I replied in the negative.

He then continued, "Well, all I can say is, you have missed something

good, so full are they of sound, wholesome doctrine and Christian

principles; how he must have been inspired by the cause he espoused, to

be able to preach such truly comforting doctrines!"

"It is a pity," I said, "but Sir Robert Grierson had heard him, he might

have been converted----"

"Him!" interrupted the old man; "no, no; he was a brand reserved for the

burning; no sermons, however forcible, would have had the slightest

effect on his black nature; his heart would have resisted the knocks of

the minister, as the stone resisteth the hammer."

Here the labourer, by way of illustration, inflicted with his implement

a vigorous stroke on an obdurate piece of rock, which effectually

resisted all his attempts to reduce its dimensions.

"That hill," I observed, alluding to the one previously mentioned by

Mrs. Walker, "seems to have been the theatre of many an evil deed; was

it not there that the Laird executed judgment on many of the poor men

who chanced to fall into his power?"

The old man gazed for a moment on the hill in question, then with a

shake of the head, accompanied by a deep-drawn sigh, confirmed Mrs.

Walker's statements to their fullest extent, dwelling at considerable

length on the many acts of butchery perpetrated on the summit of the

eminence, which, covered with a sombre mass of dark firs, frowned

gloomily upon us.

"Is there no story you can recall to remembrance connected with some of

Sir Robert Grierson's wild exploits?" I inquired, fully persuaded from

the old man's garrulity that his memory was like a well-stored garner in

respect to these matters, and that a little time and leisure were all

that was necessary to produce some thrilling narration of horror--some

marvellous tale still treasured up in the breasts of a few, relating to

the days of persecution. I was not disappointed. The old man, thus

appealed to, stood silent for a moment, as if buried in deep thought,

then throwing his hammer carelessly from him, he leisurely seated

himself on the pile of stones beside him, and after a few preparatory

hems, commenced the following tale, which clothed in my own language is

now presented to the reader.

On a fine spring evening in the year sixteen hundred and eighty-five,

that year so fraught with gloom and disaster to all espousing the

Covenanting cause, a young man, who, judging from his military garb and

martial appearance, belonged to one of those militia regiments then

scouring the country in search of those they were commissioned to kill

or make captive, came riding slowly along the road leading from Irongray

to Dunscore. He was evidently in a thoughtful mood, for his forehead

was contracted by a deep frown and his eyes were bent steadily on the

ground so as to render him oblivious to the motions of his charger,

which, finding from the slackened rein and idle spur that his former

impatient master had ceased to hasten his onward progress, speedily took

advantage of this discovery to snatch a few mouthfuls of grass which

grew in wild luxuriance along the sides of the road. This little

indulgence of his inclinations being allowed to pass unpunished, the

poor animal, apparently worn out by his previous hard work, finally came

to a stand-still and proceeded leisurely to crop the tempting herbage

presented to his view. This sudden stoppage on the part of his charger,

speedily aroused the soldier from the absorbing reverie into which he

had fallen, and snatching up the neglected reins, he thrust his rowels

into his sides and forced him into a hand-gallop. For some little time

he pursued his rapid career, until his horse, accidentally treading on a

stone, stumbled, and being unable to recover his lost footing, fell

heavily on the road, bearing his rider with him. For one moment, the

horseman lay stunned and motionless from the force of the shock; but

speedily recovering his scattered senses, he extricated his feet from

the stirrups, and proceeded to raise his fallen charger. Greatly to his

annoyance, the soldier perceived from the halting gait of his faithful

steed that further use of his services was for the present impossible.

Uttering an exclamation of disappointment, he gathered the reins in his

hands, and leading the horse off the highway, struck into a wild,

solitary path, winding away amongst the hills which lay to the right

hand of the road leading to Dunscore. The gloaming was now advancing

with rapid strides; and anxious to reach his destination without further

delay, the young man pressed onwards as swiftly as the disabled state of

his horse would allow; but soon the lameness of the poor animal

increased to such a degree that he was fain to pause for a few moments,

in order to discover, if possible, the extent of the injury inflicted.

The horse, with the natural instinct of its race, seemed at once aware

of the nature of the service about to be rendered, and placing his

swollen foot in the outstretched hand of his master rubbed his head

against his shoulder, as if to evince his gratitude for the kindly

feelings which prompted the examination. Whilst inspecting the bruised

leg, the natural buoyancy of the soldier's spirits, which had been in no

small measure disturbed by the untoward events of the day, returned in

full vigour; and with all the joyous gaiety of youth, which rises

superior to the frowns of adversity, he commenced singing the song so

popular with his party, namely, that which related to King Charles'

return. He had not proceeded farther than the words--

"Oh, the twenty-ninth of May,

It was a glorious day

When the king did enjoy his own again!"

when a slight cough behind made him pause in the midst of his ditty,

and, greatly to his surprise, on turning round he perceived an aged man,

whose broad, blue bonnet and dress of hodden-grey betokened his

adherence to the cause of the Kirk and Covenant leaning on the butt-end

of a musket, and regarding him attentively with a look of stern

displeasure, which seemed rather to amuse than terrify the object of his

scrutiny, who, noways daunted by the ominous-looking weapon upon which

the stranger leaned, returned his scowling glance with one of haughty

defiance for he instantly exclaimed, "How now, old wiseacre! wer't

nourished on vinegar, that thou lookest so sour? Why, man alive! one

would fancy from thy rueful visage that things are not so well with thee

as thou fain wouldst wish; speak out, man, and tell us at once the cause

of thy disturbed aspect."

The aged wanderer smiled grimly, but vouchsafed no further reply to the

scoffing inquiries of the soldier, who, somewhat nettled by the

contemptuous silence maintained by the stranger, burst forth into one of

the many songs then so much in vogue amongst the cavaliers, and which

consigned to (in their eyes) condign punishment all those who ventured

to differ from them so essentially as did the Puritans. The eyes of the

Covenanter flashed sparks of fire on hearing this scornful ballad, and

grasping his musket, he seemed as if about to rush on the object of his

wrath, then, apparently by a mighty effort, conquering his disposition

for violence, he regained his original position, and continued gazing

with a gloomy brow on the performer, who heedless of its effects on the

person before him, pursued his ditty with admirable coolness, repeating

over and over again with marked emphasis, the verses he thought most

likely to annoy and irritate the grey-haired Covenanter.

"Young man," said the stranger at the conclusion of the song, "you have

verily moved me to anger by your unwarrantable attack on our poor,

afflicted body; and yet fain would I argue with you in all soberness and

good-will on the evil doings of the party with whom you consort, for

that you are one of these cruel persecutors of our church, now ranging

the country, I make bold to believe, therefore----"

"Now, cease your fanatical jargon," interrupted the soldier, "I care not

to bandy words with one pertaining to that rebellious sect I am bound to

molest by every means in my power, and to despise as being utterly

incapable of listening to a word of sense, even although delivered in

season," (this was said by the soldier in a snivelling tone); "so leave

me in peace to attend my good steed, which well merits all the attention

I have to bestow."

"The horse," rejoined the old man, "has more sense than its master, and

faints in the bloody service to which you have doomed it; but since you

despise the good counsel I would bestow, even on an enemy, I will

content myself by simply inquiring from whence you come and whither you

are bound?"

"I do not see," was the reply, "by what right you presume to question me

as regards my movements; but still I will not refuse to satisfy you on

that point, so make answer that I have come from Drumlanrig, burdened

with a special message from the Earl of Queensbury to Sir Robert

Grierson, whom I serve, as in duty bound, having been born on his

estate, and whom I am willing to follow to the death should he please so

to lead me."

The brows of the stranger contracted into a frown of fearful import,

and, grasping his gun with frantic violence, he hissed through his

clenched teeth, "You are a servant of his, are you? Then, you belong to

one whom I have sworn to dispatch should he cross my path--he, the

inhuman monster!" (here the soldier started to his feet, and drawing his

sword, sprang towards the Covenanter, but waving him off with his hand,

the stranger continued), "he, I say, has this day deprived me of my

faithful and loving brother--one who had never injured him in thought,

word, or deed. He lived in his secluded home--peaceful and happy in the

bosom of his family. Fortune smiled upon him. He was rich, yet he was

humble; he was prosperous, yet no one envied him; and why? because of

his abundance he gave to them who were in want, and never said to the

hungry--Depart; I have nought for thee. In midst of these religious

grievances which have racked our native land, Elias Henderson displayed

no symptoms of fear and dismay. Claverhouse, with his bloodhounds,

overran Galloway; Johnstone of Westerraw, with his myrmidons, scoured

the plains of Annandale; Grierson of Lag, the worst of them all,

traversed the hilly country of Dumfriesshire; yet was he tranquil. 'I

have harmed none of these men,' was his reply, on being questioned as to

the reason of his undisturbed serenity of countenance, when all around

him were tortured with gloomy apprehensions; 'It is true I espouse the

side of the Covenant, but what of that? is not liberty of conscience the

prerogative of every British subject? then wherefore injure one for

worshipping the God of his fathers in the way that seemeth him best?'

Ah, my poor Elias! little recked he of the awful fate which awaited him.

This morning," here the speaker paused for a moment overcome with

emotion, "my brother was walking in the vicinity of his farm; suddenly a

band of horsemen appeared in sight, with the redoubted Sir Robert

Grierson at their head; they approached the spot where my brother stood.

Unconscious of fear, Elias walked bravely forward, and uncovering his

head, inquired of the fierce baronet the reason of his coming."

"You shall soon learn that," was the mocking reply; and without further

parley, the cruel relentless demon drew from his pocket a loaded pistol,

and levelled it at the head of my unsuspecting brother.

"'Mercy, mercy!' he cried, perceiving the cruel intent with which Sir

Robert had visited his farm; 'only five minutes to make my peace with

God, to beg a blessing on my wife and children!'

"'Not one second,' was the stern rejoinder; and that instant my

brother--my poor brother, fell a lifeless corpse; he is dead, but I live

to avenge him!" so saying, the wanderer leant his head on his gun and

sobbed aloud. There was a momentary pause, during which the soldier

stood motionless, gazing on the speaker, apparently astonished at the

wild frenzy which so powerfully characterised his every movement. He

seemed as if about to speak, when, dashing away the tears which almost

blinded him, the stranger, or, as we may now term him, Walter Henderson,

started from his drooping posture, and raising his hands and eyes to

heaven, thundered forth with vehemence, "Before God I swear that I live

for nothing but revenge on him who has rendered my brother's house

desolate and forlorn; who has transformed the happy wife into a bereaved

widow, and smiling children into wailing mourners. From this day

henceforward shall Walter Henderson be an alien to his house and

kindred, until he has gratified his thirst for vengeance, and the bones

of his enemy are left to bleach beneath the wasting winds of heaven!"

"Come, cease your foolish bragging," replied the soldier, "Sir Robert

Grierson may not be accountable to you or any man for the justice he

pleases to administer to these bog-hunting fellows, who have thrown the

whole of Scotland, ay, and England to boot, into a state of uproar and

confusion by their fanatical nonsense. I doubt not but that he had some

powerful reasons for dispatching your brother a little before his time,

indeed, according to your own reasoning, that the day of a man's death

is appointed at the instant of his birth--my most worshipful leader was

merely an instrument under Providence to fulfil the verdict that had

gone forth against your brother, therefore----"

"And does that lessen his guilt?" sternly interrupted Walter Henderson;

"think you that Pontius Pilate will stand at the judgment-seat with an

undaunted front, because it was decreed he should condemn his Lord and

Master? Think you that the precious blood of the saints and martyrs,

which now reddens the heaths and valleys of our native land, will not be

avenged because the day for its shedding had arrived? In not blood for

blood the decree of One who holds the scales of justice in his bands?

