as much
privacy as possible, and then maintain a careful look-out for squalls."
Having delivered this oration to the gaping guard, the Reverend Frank
crossed the room and went through the forbidden and dangerous
performance of shaking hands heartily with the "rebels."
He was still engaged in this treasonable act, and the men of the
town-guard had not yet recovered from their surprise, when hurrying
footsteps were again heard on the stair, and a man of the town-guard
sprang into the room, went to his chief, and whispered in his ear. The
result was, that, with a countenance expressing mingled surprise and
anxiety, the officer led his men from the scene, and left the
long-persecuted Covenanters in peace.
"Losh, man! div 'ee railly think the news can be true?" asked Andrew
Black, after they had settled down and heard it all repeated.
"Indeed I do," said the Reverend Frank earnestly, "and I thank God that
a glorious Revolution seems to have taken place, and hope that the long,
long years of persecution are at last drawing to a close."
And Frank Selby was right. The great Revolution of 1688, which set
William and Mary on the throne, also banished the tyrannical and
despotic house of Stuart for ever; opened the prison gates to the
Covenanters; restored to some extent the reign of justice and mercy;
crushed, if it did not kill, the heads of Popery and absolute power, and
sent a great wave of praise and thanksgiving over the whole land.
Prelacy was no longer forced upon Scotland. The rights and liberties of
the people were secured, and the day had at last come which crowned the
struggles and sufferings of half a century. As Mrs. Black remarked--
"Surely the blood o' the martyrs has not been shed in vain!"
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But what of the fortunes of those whose adventures we have followed so
long? Whatever they were, the record has not been written, yet we have
been told by a man whose name we may not divulge, but who is an
unquestionable authority on the subject, that soon after the persecution
about which we have been writing had ceased, a farmer of the name of
Black settled down among the "bonnie hills of Galloway," not far from
the site of the famous Communion stones on Skeoch Hill, where he took to
himself a wife; that another farmer, a married man named Wallace, went
and built a cottage and settled there on a farm close beside Black; that
a certain Rú Peter became shepherd to the farmer Black, and, with his
wife, served him faithfully all the days of his life; that the families
of these men were very large, the men among them being handsome and
stalwart, the women modest and beautiful, and that all of them were
loyal subjects and earnest, enthusiastic Covenanters. It has been also
said, though we do not vouch for the accuracy of the statement, that in
the Kirk-session books of the neighbouring kirk of Irongray there may be
found among the baptisms such names as Andrew Wallace and Will Black,
Quentin Dick Black, and Jock Bruce Wallace; also an Aggie, a Marion, and
an Isabel Peter, besides several Jeans scattered among the three
families.
It has likewise been reported, on reliable authority, that the original
Mr. Black, whose Christian name was Andrew, was a famous teller of
stories and narrator of facts regarding the persecution of the
Covenanters, especially of the awful killing-time, when the powers of
darkness were let loose on the land to do their worst, and when the
blood of Scotland's martyrs flowed like water.
Between 1661, when the Marquis of Argyll was beheaded, and 1668, when
James Renwick suffered, there were murdered for the cause of Christ and
Christian liberty about 18,000 noble men and women, some of whom were
titled, but the most of whom were unknown to earthly fame. It is a
marvellous record of the power of God; and well may we give all honour
to the martyr band while we exclaim with the "Ayrshire Elder":--
"O for the brave true hearts of old,
That bled when the banner perished!
O for the faith that was strong in death--
The faith that our fathers cherished.
"The banner might fall, but the spirit lived,
And liveth for evermore;
And Scotland claims as her noblest names
The Covenant men of yore."
THE END.