Hath he not said, 'Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be

shed?' Then woe to him, who, by the strict performance of the bloody

duty imposed upon him by those whom he professes to hold himself bound

to obey, encourages the wicked in their evil counsels, and for his own

reward heaps up endless misery, if not in this present world, in _that_

which is to come! Young man," pursued Walter Henderson, advancing

nearer to the astonished soldier, and speaking in a tone of kindlier

import than that he had adopted while dwelling on his brother's death,

"it grieveth me much to see one apparently so young in years following

so readily in the footsteps of him who is, alas! but too truly believed

to bear a most deadly hatred to all espousing the side of our Kirk and

Covenant; and I would fain address to you a few words of warning, for

which you may yet learn to thank me, as it may be you have a mother

whose stay you are, therefore be guided by me in this matter, and

advance no farther on your road; it is beset with perils of which you

wot not; beneath the shade of each leafy tree; recline armed men; every

cottage which you pass contains a foe. Aroused to madness by fresh acts

of cruelty daily perpetrated against them, the inhabitants of this

district have risen to a man in defence of their civil and religious

liberties; more than this, they have determined upon attacking the

stronghold of the ungodly leader whom you serve; and soon, we trust,

under the favour of Almighty God, to see the Tower of Lag a heap of

smouldering ruins.

"Now, as sure as my name is John Kirsop," exclaimed the soldier,

overwhelmed with anger, and seizing his horse's bridle as he spoke,

"shall this communication reach the ears of him who is likely to feel

most interested in it;" so saying he made a motion to depart, when

Walter Henderson with a grim smile instantly laid his hand on the bridle

as if to restrain him. In a transport of fury, young Kirsop drew his

sword and prepared to rush on the aged Covenanter, who thereupon started

hastily back and gave utterance to a shrill whistle, in answer to which

about a dozen men rushed forth from their various places of concealment

and surrounded the infuriated soldier, who, bewildered by this sudden

change in the aspect of affairs, quietly surrendered himself their

prisoner.

"Now, most valiant sir," said Walter Henderson, who appeared to be the

leader of the party, "as you have despised the warning, I, out of

kindness and consideration for your youth was foolish enough to give

you, you must prepare to accompany us as our captive. No evil is

intended you, but should you evince the slightest disposition to

escape--that moment shall be your last;" so saying, he gave orders for

the party to set themselves in motion. The moon had risen, and her pale

crest appeared over the summits of the surrounding hills, throwing a dim

and shadowy light on the path trod by the Covenanters, as they silently,

and with many precautions against surprise, pursued their way along the

rough-winding road leading in the direction of Lag Tower. Suddenly they

were startled in the midst of their progress by a scream, so shrill and

wild in its death-like agony, that all paused to listen, awestruck by

the heart-rending burst of sorrow which sounded painfully distinct amid

the deep and impressive silence that reigned around. Again and again it

was repeated; now floating on the breeze like the wail of some restless

spirit, and anon dying away in sounds resembling the mournful cadence

produced by the wind sweeping the chords of an AEolian harp. The party,

at the orders of Walter Henderson, made a sudden halt, and, with

deepened gloom on their faces, awaited an explanation of the harrowing

sounds which now saluted their ears. Nearer and nearer sounded the

voice of lamentation, and in a few minutes a small procession appeared

in sight, and approached the spot where stood the wanderers, some of

whom instantly rushed forward to ascertain the meaning of what they saw.

The first object that met their eyes was a rude bier constructed of

green boughs, on which lay the lifeless body of a young man, supported

on the shoulders of four men; while at his head, with streaming eyes and

dishevelled locks, walked an aged woman, the mother of the deceased. She

it was who gave utterance to these terrible bursts of sorrow that first

attracted the attention of Walter Henderson and his party.

"What new horror is this?" cried the aged leader, gazing with distended

eyes on the bloody object before him, and addressing himself to the

woman, who, totally unable to speak, merely pointed to the lifeless

corpse, and again gave utterance to a shriek which froze the blood of

those who stood speechless around. Perceiving that the wretched mother

was wholly incapable of replying to his inquiry, Walter Henderson then

turned to one of the four men supporting the bier, and begged to be

informed as to the cause of the sad occurrence, and by whose hands the

unfortunate man had perished.

"Just the old story!" was the reply; "a poor innocent lad done to death

by the blood-hounds of the opposite party; and all for refusing the oath

of abjuration. Four of us" continued the speaker, "were this morning

seated on the brow of a hill near Dunscore; James Wishart, he who lies

on this stretcher, was reading aloud from the Bible, and we were lying

beside him listening to the comforting words, when suddenly four or five

dragoons appeared at the base of the hill on which we were stationed.

Seeing, from their threatening gestures, that harm was intended us, we

prepared for flight. 'Pursue different directions,' cried James

Wishart, who was himself an excellent runner, throwing off his coat as

he spoke. We shook each other by the hand and commended ourselves to

God. Away went James Wishart fleet as the wind, and after him, with the

fire of hate in their breasts, sped the dragoons. Finding ourselves

unmolested, we stood as if spellbound, in breathless anxiety gazing

after the retreating figure of our comrade. On he went, swift as the

roe-deer. 'He will escape,' murmured one who stood by my side; at that

instant he stumbled and fell. 'Oh, God protect him!' cried we all. In

an instant he regained his footing, and darted on swifter than ever.

Soon he disappeared in the distance. Anxious concerning our own safety,

we parted and set off in different directions. This took place in the

morning. Towards the hour of noon, prompted by anxiety regarding the

fate of young Wishart, I, who had remained concealed beneath a cairn of

stones near the spot where my friends left me, sought by a circuitous

route to approach the place where last we saw him in advance of the

dragoons. Alas! a few paces distant from thence there he lay extended on

the ground. Observing, however, some portion of his garments in motion,

I hastened joyfully forward, hoping to find him alive; but no; it was

only the wind which stirred his yellow hair and a pocket-handkerchief

that lay deluged in blood beside him. He was gone! His young life had

ebbed away through a gun-shot wound in his breast. I sat down beside

him, devoutly hoping my late companions would also return to ascertain

the fate of their comrade, as I did not wish to leave his lifeless body

to the mercy of the hungry ravens which hovered in circles around our

heads, watching for their prey. Soon they rejoined me, another

accompanying them. The dragoons, they informed me, satisfied with their

morning's work, had galloped off in another direction, therefore we

might with safety convey the body of James Wishart to his mother's

cottage, which stood not far distant. Having constructed this rude

bier, we laid his body upon it, and bore it on our shoulders along this

path; just about a mile from thence we encountered his mother, who,

alarmed at the protracted absence of her son, had set forth in search of

him----"

"Yes!" screamed forth the distracted parent, "the spirit of my murdered

boy drove me forth to meet his mangled body. I sat in my house,

bewailing my solitary widowhood--alone with my foreboding fears

concerning my son, and brooding with tortured soul over the fearful

calamities that has befallen the faithful of the land. Suddenly I was

seized with a trembling and sinking of the heart--an indescribable

feeling of awe, as if some mysterious being invisible, yet distinctly

felt, hovered around, overcame me, and I bowed my head in acknowledgment

of its presence. Then a voice, which I instantly knew to be that of my

son, although sweet and low, whispered the name of--mother! Distracted

with fear, I fled from the cottage; and led by my mysterious guide, my

footsteps turned in this direction. Maddened by cruel uncertainty, I

ran swiftly onwards until I encountered the bier which bore all that

remained of my murdered son."

Here the mother ended her sad recital, and weeping afresh, resumed her

station at the head of the procession.

"Men, and fellow-sufferers in the good cause!" shouted Walter Henderson

at the conclusion of the widow's tale, "what merits the man, who, on

account of his high position and influence in this county, has it in his

power to succour those overwhelmed by dangers and miseries of every

description, and to befriend the followers of the Covenant, but who,

instead of shielding these poor afflicted ones under the strong arm of

his might, reduces them to the bonds of slavery, and exercises his

authority over the minds of his friends and dependants to the

furtherance of every evil work, whereby the blood of innocent and

inoffensive men is poured out like water on the hills and valleys of

Scotland?"

"Death!" was the rejoinder.

"What punishment should be inflicted on him," pursued their leader, "who

has driven the labourer from his kindred and home, and the patriot from

his country?"

"Let him perish in the midst of his ungodliness, and let his stronghold

be razed; yea even to the ground!"

"Comrades," shouted Walter Henderson, "It is Sir Robert Grierson whom ye

have with one accord denounced; he it is who has clad the green hills of

Dumfriesshire in mourning, and caused the wail of widows and orphans to

ascend up to heaven for a testimony against him; then let us, trusting

in the help of the Almighty God, call upon him to account for his

iniquities, and burn down the stronghold of his cruelties.

"Amen," said they all.

"Who is this? how comes it to pass that you have one of the ungodly in

your company?" inquired one of the bier-bearers, addressing Walter

Henderson, and pointing to John Kirsop as he spoke.

"He is a soldier I chanced to encounter on my way hither," replied the

person addressed, "and not having succeeded in bringing him to reason, I

have taken the liberty of making him captive lest he interfere in some

measure with the projects we have in view. But come along," he added,

"night wears apace, and the work we have in hand brooks not of delay;

here, Thompson, a word with you." So saying, he beckoned to one of the

party, and withdrawing a few paces apart from the others, entered into a

whispered conversation, which, greatly to the annoyance of young Kirsop,

who strained every nerve to catch a few syllables of what tvas passing,

proved wholly inaudible to the rest of the group.

His private conference with Thompson being ended, Walter Henderson once

more joined his companions, and addressed them as follows:--"My friends,

it is agreed upon between us that this night must witness the

destruction of Lag Tower; then, let us hasten with resolute hearts and

hands to our appointed task. Danger menaces us in every direction, for

the tramplers of the Covenant lie lurking in secret places, seeking whom

they may devour, and certain destruction awaits us should we fail in our

attempt, or Sir Robert Grierson be made aware of our purpose;

nevertheless, let us have faith in Him (here Walter Henderson uncovered

his head) who is strong in might, and able and willing to save all those

whose trust is placed in His word. It is true we are few in number; but

when the soul is animated by steady and devoted zeal in the good cause,

much that to us poor frail mortals seems almost impossible, may under

the blessing of God be accomplished. You are all of you aware," he

continued "of the motives which have induced me to embark in this

hazardous enterprise, namely, to revenge the death of my beloved

brother, and to prevent, if possible, by the destruction of his

stronghold, the perpetration of fresh crimes--the bare contemplation of

which excites the inmost soul with horror--by that wicked Laird, against

whom there has ascended a warning cry to heaven proclaiming that the

measure of his iniquities is completed; then, let us press forward in

this most blessed work, the execution of which promises us so great a

reward."

Here Walter Henderson paused for a moment, then turning to another of

the party, named Andrew Hamilton, he requested him to accompany the body

of James Wishart to the dwelling of the bereaved mother, in case of any

surprise by the way, taking with him their prisoner, whose company would

only prove an annoyance in the difficult enterprise they were about to

undertake. The man thus addressed took no pains to conceal his

displeasure at being prevented from attending and sharing with them in

so daring an exploit as the burning of Lag Tower; but Walter Henderson

represented to him the importance of the duty committed to his care, and

adjured him to maintain the prisoner in all safety until the morrow,

when his fate should be decided. His instructions finished, the brave

old Covenanter placed himself at the head of the small but resolute

party, all eager to do his bidding, and uttering a few hurried words of

sympathy and farewell to the weeping widow, who now turned her steps in

an opposite direction, he commenced his rapid march towards the feudal

Tower of Lag, whose outline was even then dimly discernible, amid the

darkness now rapidly closing around them.

We must now leave Walter Henderson and his followers pursuing their way

towards the residence of Sir Robert Grierson, and return to Andrew

Hamilton, who, in accordance with the wishes of his leader, walked

alongside the sad procession, his hand holding the bridle of the

disabled steed, on whose back, his hands tied in such a manner so as

effectually to prevent his making any efforts to escape, rode John

Kirsop, his cheeks glowing with ill-concealed annoyance, and his eyes,

burning with impatience, resting alternately, and with no very benign

expression on the faces of the different individuals composing the

group. As there still remained about a mile of their journey to

accomplish, Andrew Hamilton seized the opportunity to express his

surprise and regret at the unworthy part chosen by John Kirsop, which he

did as follows:--"It really astonishes me beyond measure to see a young

man, apparently possessed of a good understanding, and in appearance not

unlike the rest of us, amongst the ranks of those we have but too much

reason to style the natural enemies of all who uphold the Kirk and

Covenant. O dearie me, man! but you are wandering far far from the

paths of sobriety and well-doing when thus espousing the cause of the

mortal antagonists of sound spiritual doctrines and church freedom;

really, I am grieved to behold you thus treading the path that leadeth

to destruction, with eyes blindfolded and ears shut to the words of

wisdom. And what kind of amusement is this, think you, to be hunting a

parcel of your fellow-creatures from bog to bog, and from hill to

valley, as if the Almighty had created the one-half of mankind to be

meet sport for the other? No, no, my friend; true religion does'na

begin with a chase and end with a murder; far more profitable would it

be for the like of you, and those whom you serve with so much zeal and

devotion, to be chasing pride, vain-glory, hypocrisy, and every evil

tenant from your cold stubborn hearts, than to be hanging and shooting

those who are manly enough to stand up for their civil and religious

liberties in the face of the assembled world."

"Cease your foolish prating," sternly interrupted the irritated soldier.

"'Deed and I will not!" rejoined Andrew Hamilton, who, like many of his

brethern, was fond of indulging in a little disputation; "at least not

until I have endeavoured to convince you of the base unworthy part you

are acting towards those whose side you should have espoused with all

the alacrity of a true Christian and the patriotic feelings of a

Scotchman. What are you at the present time," he continued, "but a tool

in the hands of one who would dispatch you to-morrow did you give him

the slightest cause for provocation or distrust? Why, then, continue in

his service to the utter ruin of your immortal soul? Has not the

fearful occurrence of to-day made some impression on your youthful

heart? Think you that men who thus wantonly imbrue their hands in the

blood of the innocent can be held guiltless in the presence of Him who

abhorreth the wicked and cruel man? or that mercy will be bestowed on

those who know it not, and who, by the cruel measures they have adopted

towards the adherents of a stricken Church, have brought down woe and

desolation on our beloved land?"

"Why, then," said John Kirsop, "will you still remain hostile to

Government? You cannot expect, if you set the whole country in a state

of revolt by your fanatical and impious jargon, but that such measures

as our leaders may deem proper to employ will be taken to reduce your

strength and restore you to reason----"

"Reason!" wrathfully exclaimed Andrew Hamilton, "I think, friend, you

are a little mistaken on that point; it is the Government that must be

brought both to hear and understand reason, likewise to take care how

they offend and ridicule those both able and willing to stand to their

arms when their rights are trampled on and their freedom assailed."

"Miserable fanatic," said the soldier in reply, "I would avoid wasting

words on one so narrow-minded and bigoted as thou art; so, pri'thee

cease, and permit me to indulge in my own thoughts, which are much more

likely to prove profitable than any arguments proceeding out of thy

mouth. I quarrel not with thee for the part thou has taken in these

unhappy disturbances which now agitate our land; nor will I, in spite of

all the abuse thou has been pleased to heap on our devoted heads for our

cruelty and revenge, dwell on the atrocious act thy companions are,

perchance even now, engaged in; but were I free of these bonds I should

teach thee to keep a civil tongue in that thick head of thine, and not

thus waste thy breath in giving advice unasked and unwished for."

Here the prisoner relapsed into moody silence; and Andrew Hamilton,

somewhat disconcerted at the haughty tone assumed by his new

acquaintance, forbore to press the conversation further. They had now

arrived at the cottage inhabited by old Mrs. Wishart; it was a dwelling

situated on the bank of a rippling stream, which shone like molten

silver in the pale moonlight, while the dusky foliage of a few

pine-trees overtopping the roof of the straw-thatched cottage harmonised

well with the procession now advancing beneath their gloomy boughs. On

reaching the threshold, the sorrowing mother paused for a moment, as if

dreading to enter the desolate home, whose blazing hearth would never

more be enlivened by the cheerful voice now hushed for ever--never more!

She sighed deeply; and after engaging in mental prayer that she might be

endowed with fresh strength to support this fearful trial, she raised

the latch and entered, beckoning on the others to follow. All was as

she had left. The fire smouldered in the grate, the clock ticked on the

wall; while the kettle gave forth its cheerful song, unheeded in the

midst of the general desolation. Opening a side-door which led into a

little sleeping-room, Mrs. Wishart, her face ghastly with intense

emotion, signed to the bier-bearers thither to convey the body of her

murdered son. The men obeyed; and placing the corpse, at the mother's

desire, on the snow-white counterpane, they retired with noiseless steps

and uncovered heads to the adjacent apartment, leaving her alone in the

chamber with the dead. In the meanwhile, Andrew Hamilton, who had been

busily occupied in searching out a place of security in which to deposit

his prisoner, of whose company he was, to own the truth, heartily tired,

at length discovered a barn which he at once chose as being adapted in

every respect for the present purpose. Windows there were none; and the

door being secured by a double lock, rendered all attempts at escape

fruitless--so Andrew Hamilton thought; and acting upon his

hastily-formed opinion, he thrust in the hand-bound prisoner, and

double-locking the door, proceeded to stable the exhausted steed. This

done, he retraced his steps to the kitchen, where he found his four

companions seated around the hearth, conversing in subdued whispers on

the sad occurrences of the day.

"I really wonder how Walter Henderson and his party are getting on," at

length observed one of the party, and he shook his head as he spoke.

"Not very well, I fear," replied another, "for if all tales be true, Sir

Robert Grierson keeps up too much correspondence with the powers of

darkness not to be made acquainted beforehand with so important an event

as the burning of his tower; and should he catch any of the unfortunate

wights engaged in the act, their time on earth will be but short. Sir

Robert understands not mercy at any time, and an attempt such as this

will be enough to drive him mad; nor will he be appeased until the

perpetrators are hanged as high as Haman."

"In verity, he is a terrible man," said a third. "I never saw him but

once, nor do I wish to behold him again; his eye as it rested on me

seemed to read my very thoughts at a single glance, and his brow had a

gloom I have never seen equalled. Off went my bonnet in a trice, and my

head stooped to the very ground as he approached, so anxious was I to do

him all honour, while I strove to look calm and collected, although

Heaven knows I was trembling like an aspen leaf, so great was my terror

of the noted Laird. 'Ho, ho!' he shouted as he came alongside of me,

and his voice went through me like a sword, and seemed to take all the

strength, as it were, out of my back. 'Ho, ho! but you seem a well

mannered knave; and could you wield a sword or fire a gun as quickly as

you can lower that bullet-head of yours, I would make your fortune; say,

are you willing, provided you excel in these accomplishments, to enter

my service?' 'Most worshipful sir,' I replied, with a joyous expression

of face and an inward shudder, 'I should indeed have esteemed it a

favour far above my humble deserts to have ranked even amongst the

humblest of your retainers, but----' 'No buts,' roared Sir Robert, with

a fierce glance and a scowling brow; 'yes, or no, for me!' 'Pray hear

me,' I replied in an imploring voice, fearful of incurring the deadly

auger of so unscrupulous a person as Sir Robert was reported to be, 'I

only intended to assure you of my regrets that circumstances----'

'Cease your abominable falsehoods,' he again sternly interrupted, 'and

own the truth at once, you unshaven rascal; speak out like an honest man

and tell me, what you know to be the case, that you are not ambitious to

be enrolled amongst the "Laird's Devils."' So saying, he made a cut at

me with his whip and rode off, laughing heartily, as if considering the

whole affair an excellent joke; while I, delighted to have escaped so

easily, made the best of my way homewards; and ever since that day I

have taken especial care always to keep a good stone wall between me and

Sir Robert, for fear the second meeting should not terminate quite so

pleasantly."

"Ay, Ay," chimed in a fourth, "but were you to see the Laird suffering

from an attack of the gout, such as my father once witnessed, you would

then have reason to remember the meeting."

On his being urged to give them an account of the interview in question,

the speaker narrated the following:--

"One day my poor father, who is a staunch old Covenanter, and cares not

to avow the fact, was taken up on suspicion of having secreted some

rebels who had rendered themselves particularly obnoxious to Government,

and nothing would satisfy his accusers but his going before Sir Robert

Grierson to answer the charge preferred against him. My father said,

the very idea of facing that fearful man, as he styled the Laird, made

him feel ready to faint; but he was determined to show no signs of fear,

lest it might be construed against him; so putting a bold face on the

matter, he not only expressed his willingness, but his anxiety, to meet

Sir Robert; and, in accordance with his desire, he was instantly

conveyed to Lag Tower. It happened, very unfortunately for my father,

that very day on which he went to abide his trial, Sir Robert was

confined to bed from a dreadful attack of his old enemy, the gout, which

had rendered him so savage that his domestics were afraid to venture

near him; but no sooner was he made aware of the fact of there being a

prisoner awaiting his pleasure, than he left his couch; and dressing

himself as speedily as repeated twinges of the gout would permit, he

hobbled down stairs, blaspheming the while in a manner horrible to

listen to. On entering the room where stood my father, with his accusers

beside him, Sir Robert darted a keen glance at him from beneath his

shaggy eyebrows, and then proceeded to question those present regarding

the offence alleged to have been committed by my father. A grim smile

played at the corners of his mouth, and a fiery gleam shot from his eyes

as he listened to the rather complicated statement regarding my father's

conduct in the affair of the late concealment. He then thanked them for

the ready zeal they had displayed in the king's service, and desired

that they should retire to another apartment, 'For,' said he, with a

hoarse laugh, 'I should like to have a little private conversation with

the old Whig, and I dare say I shall manage to make him sensible of the

heinous crime he has committed, thereby rendering himself amenable to

the laws of his country.' The room being cleared of all save my father,

who stood boldly confronting the Laird, his head erect and his hands

folded across his breast, in the attitude of one who fears no evil and

is conscious of having performed none, Sir Robert seated himself at the

head of the table, and motioning to my father to approach nearer to the

judgment-seat, as he styled his huge arm-chair, he addressed him in the

following language:--'Is it not a downright disgrace for an old man like

you, whose grey hairs ought to have covered a head of wisdom, to be

arraigned before us, charged with having aided in the secreting of a

parcel of knaves, rebels in fact, against their king and country;

thereby frustrating the ends of justice, which required the lives of

these men, and not these only, but of all who similarly transgress the

righteous laws established by our most gracious sovereign King Charles

the Second, whom may Heaven long preserve to the utter confusion of all

who wish him harm? What have you to say for yourself, that we may be

satisfied of your innocence in this matter, and permit you to depart in

peace?' My father, to tell you the honest truth, was in no small degree

puzzled how to reply to this strange mode of address adopted by Sir

Robert; but reflecting for a moment on the character of the man he had

to deal with, he arrived at the conclusion that the best way to avoid

giving a direct answer to so startling a question would be to propound

another, so he said, 'Well, Sir Robert, since you have desired me to

reply to the question you were pleased to put as regarded my complicity

in this aflair of the secreting of these poor unfortunate men, whom I

cannot look upon in the light of malefactors, I shall do so firmly, and

without reserve, feeling assured that no real blame can be attached to

the part I have acted throughout; but, before proceeding to enter into

details, I would simply ask in return, if any of those belonging to the

side you espouse so warmly were in grievous distress, and in imminent

danger of being deprived of their lives, should they fall into the hands

of their enemies, who were eagerly following on their track, would you

not esteem it a positive duty to harbour these unhappy fugitives? Would

you not, I say, rejoice in the good deed you had accomplished, on

beholding their foes depart cheated of their expected prey, and seek no

other reward than the happiness arising from a self-approving

conscience?' 'Then you acknowledge having aided these men to escape

from the just doom awaiting them,' roared Sir Robert, his brow black

with ungovernable wrath. 'You cannot prove that I did,' coolly replied

my father, nowise daunted by the terrible looks of the fiery Laird; for

his blood was up, and when once he had got over his natural timidity of

character, he could have faced the old gentleman himself. 'I will make

you prove it, however,' was the fierce rejoinder; 'reach me hither that

Bible.' My father did so. Now, you old solemn-faced hypocrite,' said

Sir Robert, accompanying these words with a hideous grimace, occasioned

by a sudden and severe twinge of the gout, 'as you value your life, you

must swear by this blessed book that you are entirely innocent of the

offence alleged against you, and that you know nothing of the

whereabouts of these men.' 'But what if I do know something of the

whereabouts of these men?' demanded my father, who was fully determined

to display no coward spirit, or evade the truth, even though death

should pay the penalty. 'Then your last hour has come,' replied the

Laird, in a somewhat milder tone, for he was not a little astonished at

my father's boldness of speech; 'so you may at once say your prayers.'

'That is rather an unusual favour for you to bestow,' said my father,

with a smile; 'for if all is true that's said of you, praying does not

come within your province; and instead of your victim's soul being borne

aloft on the incense of prayer, it is generally dismissed with something

the very reverse of a blessing.' 'No insolence, you ungrateful varlet,'

thundered forth Sir Robert, while his brow contracted into the most

fearful frown, my father said, he had ever witnessed; 'and since you

sneer at the boon I was pleased to offer you, your prayer shall be of my

framing; so down on your knees this instant, and mark you, every word

you utter must be in an audible tone of voice that I may be able to hear

and judge of the same. You must pray as if your soul was in every word

you give forth, for the welfare of Church and State, dwelling at

considerable length on the goodness of his most gracious Majesty in

adopting such lenient measures towards those who have so justly offended

him, likewise on the wisdom he has displayed in his choice of leaders to

execute his commands.' 'Not at your desire will I kneel, you bloody

man!' stoutly replied my father, his eyes flashing and his colour rising

as he spoke; 'nor shall my lips be polluted with such words as you may

devise. If death be the decree sent forth against me, I will meet it as

becometh one who hath endeavoured to prepare himself to meet his

Maker,--therefore, do your worst; and learn from me, that not to win an

empire, should I say aught of the king than that he is a perjured----'

'Hold!' screamed Sir Robert in a transport of fury, 'how dare you

venture to attack his most blessed Majesty in my presence? This moment

is your last!' So saying, and forgetful of the malady under which he

laboured, he darted from his chair and seizing hold of a loaded pistol,

which lay on an adjoining table, levelled it at my father. But,

fortunately for him, just as Sir Robert was on the point of firing, he

was suddenly seized with a most dreadful attack of his irresistible

enemy. His agony was so great that the pistol dropped from his hand;

and after vainly endeavouring to preserve his footing, he gave utterance

to a wild scream of mingled rage and pain, and fell prostrate on the

floor. Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded him for escape, my

father rushed to the door, opened it, and fled along the passage,

shouting at the top of his voice, 'Help, help! Sir Robert is dead, or

dying!' Overcome with terror and dismay, the domestics at once rushed

to the assistance of their master, thereby permitting my father to leave

the castle unquestioned--a feat he took not long to accomplish--and

considering this part of the country no longer safe for him, he speedily

removed to a retired spot in Annandale, where he now resides."

"Do you think there is any truth in the stories they tell about Lag

Tower being haunted?" inquired Andrew Hamilton, who was not a little

prone to indulge in the superstitious fears so generally entertained by

his countrymen.

Just as one of his companions was about to reply, a loud crash in the

yard, as if some heavy substance was thrown to the ground, at once

arrested their attention. The men instantly started to their feet, and

eagerly listened for a repetition of the sound; but nothing more was

heard.

"What can it be?" said one of the party, whose pallid face and faltering

voice betokened the agitation. under which he laboured.

"O! it is just the wind that has blown down something about the barn,"

replied one of his comrades.

At the mention of the word barn Andrew Hamilton gave utterance to a loud

exclamation, and seizing a lantern that stood on the table, darted

towards the door, closely followed by his astonished companions. With a

sinking heart, he pursued his way; and to his unspeakable horror, the

first object that greeted his eyesight, on his arriving at the spot, was

the door--the key of which he was carrying for safety in his

pocket--lying prostrate on the ground, bereft of its hinges. Impatient

to learn the worst, he rushed into the barn; it was empty--the prisoner

was gone.

The reader must now please to accompany us into the interior of Lag

Tower, in the banqueting hall of which several gentlemen are seated

round a long oaken table, strewn with the remains of dessert,

half-emptied bottles of wine, drinking cups, etc. The gentleman

presiding over the entertainment, and whose hoarse laugh even now

resounds through the hall, is the dreaded persecutor, Sir Robert

Grierson; on his right hand are seated Captain Bruce and Captain

Dalziel, also notorious for their dreadful cruelties practised towards

the Covenanters; while Lieutenant Livingstone, Cornet Douglas, and

others of lesser note, occupy the remaining seats. The hall, which is

long and narrow in its proportions, is lighted up by the aid of

pine-torches stuck in the wall, and the huge fire, as it roars in the

capacious chimney, casts a ruddy glow over the swarthy faces of the

revellers, and dances fantastically over the suits of time-honoured

armour, swords, guns, pistols and other warlike weapons with which the

walls of the apartment are adorned.

A pause has ensued in the conversation--it is the Laird who breaks it.

"Well, Dalziel, and so you managed to make the old Whig swallow the oath

after all, ha, ha, ha! Upon my word, it is well worth all the trouble

we have been put to during these troublous times, just to witness the

rare state of terror into which some of these canting knaves are thrown

when they imagine their last hour is come. Down they go smack upon

their knees, turning up their eyes, and if you only permitted them, they

would spend at least three hours in praying for the steadfast upholding

of the most blessed Kirk and Covenant; and, for my part, I don't believe

one out of twenty understands the precise meaning of the words; it is

just the fact of their having them so constantly dinned into their ears

by these old maundering hypocrites, whom they regard as the precious

salt of the earth, that impresses them with the belief of their

embracing everything that ought to be prayed for. Little encouragement

do they get from me in that line. At the bare whisper of the words

'Covenants of Grace' I discharge my pistol close to their ears, and they

very soon come down to earth again, and endeavour to enter into a

covenant of mercy with me, whom they style the Man of Sin; but they soon

discover temporising does not do for me: my words are few and plain.

Take the oath at once or suffer the penalty. 'Mercy, mercy, Sir Robert!

remember our wives and helpless little ones at home; what will become of

them should we be deprived of our lives?' Then take the oath! I find

this peremptory mode of speech does my business far more effectually

than any long-winded discourse; that's what they are accustomed to, and

they would willingly listen for hours, if we had only breath sufficient

to hold out so long, to any amount of rubbish with which it might please

us to cram them; but the brevity of speech with which I issue forth my

demands puts them at once to the rout; and the short and the long of the

matter is, they are either brought to hear reason, or look their last

upon the sun."

"It is really extraordinary how many maintain their firmness even to the

last," said Captain Dalziel, as he filled his goblet to the brim and

drained it at a single draught; "they seem to take a pride in suffering

death, and I firmly believe would rather lose fifty lives, or endure any

amount of torture, than allow the oath of abjuration to pass their

lips."

"Ha, ha! my friend," exclaimed Sir Robert Grierson with a loud laugh, "I

think I am the only one of you all who can manage these skulking fellows

and compel them to take the oath in spite of themselves. Never shall I

forget that scene in the church of Dairy, should I live to be an

hundred; how horror-stricken the whole pack were!"

"Why, what did you do to them?" inquired Lieutenant Livingstone. "I

have never heard what I considered to be a true version of that affair,

although I have often wished to learn what really occurred on that

occasion, as it seems to have made a great noise throughout the

country."

"Why, you see," said the Laird in reply, "towards the beginning of last

year I chanced to be in Galloway holding courts throughout the different

parishes--and a fatiguing time I had of it, I can tell you. The Courts

were wretchedly attended. Of course, ill-affected people did not come

of their own accord, and there was not sufficient force to compel them

to do so. Determined, however, not to be defeated, I one day assembled

a large concourse of men and women--in fact, every one belonging to

Dairy--in the parish church, without assigning any ostensible reason for

so doing. After the church was filled to overflowing, I caused the door

to be locked; and at the blast of my bugle, a band of trusty

followers--previously made acquainted with my plans--came galloping up

and instantly surrounded the church. This done I put my head in at one

of the windows, and gazing with a wrathful countenance--though I could

scarce forbear laughing outright--on the astonished group within, I

shouted aloud, 'He or she, who wishes to leave this place alive, must

instantly take the oath of abjuration!' Had a bombshell fallen in the

midst of the assembled company, scattering death and ruin around, they

could not have looked more appalled than they did on hearing these awful

words. To all their prayers and entreaties--and they were not a few--I

vouchsafed but the same reply--free egress and pardon to all those to

whom I administer the oath. This was accompanied by a loud flourish of

trumpets which seemed to complete the general consternation. 'O, Sir

Robert, hae ye nae conscience, man, that ye tak sic a pleasure in making

folks' lives a burden to them?' whined out an old witch, raising her

apron to the corner of one eye, and looking at me hard from the other;

'do let me out; I am an auld woman----' 'The greater reason for your

being a sensible one,' I replied; but she continued as though she heard

me not. 'I have a large family, some of whom are biding at hame; and it

would be an unco-like thing for the likes o' me to have it to say on my

return that I had been and taken a non-juring oath, or some ither thing

equally wicked. What chance, think ye, wad there be o' my getting to

heaven after doing the likes o' that?' 'There appears to be very little

chance of your getting there at present,' I said in reply; 'for, if you

are an attentive reader of your Bible, as I trust you are, you must have

observed the strict injunction to honour the king. And I think you will

allow there is not much consideration for the person of his most

gracious Majesty in your composition, or you would not refuse to take

the oath which would at once prove to my satisfaction that you are a

true and loyal subject.' 'Ay, ay,' she rejoined, 'that may be all very

true; but it is not an earthly monarch we are bound to obey, when our

consciences testify against his proceedings; and you know brawly

yoursel', that the king has slipped away sadly from the straight line it

behoved him to keep till, if not for his own sake, at least for the

sakes of these pious and now persecuted men wha wad fain hae regarded

him in the light o' a parent. But, oh, he is, indeed, a sad example

o'----' 'Enough, enough, my good woman!' I exclaimed in an angry tone,

for I was waxing wroth at the pertinacity with which she eluded the

subject of the oath; and pulling a pistol out of my pocket, I affected

to be examining the priming as though to make ready to fire should she

not yield obedience to my wishes. The sight of the ugly weapon was

enough. With a loud exclamation betwixt a groan and a howl, the old

beldame testified her willingness to do my bidding; adding, she hoped

she might not be held accountable for that day's work, as it was only to

prevent the crime of murder she had given in. A few of those present,

seeing how greatly things were against them, imitated her good example;

while others, again, possessing the stubborn old Covenanting spirit,

repelled with scorn all offers of pardon purchased at such a price.

However, they soon discovered that if they were obstinate so were we;

and being, moreover, thoroughly wearied of their confinement, and

alarmed at the prospect of a still longer imprisonment, they gradually

gave in one by one, until the whole had consented to come to terms.

After having duly administered the oath--which seemed indeed a terrible

ordeal for the most of them--I wound up the affair by exclaiming, 'Now

you are a fold full of clean beasts--you may go away home;' upon which

the doors were thrown open, and amid loud shouts of derisive laughter,

the crest-fallen Covenanters issued forth, looking and muttering

unutterable things."

Here Sir Robert ended his narration, and the loud shouts of approving

merriment with which the recital was received, testified how much the

listeners relished hearing of any practical joke that had for its object

any one of the party who had rendered themselves so obnoxious to the

then existing Government.

"And did the varlets keep true to their oath?" inquired Lieutenant

Livingstone, after he had in some measure recovered his wonted composure

of countenance.

"I understood not, from some spies whom I had placed in and about

Dairy," answered the Laird, "whereupon I immediately set out at the head

of some chosen followers and traversed the whole extent of the parish.

Having very good reasons to believe that my spies were correct in their

information, I took the liberty of exacting some pretty considerable

fines from the richer portion of the community, greatly to their

astonishment and indignation, they having fancied themselves secure from

all further molestation. No less a sum than seven hundred pounds was

extorted by me from three persons who had been bewailing at a sad rate

their defalcation in the church of Dairy; and, as you may fancy, their

hearts were not lightened by the loss of so much money."

"By the bye, Laird, how did you get on with that beggarly fellow also

residing in Galloway?" inquired Captain Dalziel, when Sir Robert had

finished speaking. "You may remember the last time I saw you, you were

on the point of starting off in pursuit of him. Did you manage to catch

him, or is he still lurking in some secret place? if so, we shall ferret

him out."

"There are no such proceedings necessary," replied Sir Robert with a

grim smile; "we have had many a peck at him since that eventful day, the

cowardly skulking fellow that he is. Why, we spent nearly a fortnight

in search of him; but, my word! his goods and chattels paid toll for all

the annoyance he gave us. I wish you could have seen his wife's face as

we ripped up the mattresses, scattered the contents on the floor, and

carried off the ticken, as well as every other thing capable of being

transported; how she did wring her hands and tear her hair; yet for all

we did and threatened to do, she would not betray her husband's

lurking-place. Women are so obstinate in cases like these. However,

while ransacking the house, we came upon a young damsel, whom we

concluded to be the daughter of the person we were in quest of. To all

my inquiries regarding her father, she turned a deaf ear, protesting she

knew nought of his whereabouts. Determined to try another plan, I then

inquired of her where she had spent the previous evening? Entirely

thrown off her guard, and suspecting no evil, she answered, in the house

of Mrs. ----, naming an elderly gentlewoman, whose name I have at this

instant forgotten. Thither we instantly went, and were rewarded for our

trouble by the discovery of two other rebels of whom we were also in

search. Suspecting the other would not be far distant, we then galloped

to the sea-shore and ransacked the caves amongst the rocks, in one of

which we came upon our friend, and also another who had taken refuge

with him. In accordance with my orders, all four were instantly

conveyed to Bangor prison, where the proper authorities tendered to them

the oath of abjuration, which was taken by one and refused by the

others. Then a court of assize was held and indictments served on the

remaining rebels, two of whom also gave in. On being informed that the

fourth still held out, I went thither, determined to reduce him to

reason. He remained steadfast to his purpose, declaring nothing should

tempt him to swerve from his duty, upon hearing which I broke out into a

fearful passion, and swore by the bones of my father that if he did not

take the oath in the space of five minutes, he should be barking and

flying on his way to another world. This produced the desired effect,

and the fellow, who seemed most horribly afraid, at length succumbed.

But I can tell you it was all they could do to get me to spare his life

I was so indignant with the rascal."

Here Sir Robert paused and replenished his goblet.

"Is there any truth in the report that the Whigs are arming themselves

in this part of the country?" inquired Captain Bruce of Sir Robert

Grierson, who replied in the negative, adding that the sneaking

poltroons had suffered too much at the Pentlands and Bothwell Bridge

ever to attempt anything like a formal stand against the Government

soldiers; besides the stringent measures he had thought proper to adopt

in Dumfriesshire and Galloway would effectually prevent any of the

opposite faction from attempting aught like retaliation in the

neighbourhood. He then proceeded to give them a detailed account of the

summary manner in which he had, that morning, dispatched old Elias

Henderson--a proceeding on his part which met with unqualified

approbation from the assembled revellers, who each in his turn related

some memorable exploit in which they had in a special manner signalised

themselves by their unheard of atrocities.

"Ha! ha!" shouted Sir Robert Greirson, "what a fine set of fellows we

are to be sure! come, let us drink each other's good health in a goblet

of sparkling Burgundy. There's myself, whom the rascals have nicknamed

'the bloody Lag.' There's you, my worthy friend on the right, who

rejoice in the appellation of 'the fiery Dalziel;' and Bruce, who is

termed 'the ungodly;' and you, Livingstone, 'the wicked lieutenant.'

And pray, what are you styled?" he added, turning towards Cornet

Douglas, who replied with a frightful grimace, "the black cornet," an

answer which convulsed the hearers with laughter, as the young man in

question rejoiced in an unwonted sallowness of complexion.

"I wonder, Sir Robert," observed Captain Dalziel, after they had duly

honoured the proposed pledge, "that you do not feel apprehensive of

these exasperated men attacking you some night in this old castle. It

strikes me that you are rather incautious in thus making enemies so near

your own threshold. This is a wild, solitary place; and were these

wandering, psalm-singing fellows to unite together, they might work

serious damage ere you could possibly have time to aprize your nearest

friends. I am not joking, I assure you," pursued Captain Dalziel; "the

idea just came into my head this evening while riding through the glen;

more particularly, as I observed some rather grim-looking rascals

hovering near the bye-roads. I paused for a moment in order to observe

their motions more closely; but guessing my evident intentions, they

addressed a few words to each other, and then sauntered carelessly away

across the heath.

"What! attack Lag Tower!" cried Sir Robert, with a loud burst of

incredulous laughter. "I only wish the knaves would try it. But, no;

they are too well aware of what the consequences would be to brave the

lion in his den. But should they come, they will find a cold, if not a

warm reception; for, in the twinkling of an eye, I can, by means only

known to myself, surround the castle with a lake which it would rather

puzzle these canting Whigs to get across. Ha! ha! there is nothing I

should like better than to see a whole troop of them immersed in such a

slough of despond. What say you, Livingstone? would you not think it a

transporting sight to see our most worthy friends--all clad in

hodden-grey and Kilmarnock bonnets--floundering in the water like so

many porpoises, while you stood on the castle-wall with your musket, in

readiness to pop them off one by one as they showed their heads above

water? On my life, Dalziel, I would willingly lose the best suit of

armour in my possession should----"

At this instant, while loud shouts of laughter resounded through the

hall, the door was flung open to its widest extent, and John Kirsop, his

face haggard with emotion, staggered into the room.

"How now, sirrah!" exclaimed Sir Robert Grierson indignantly; "how

darest thou enter our presence after this fashion?"

"Pardon, pardon! Sir Robert," broke in John Kirsop, his voice trembling

through apprehension; "but this is no time for ceremony."

"What meanest thou, knave?"

"The rascally Whigs have flown to arms, and even now are but a few paces

distant, threatening all manner of vengeance against you and yours.

Their present plan, so far as I could learn, is to destroy the castle by

fire. This they propose doing this very night."

"Ha!" cried Sir Robert, starting to his feet, an example that was

speedily followed by the others; "have the traitors presumed thus far?

Saw ye aught of these bold conspirators?" he continued; "how many may

they number? Speak out, knave, and let us lose no time in dallying;

even now the villains may have commenced their operations. Livingstone,

do you run to the loop-hole facing the north, and keep a look out from

that quarter; and you, Douglas, hasten to the one on the right hand as

you ascend the stair, where you may be able to perceive what is going

on; and now, Kirsop, proceed with your narration, and that as briefly us

possible."

Thus admonished, Kirsop related all that had befallen him since leaving

Drumlanrig. When he came to mention his interview with Walter

Henderson, Sir Robert smiled grimly, and nodded his head towards Captain

Dalziel, as though he recognised the truth of his warning.

At the conclusion of the story, Sir Robert exclaimed, while filling a

goblet with wine, which he handed to the exhausted soldier, "Thou art an

honest fellow, Kirsop, and shalt not lose thy reward when once we get

this troublesome affair arranged to our satisfaction."

Scarcely had Sir Robert Grierson finished speaking, when Lieutenant

Livingstone rushed into the hall, exclaiming in a hurried whisper, "They

are here! they are here! even now I perceived them stealing round the

corner."

"How many may there be?" demanded Sir Robert.

"A dozen or more, I should fancy," was the reply.

"A dozen!" cried Sir Robert, with a scornful laugh, "why, from the way

that fellow Kirsop spoke, one would have imagined that a hundred men at

least were at the gates."

"I but told the truth," said Kirsop doggedly; "they numbered a few when

they started, but they spoke of reinforcements; and that old Whig,

Walter Henderson, declared the whole country-side were in arms in

defence of their liberties, so----"

"Enough, enough!" exclaimed Sir Robert impatiently, "and now, my

friends, let us hasten to crush these rebels. A dozen men! Why, we

ourselves would be sufficient to cope with thrice that number."

"What mean you to do, Sir Robert?" inquired Captain Dalziel.

"Mean to do!" re-echoed the fiery Laird. "Why, roast the knaves alive,

to be sure! ay, every mother's son of them."

"Will you open the flood-gates on this occasion?" said Lieutenant

Livingstone, laughing as he spoke.

"No, no," was the stern reply; "that were too speedy a death for these

undisciplined rascals; a more lingering doom awaits them. Lag Hill

shall witness their last agonies." So saying, Sir Robert Grierson

strode across the hall, and detaching a sword from a pin on which it

hung, fastened it to his belt. While thus engaged, Cornet Douglas

entered, and, in addition to Lieutenant Livingstone's information, told

Sir Robert that the assailants were even then engaged in piling up huge

logs of wood, obtained from the supply set apart for the use of the

castle against the outer walls.

"Then no farther time must be lost," broke in Sir Robert. "Do you,

Livingstone, Bruce, and Douglas station yourselves at the three windows

overlooking the scene of action; and the instant the rascals attempt to

set fire to the wood, send a volley amongst them, whilst we steal round

by the side postern and attack them on the rear. I think that will

settle the business," said Sir Robert with a laugh, as he cautiously

descended the stair, closely followed by his companions. In the

meantime, as notified by Cornet Douglas, Walter Henderson and his party

were proceeding noiselessly and rapidly with their operations, and

already a considerable portion of their labour had been accomplished.

The increasing darkness of the night favoured their project, the moon,

which in the former part of the evening shone with a brilliancy that in

some measure threatened to frustrate their schemes, having veiled her

brightness behind huge masses of leaden-coloured clouds which slowly

drifted along the sky. It formed a strange and striking picture this

old castle of Lag, rising, as it did, amid a wide extent of flat,

desolate moor-land which stretched away in the distance until relieved

by a range of bare irregular looking hills bounding the prospect. So

thought one of the party, William Hislop by name, as in common with his

comrades, he proceeded leisurely to pile up around the castle walls huge

blocks of wood destined, as he imagined, to level it with the ground.

In conjunction with this thought, he remarked to one of his companions

that it was a lonesome-looking place, and that for his part he did not

quite like the task they were engaged in, adding, by way of consolation,

"if that old vulture, Lag, gets us atween his claws, it's little flesh

we'll hae on our backs when aince we get out o' them."

"Why, then, did you join us if such were your feelings?" said the person

addressed. "I am sure had Walter Henderson known you had no love for

the undertaking, he would not have pressed you to come hither."

"It's not that I think we are doing anything wrong in burning doon the

castle--no, no; the bloody persecutor, as he is, weel deserves it at our

hands, and I felt rale brave and anxious about the doing o' the same,

when Walter Henderson brought it hame to our souls in the manner he did;

but somehow or another the case looks different now, and it's such an

eerie-looking bit to be meddling wi' at this time o' night, that----"

"Hear till that, man!" suddenly exclaimed his by no means comfortable

companion in a low tone of voice.

"Hear till what?" cried William Hislop, now fairly started out of all

composure by this sudden exclamation. "Tush, man," he said after a

moment's pause, "it's only an owlet screaming; do you no' see it up by

yonder?" and they both stood still a while to observe the bird which

wheeled in rapid circles around the castle, screaming and flapping its

wings as though to apprise the inmates of the terrible danger that

menaced them.

"Do you think that can be ain of Lag's familiar spirits?" he continued,

addressing his companion; "for ye ken it is reported through the country

that he keeps a wheen evil spirits to tell him all that he wants to

know."

"That I canna' pretend to say," answered his comrade, whose eyes still

followed the excited bird; "but it seems in a terrible state o' flutter:

what can it mean by going on at that gait?"

"Did you see that strange light dancing along the moor as we came across

the road?" inquired William Hislop, who was evidently a firm believer in

ought that savoured of the supernatural.

"Yes I did," was the reply.

"And what do you think it was?"

"A will-o'-the-wisp, to be sure!"

"Aweel, may be!" was the doubting reply; "truly may I say that never yet

has that same twinkling light cam' across my path, but something most

terrible has happened to me afterwards!"

"Silence!" cried Walter Henderson in a low stern voice. At this instant

a cock, which had taken up its quarters for the night on a neighbouring

tree, apparently cheated into the belief from the unusual stir that

prevailed around its generally peaceful domicil, that morning had

already dawned, gave forth its usual challenge to the sun; a proceeding

which so thoroughly alarmed William Hislop, that he exclaimed aloud,

regardless of time and place, "Gude save us a'! The cock to be crowing

at this time o' night; it's easy seen what 'ill be the end o' this fine

work!"

"Have you a mind to ruin yourself and us, that you thus indulge in such

untimely remarks?" whispered Walter Henderson, and he grasped William

Hislop tightly by the arm as he spoke. "The greatest caution is

necessary," he continued, "lest we be discovered and our plans thereby

frustrated. Now cease your apologies and attend to me. The wood is all

ready; and it but remains for us to apply the light, and our labour will

be accomplished. I will advance first, and do you follow; here are the

necessary materials;" so saying, he placed a piece of flint and tinder

in the trembling hands of William Hislop, who rather unwillingly

proceeded to fulfil the duty imposed upon him. But scarcely had the

match been ignited, when, according to the commands of Sir Robert

Grierson, a volley of musketry was discharged from the windows overhead,

which stretched several of the assailants upon the ground. On hearing

this dreadful sound, the forerunner of yet more terrifying alarms, the

lighted match fell from William Hislop's Land, and giving utterance to a

loud exclamation of horror, he fell forward, as though he had been shot,

on the pile of wood before him.

"Betrayed! betrayed!" shouted Walter Henderson, drawing his sword as

bespoke; "fly, my friends, fly, while there is yet time!"

In obedience to his commands, the panic-stricken men rushed to the outer

gate; but scarcely had the foremost reached it, when a firm grasp was

laid on his collar, and he found himself a prisoner. The others were

captured in a similar manner; the darkness of the night preventing their

being able to distinguish friends from foes. The terrible voice of Sir

Robert Grierson was then heard, ordering lights to be brought that the

faces of the prisoners might be discernible. Eager to do his bidding,

several of his retainers rushed to the banqueting hall, and snatching

the pine-torches from off the walls, brought them to Sir Robert, who,

seizing the one borne by John Kirsop, waved it aloft in the air over the

heads of the terrified prisoners, as they stood motionless in the hands

of their captors awaiting the doom they feared to be inevitable. By the

ruddy glow of the lights, Sir Robert at once distinguished the venerable

form of Walter Henderson. "Ha, thou hoary-headed traitor!" he exclaimed

in a furious tone; "and is this the way in which you seek to follow

after _that_ which is good? Is it by deeds like these that you would

fain hope to build up the walls of your crumbling kirk, and patch up

anew your broken Covenant! Covenant forsooth! Who would seek to enter

into terms with traitors such as you? Not I for one, and that you will

learn right speedily; dearly shall all of you rue this night's work. And

you thought to catch the lion asleep," he pursued in a mocking tone;

"ha, ha! then you made a slight mistake, that is all; and were it not

that business, which brooks no delay, requires my presence in another

part of the country, to-morrow should witness your final agonies; but

ere the sun has thrice completed its circuit of the heavens, shall you,

and your partners in iniquity, cease to cumber the earth. Away with the

villains," he cried, addressing his retainers, "throw them into the

deepest and darkest dungeons beneath the castle, and there, amid the

gloom that surrounds them, let them comfort themselves with the thoughts

of a speedy doom awaiting them."

"Murderer of my brother!" shouted Walter Henderson, struggling to free

himself; "this night's work is a fitting termination to a day so begun;

but think not, though thy infernal arts have prevented the completion of

our purpose, that thou wilt always escape. No; a terrible day of

retribution awaits thee, and when it does arrive, thou wilt remember the

innocent blood thou hast shed, and cease to hope. In what had my poor

brother wronged thee that thou must basely deprive him of life? In what

manner had he infringed the laws that his blood must pay the forfeit?

Oh, Judas, that thou art!----"

"How darest thou speak to Sir Robert Grierson thus?" cried Lieutenant

Livingstone, at the same time dealing him a buffet on the side of the

head.

"Away with the old hypocrite!" thundered forth Sir Robert Grierson with

an impatient wave of the hand; "convey him to his quarters, and feed him

on coarse bread and water during the remainder of his sojourn on earth;

it will, in some measure, cool the fever of his blood, and enable him to

view things in a clearer light than he has hitherto done. Kirsop, to

your watchful care I commit the prisoner."

"Kirsop!" exclaimed Walter Henderson in a tone of dismay, "ha, that

explains it all! Fool, fool that I was to trust him for one moment out

of my sight!"

"Don't blame yourself, old fellow," said the soldier with a grin,

"because fortune has given the scales a turn in our favour; but rather

rejoice in the thoughts that you will leave the world with your

conscience freed from the heavy crime which would otherwise have

rendered it top-heavy, and prevented your getting out of purgatory quite

so soon as you would have wished, had I not escaped from the hands of

the person to whose care you commended me."

This last stroke of bad fortune quite overcame Walter Henderson, and

muttering "God's will be done!" he suffered his captor to lead him away,

to the loathsome dungeon appointed for his reception.

The remains of the unfortunate Covenanters who had perished at the

outset of the affair had long been removed from the court yard, and Sir

Robert Grierson and his friends were again seated at the festive board,

carousing and blaspheming according to their wont; still William Hislop

had not yet mustered up courage sufficient to emerge from his

hiding-place. It was, to say the least of it, rather a hard bed he had

chosen on which to repose his wearied limbs, still, as he himself

expressed it, anything was preferable to lying dead on the courtyard or

sickening in a dungeon; and it would be the height of ingratitude for

him to complain who had, without doubt, fared the best of the party.

True he was still, in some measure, within the "Laird's grasp;" yet as

he listened to the wild bursts of revelry which ever and anon fell upon

his ear, he felt assured that soon the whole party would be laid

prostrate beneath the table, and then he might venture forth in safety.

An hour or two, which seemed to William Hislop, in his anxious state of

mind, like so many ages, passed away without producing the desired

change in the banqueting hall; on the contrary, mirth seemed on the

increase; and William Hislop, from his hiding-place, could distinctly

hear Sir Robert Grierson, whose voice he had reason to remember, deliver

a song, which, judging from the uproarious shouts of laughter that

followed each verse, seemed of an unusually joyous character.

"The auld vagabond that he is!" muttered the incensed listener, "to be

going on in that daft manner just after he has doomed a wheen

fellow-creatures to death; it really astonishes me that the walls o' the

castle dinna' come doon about his ears and finish him in the midst o'

his evil on-goings. Truly the Lord is merciful! Nae wonder cauld water

takes to the boil whenever he puts his foot in't! I am sure I wad gin

he cam near me, the nasty fellow that he is. My very blood rins cauld

till hear him going on at that gait; it's like naething human. Gude

sake! how I pity these poor fellows at this moment in the power o' sic a

character; indeed, I may just as well pity myself when I'm at it, for

I'm no that far out o' the wood that I can afford to waste time in

talking to mysel' like some auld spaewife--the more especially when I

may be able to do something a hantle better, than a wheen useless words,

for my comrades in captivity." So saying, William Hislop thrust aside a

huge block of wood which somewhat obstructed his exit, and prepared to

issue forth. Scarcely had he ventured a few steps across the courtyard,

when, with a loud scream, the owl darted forth from its hiding-place

amongst the ivy, and again commenced wheeling in rapid circles around

the castle; but this time in such close proximity as almost to strike

him with its wings. Horrified beyond measure at the sight of this

unexpected apparition, and fully persuaded of its being nothing else

than an emissary of Satan's, William Hislop crept back to his retreat

amongst the wood, where he lay for several minutes, gazing with

distended eyes on the ill-omened bird as it pursued its wayward flight.

"I am a gone man!" he muttered; "a gone man! that owl will be the death

o' me! It has discovered I am here, and the next thing will be the

Laird coming his ain sell to pull me out o' my hiding-place. Whist ye

there wi' your crying! I am sure ye might be contented wi' the lot that

has fallen to your share and let me alane. O sirs me! had I but

foreseen the tae half o' the misfortunes that were to befall us this

dreadful night, I wad hae been sitting by my mother's hearthstane,

supping my porritch wi' a thankfu' heart, instead o' lying here,

expecting every moment to be my last."

While William Hislop was thus indulging in soliloquy, one of the windows

of the banqueting hall was thrown open, and a voice exclaimed, evidently

in reply to a question from within, "Morning breaks, and ere another

hour has passed, we must be in our saddles;" then the casement was

closed, and once more the festivity was resumed.

"Now, William Hislop, now or never!" With these words, addressed to

himself, the impatient Covenanter again ventured forth from the place of

his concealment. This time the owl kindly forebore screaming; but

stationed itself on the branch of a tree overhanging the courtyard, from

which elevation it gazed on the intruder with eyes that seemed to emit

sparks of fire, as though questioning his right to depart. Creeping

cautiously along, under shadow of the wall, William Hislop managed to

gain, unobserved, that portion of it which admitted of an easy descent

on the other side. This position attained, his courage in some measure

revived, and pausing a moment to shake his hand at the owl before taking

his final leap, he muttered between his teeth, "There now, ye may gang

and tell your hopeful master, from me, that maybe there 'ill be mair

company assembled on Lag Hill, on the morning o' the execution, than he

wots o'," and with these mysterious words, accompanied by another

gesture of defiance, William Hislop darted from off the wall, and

rapidly disappeared amidst the gloom of the early morning.

About two miles to the south of the village of Dunscore, in a little

valley, sheltered by mountains from every blast that swept over the

neighbouring heath, stood the form belonging to the deceased Elias

Henderson. The house pertaining to the farm partook of the usual

appearance of farm-houses in Scotland, at the period of which we write,

and was scrupulously clean and attractive in its exterior; while the

well-stocked yard and barns bespoke the thrifty farmer. Indeed, few

persons following this precarious occupation could boast of greater

success than had fallen to the lot of Elias Henderson.

It was the evening of the second day from that on which our story opens,

and the deep air of silence that reigned in and around the farm-house of

Westercleugh, told in language more expressive than the most eloquent

words, that death had laid its ice-cold hand on one of the inmates. In

the kitchen, close to the window, is seated an aged woman, the mother of

the deceased; her hands are crossed on her breast, and her eyes remain

immovably fixed on the open pages of the Bible lying on her knee. In

appearance she is calm and resigned, for more than three-score years and

ten have passed over her head, and old age has somewhat chilled the

current of human affection, yet she mourns her sad bereavement; and

while lamenting that death should have taken him who was in the prime of

manhood and spared the aged, she turns to the Word of God for

consolation in her affliction. In another corner of the apartment is

seated, or rather reclining, for her head is thrown over the back of her

chair, the bereaved wife, in an utter abandonment of grief. Her

children stand grouped around her; the elder ones sharing their mother's

sorrow; while the youngest, an infant of not more than two years old,

sits smiling and crowing in its little chair. Silence is everywhere

maintained; and the servants belonging to the farm tread with the utmost

caution as they go in and out in the execution of their accustomed

duties, so truly do they sympathise with their mistress in the loss of

her husband, and no less deep and sincere is their grief for the loss of

a kind and indulgent master. The rays of the setting sun streamed

through the casement, lighting up the venerable features of the matron,

as though to comfort her, in midst of her grief, with the blissful

promise of a future state, where those for ever separated in this world

should be re-united in the bonds of love. After gazing for a moment on

the brilliant messenger, she arose from her seat, and putting aside her

Bible, crossed over to where Mrs. Henderson lay absorbed in grief, and

placing her hand on her shoulder, said in a sad, yet firm

voice--"Marion, grieve no more for him who has now gone from amongst us!

Rouse yourself from that state of useless sorrow; it is the living who

require our sympathy and care--the dead need it not. No amount of

weeping ran ever restore those who have once crossed the river of death.

But, oh! bethink you, Marion, of the happiness, we may humbly venture to

hope, our beloved one is now enjoying in the presence of his Maker, for

he was a sincere Christian, and strove to do ins duty manfully. Think

not," she continued, "because my poor old eyes refuse to weep, that I

lightly esteem the irreparable loss I have sustained. During the long

period of years it has pleased the Lord that I should sojourn in this

vale of tears, I have seen the young whom I loved and the aged fall

around me like the leaves of autumn. And what, think you, has

strengthened me in all my affliction? Nothing but the hope of a

cloudless hereafter. Think on that, Marion. Think on the promises of

the Gospel, and endeavour, while on earth, so to do your duty to

yourself and your children, that no link may be awanting in the chain,

which will, I trust, unite us all in the regions above." At the mention

of her children, Mrs. Henderson started up from her recumbent posture,

and throwing her arms around their necks, clasped them to her bosom,

weeping passionately, and exclaiming the while, "Oh my poor fatherless

children!" In the midst of this ungovernable burst of sorrow, the latch

of the outer door was gently lifted, and a slow and cautious footstep

was heard advancing along the passage leading to the kitchen. On her

turning round, old Mrs. Henderson was surprised, and in some degree

terrified, to perceive it was the wife of her son Walter who at that

moment entered.

"What has happened, Sarah? in the name of heaven, speak!" she cried,

observing the look of hopeless misery with which her daughter-in-law

advanced towards her.

"Walter! Walter! have ye seen nought of my Walter?" exclaimed the

fainting woman as she sank upon the nearest chair. "He left me on the

morning of his brother's death, and has never returned. Yesterday," she

continued in a choking voice, "my son set off in search of him, and he,

too, has failed to come back. Oh, what shall I do if they also have

fallen into the hands of that wicked Lag!"

This sad intelligence struck the hearers dumb, and they remained

motionless, gazing on one another with eyes that revealed the horror

their tongues refused to express. At length, with a noble effort, the

sorrowing mistress of Eastercleugh roused herself from her hitherto

inactive grief, and strove, by every means in her power, to alleviate

the uncontrollable distress of her sister-in-law, who having recently

arisen from a sick bed, was thoroughly exhausted by the fatigue and

anxiety she had undergone.

"And have you heard nothing concerning your husband since his departure

from home?" inquired old Mrs. Henderson, who stood with her arm

supporting the aching head of her daughter-in-law.

"Nothing," was the weeping reply; "but yesterday morning strange reports

reached us concerning some desperate encounter that had taken place

between the Laird and some of our party. This alarmed me dreadfully,

and my son, seeing the sad state to which I was reduced by anxiety

regarding the prolonged absence of Walter, went off at an early hour

with the intention of seeking him. Up to the time at which I left home

he had not returned, and too anxious to remain longer without news of

some kind, I instantly resolved, spite of the distance, and my own

weakness, to come hither, hoping he might be with you, or that you would

be able to give me some information respecting him."

"Now may God, in his infinite mercy, grant that this new and exceeding

bitter trial be averted from us," piously exclaimed the venerable

matron, throwing her arms around the necks of her weeping daughters;

"but let us not murmur, my children, should it be otherwise decreed by

Him whose goodness and loving-kindness are beyond all praise. Our

heart's dearest treasures are but lent us for a season--soon, soon must

they be restored; then let us, recognising the unspeakable love which

prompts the removal of our choicest blessings that our thoughts may be

weaned from earth to heaven, exclaim with the bereaved King of Israel,

'The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the

Lord!'"

Scarcely had old Mrs. Henderson finished her pious exhortation, ere the

door again opened--but this time it was a man's eager footstep which

paced the passage, and the voice of Walter Henderson's son that saluted

their ears. He entered; his countenance looked worn and haggard, and he

tossed back his dishevelled hair from his forehead with an air of

despondency that escaped not the eyes of the watchful mother.

"My son! my son!" she exclaimed, throwing herself on his neck; "what of

your father? speak, I can bear it all; only speak, my son!"

"You here, mother!" he gasped forth, and his voice died away in a broken

murmur.

"Oh, my Walter! I see it all; thou art dead! I, too, am a widow!"

"No, mother, no! he is not yet dead, and while there is life there is

hope--comfort yourself, my mother!"

"Where is he, that we may try and save him?" demanded his grandmother.

The young man shook his head as he answered, "He lies in a dungeon

beneath Lag Castle, and to-morrow's sunrise sees him suffer on Lag

Hill!"

"To-morrow!" screamed forth the distracted wife, and fell prostrate on

the floor.

"He shall not die; oh, mother, speak to me!" cried her almost distracted

son; and raising her tenderly in his arms, he gazed in her face with a

look of unspeakable anguish, fearful lest she too might be snatched from

him. Then seeing her recover a little, he continued pouring in words of

consolation into her ears, such as were dictated by love and hope.

"Oh! can ye do nought to save him?" cried his aged grandmother, "I fear

me her life will go, should he suffer death. Poor thing; oh my helpless

children, you have indeed suffered much! God in his mercy succour you,

for I fear man can do but little."

"Mother, he shall not die! God will never permit such an atrocious deed

to sully the face of his beautiful earth," cried John Henderson, his

eyes beaming with renewed hope; "so do not despair--all will yet be

well. Yesterday," he continued hurriedly, "I fell in with William Hislop

wending his way towards our house. On seeing me he expressed his

satisfaction at the meeting, and informed me that my father was a

prisoner in Lag Castle. It appeared, from his statement, that, driven

to the verge of madness by my uncle's death, my father had determined

upon burning the castle to the ground. This he proceeded to do in

company with some friends; but information of their coming was conveyed

to the Laird by a soldier who had been taken prisoner by my father, and

managed to escape, so that he entrapped them all, with the exception of

William Hislop, who fortunately succeeded in secreting himself among

some wood, from which retreat he overheard the bloody Lag declare his

intention of murdering them to-morrow. The hour sun-rise; the place Lag

Hill. We are determined, if possible, to prevent this dastardly deed.

Even now William Hislop is scouring the country in search of aid, and I

have managed to secure some bold youths who are only too willing to

assist in so good a cause. Being in this neighbourhood, I came to

acquaint you with my purpose, hoping that my dear mother would hear

nothing of it until all had been decided; but 'tis better thus, the

sight of her pale suffering face has nerved me anew for the combat." So

saying, he embraced her tenderly, and again exclaiming "Mother, he shall

not die!" rushed forth from the dwelling.

The fatal morning at length arrived; and scarcely had the appearance of

a few streaks of red in the east betrayed the early dawn, ere Sir Robert

Grierson and his companions were pursuing their way, on horseback,

towards Lag Hill, whither the prisoners had already gone. Owing to the

unavoidable absence of Captain Bruce, with a considerable portion of the

Laird's followers, the guard in charge of the Covenanters was composed

of but few men; yet, trusting in the terror of his name, and the secrecy

with which the whole affair had been conducted throughout, Sir Robert

was not apprehensive of any attempt at rescue being made. On gaining

the summit of the hill where stood the prisoners, Sir Robert Grierson,

placing his hand on a barrel all stuck round with sharp-pointed weapons,

demanded of Walter Henderson how he relished the thoughts of quitting

the world in so terrible a manner; adding, with a hoarse laugh in which

his companions joined, "that it would enable him to judge whether the

Word was indeed sharper than any two-edged sword!"

"Sir Robert Grierson," replied Walter Henderson mildly, "jest not thus

with one about to bid farewell to this world, and who would fain compose

his mind that he might be able to reflect on the joys pertaining to a

better. But before suffering death," he continued, "I would wish to

obtain your forgiveness for the sinful attempt I made to destroy your

castle. In the darkness and solitude of my dungeon I had time to

reflect on the crime I had been guilty of, in taking vengeance into my

hand instead of leaving it to Him who hath said, 'Vengeance is mine; I

will repay!' but you had foully slain my brother, and I was mad. At the

best we are but poor erring mortals; for a time Satan got possession of

my heart, and I thirsted for revenge. I am now about to pay the penalty

of my presumptuous sin--would God it were alone!--and I would fain leave

the world at peace with you and all men."

"Bravo, old hodden-grey!" cried Sir Robert with a loud laugh of

derision. "Thou hast mistaken thy vocation; the pulpit were a fitting

place for thee, and had I but known of thy talents in this line, I

should have had one erected for thee that thou mightest have held forth

in a style becoming thy merits."

Walter Henderson turned from the speaker with a look of mingled contempt

and pity, and gazing on his companions with the deepest sorrow expressed

on his countenance, seemed as if about to address them, when Captain

Dalziel interposed, exclaiming in a stern voice, "Now cease your canting

nonsense; we want none of your conventicle phrases!"

"No, no," said Sir Robert Grierson; "pray let him go on; I never was at

a field-preaching, and should like to hear how they conduct matters

there; besides, there is plenty of time, and the rascals will have

leisure to examine our playthings. So now, old Round-bonnet,

proceed--we are all attention!"

"My friends," said Walter Henderson, heedless alike of their remarks and

the jeers that accompanied them, "we have been brought here to suffer

death, and I trust we shall meet it with the calm serenity of men who

are travellers towards a better country. Of the cruelty of him who hath

decreed that we should perish by such unheard-of tortures I shall say

nought, lest, by dwelling on the subject, I should forget my

recently-acquired spirit of Christian forgiveness, and heap such curses

on his head as might endanger my own salvation. Let us not, then, dwell

on the sufferings we must experience ere we can win repose in death, but

rather let us rejoice that we are thus called upon to suffer, and in the

glorious prospect that lies before us of our being accepted in the sight

of God." ("Prophesy, prophesy, old fellow!" shouted Cornet Douglas.)

"Oh, my friends," pursued the aged Covenanter, his face flushed with

enthusiasm, "even now, as I stand at the gates of death, the thin veil

which separates the future from us is torn from my sight, and I behold a

scene which gladdens my old eyes." ("Out with it, out with it, hurrah!"

cried the Laird and his party, amid shouts of laughter.) "I see," he

continued, "a prosperous and happy country smiling around me, the

inhabitants of which live in peace one with another, and the hand of the

persecutor is no longer lifted to smite. The village bell sounds

sweetly on the Sabbath morn, and the faithful preacher of the Word of

God, no longer fearing to teach his little flock in the sight of all

men, instructs his hearers in the simple doctrines of their beloved

faith; while aged matrons, as together they cross the peaceful

churchyard, pause for a moment, ere entering the house of God, to gaze

on the simple stone which marks the Covenanted grave. My brethren, we

shall not be forgotten. In the bosoms of our countrymen, we shall live

for ever. Till remotest ages, shall our wrongs and our sufferings form a

soul-stirring theme; and the aged parent, as with kindling eyes he

rehearses in the ears of his children the tales that have descended to

him of our untiring zeal in the cause of the Covenant, shall point to

the rusted sword hanging sheathed on the wall, and bless God that his

forefathers were amongst the number of those who fought and bled in

defence of the rights and privileges of the Church of Scotland."

"Thine hour has come!" said Sir Robert Grierson, making a signal for him

to prepare for death.

The sun had now arisen, and its bright rays tinted with a roseate hue

the summit of the mighty Criffel, and lit up the wild and desolate hill

on which the bloody deed was about to be enacted. At the sight of the

brilliant luminary, which never more should rise for him, Walter

Henderson seemed for an instant overcome, but it was only for an

instant, and soon he regained his wonted composure.

"Now, we shall soon see how the old rascal will face death," cried Sir

Robert, in a tone of fiendish delight; "here, bring hither the barrel,

and see that all the weapons are properly arranged so that he shall lose

nothing of his punishment. That's it; in with him, and whenever I fire

off this pistol send him head-long down the hill!"

Scarcely had the soldiers advanced to do their leader's bidding, when,

with a deafening cheer which awoke the echoes amongst the neighbouring

hills, a large body of men, headed by William Hislop and John Henderson,

and armed with scythes, pitch-forks, spades, and every other available

weapon, rushed in amongst them, and ere they had time to recover from

their astonishment, drove them right down the hill.

"Cowards!" shouted Sir Robert, in a transport of rage, on beholding the

sudden onslaught made on his retainers, "dare you thus molest us in the

rightful discharge of our duty? Dalziel!--Livingstone! stand by me, and

we will teach these knaves a lesson."

With these words, Sir Robert Grierson struggled to regain his former

position on the summit of the mountain, but all in vain. The dense

crowd came pouring on, bearing all before them.

"That's the way; that's the way, my lads, to serve these bloody

tyrants!" cried Andrew Hamilton, as several soldiers fell beneath the

weapons of their adversaries.

At this instant, his eye encountered the form of John Kirsop, who was

vainly endeavouring to force his way towards Sir Robert Grierson. With

a cheer of satisfaction he threw himself instantly upon him, and so

great was the force of the shock that they both lost their balance and

rolled together to the foot of the hill, where they lay cuffing and

tearing each other until fairly exhausted by their mutual efforts. The

contest was but of short duration. In vain did Sir Robert Grierson

threaten with death the first man who evinced a desire to escape. In

vain did Captain Dalziel and Lieutenant Livingstone endeavour to recall

the panic-stricken soldiers. Fruitless were all their efforts to

maintain order. Overpowered by numbers, their followers were driven

from the field; while they themselves, unable to make anything like a

stand against so superior a force, were also obliged to seek safety in

flight.

"Father, O father! and have I then saved you?" cried John Henderson, as

he clasped the old man in his arms. "God in heaven be praised for his

kindness unto us this day."

"Hurrah!" shouted William Hislop, tossing up his cap in the air, as he

gazed after the fugitives, "flee awa, Laird, to your castle; and the

next time ye gie orders for an execution see that there's no listeners

near to circumvent ye in your evil doings."

Little more remains to be told. But few hours had elapsed since the

above scene was enacted ere Mrs. Henderson was weeping on her husband's

neck; and their son, as he clasped them alternately in his stalwart

arms, cared not to conceal the tears which coursed down his cheeks,

while he exclaimed, "Mother, I told you my father should not die!"

It was now considerably past the middle of the day, and the sun was

shining in all its wonted splendour. The hedges bursting forth into

vernal beauty, and the "lark at heaven's gate singing," together with

the melody of less-aspiring songsters, proclaimed the presence of

spring; while the soft freshness of the air imparted an invigorating

elasticity to the spirits. After a walk of about an hour and a half's

duration, I at length arrived at the glen in which Lag Tower is

situated. The nearer I advanced to my journey's end, the more wild and

solitary the scenery became. The road wound past the foot of a hill--the

scene of many of the Laird's wild exploits; for it is related of him

that when tired of the comparative tameness of riding upon a level road,

he was in the habit of ascending the face of the mountain upon

horseback--a circumstance which contributed not a little towards

preserving the country people's belief in his supernatural powers.

The ground in the vicinity of the tower is marshy, thereby affording

evidence of the truth of the statement, that when Lag was in fear of

being attacked in his stronghold, he could, by some secret process, at

any time lay the surrounding country under water, thus preventing his

enemies from approaching the tower. With affection, still constant

amidst decay and ruin, the ivy clings to the old walls of Lag Tower, as

though to preserve it from the further inroads of Time. Alas! unavailing

protection. The heap of broken fragments which lie strewn around attest

the fact that Time--that ruthless destroyer--has marked it for its prey.

Whilst indulging in these melancholy reflections, the sound of footsteps

behind me caused me to turn my head, in order to discover who thus

intruded upon my privacy. The good-humoured face of one of the servant

girls belonging to a neighbouring farm, coupled with the inquiry, "Had I

come to take a look at the auld toor?"--the steadfast gaze with which I

was regarding the said tower might have satisfied her that I had come

for that special purpose--disarmed me of any feeling of momentary anger

I might have entertained at thus being disturbed in the midst of my

pleasing reverie; and I replied that I was there with the intention of

seeing all that remained of Lag Tower, adding, "I suppose you find it

very lonely here in the long winter nights?"

"Ay," she replied, "it's rale eerie when the owls flee about flapping

their wings and screaming from amongst the ivy."

"Do you ever hear any strange sounds in the tower?"

"Many and many a time; every one about here thinks the auld place

haunted, and I am certain it is. Often I canna get sleeping at night for

the queer sounds ower here."

"Are there any owls now in the ivy?"

"O yes!" she replied; "there is an owl that has built its nest up there,

and it has twa wee anes. It flees ower to the wood ye see yonder, and

hides there the whole day; then it comes back at night and makes an

awfu' disturbance--hissing and the like, so that we are feared to gae

oot."

I pursued my inquiries still farther, and heard it was currently

reported that whatever liquid Lag raised to his lips turned to blood!

and that whenever he put his feet into cold water it boiled! She

thought he must have been a dreadfu' man! She said she would now show

me the place where he put all the bodies of the people he murdered, and,

so saying, she called a man to assist her in removing a stone from the

mouth of what had evidently been the draw-well for supplying the inmates

of Lag Tower with water. This regular "murder hole" both the girl and

her companion evidently regarded with the greatest horror.

"Wasna' that an unco-like place to put the puir bodies in?" inquired the

girl, gazing intently in my face, evidently expecting to read there the

consternation depicted in her own.

I could not repress a smile, as I answered that I thought Lag would not

be so foolish as to pollute with dead bodies the water he and his

friends drank in the tower.

"What wad he mind what he took?" replied the girl, evidently rather

offended at her statement being doubted. "Na, na; that's just the place

where he threw the murdered folk!"

After a little more conversation, she was called away to her work, and I

was left alone. There is something indescribably melancholy in

wandering among the ruins of some ancient castle, whose inmates, in days

gone by, bore a conspicuous part in the annals of their country, when

the courtyard, which once resounded with the trampling of steeds and the

shrill sound of the trumpet, now only re-echoes to the tread of some

passing stranger, whom perchance curiosity has brought out of his way to

inspect a ruin leagued with historical associations. _I_ experienced

this sensation strongly as I stood gazing on the setting sun pouring its

bright rays fully on the old Tower of Lag. A gentle breeze had sprung

up, and the ivy bent low its head before the welcome visitor, as if to

woo its tender embraces; whilst the low sighing of the wind amongst the

crevices and openings in the ruined walls seemed like some departing

spirit's wail o'er the bloody deeds of the wicked persecutor.

The adventurous tourist, while exploring the romantic valleys of

Dumfriesshire, would do well to visit this solitary spot, where lived

the author of many an evil deed, professedly done in the cause of

religion, which all who recognise the mild and gentle precepts it

inculcates, would be the first to grieve over and condemn.

How pleasing to relate that a lineal descendant of this famous

persecutor is revered for her many deeds of Christian charity and active

benevolence, throughout the country which formerly rung with the evil

doings of the Laird of Lag!

*THE SUTOR'S SEAT.*

Having ascertained, during a recent visit in Dumfriesshire, that Crichup

Linn--celebrated on account of its wild sublimity, but more especially

for the refuge it afforded to the Covenanters during the days of their

persecution--was distant about seven miles from the house where I was

then staying, I set off one fine morning, with a friend, to explore the

dark recesses of that romantic spot.

Dear to the heart of the Scottish peasant is the remembrance of those

bloody days; when the mountains and valleys of their native country

resounded with the voice of lamentation as Claverhouse and his dragoons

darted like eagles on their prey; and the incense of praise ascended on

high from the lonely hill-side and solitary moor, uttered by the lips of

those dauntless men who took up arms in defence of a broken Covenant and

persecuted Kirk.

Of the many places of refuge sought after by the Covenanters of

Dumfriesshire in their hour of danger, Crichup Linn was the most

frequently resorted to by them, as its narrow and tortuous paths

afforded little scope for the mounted dragoon; while all along the base

of the rocks, which rose dark and frowning from the depths of the abyss,

Nature had formed a series of caves, as if with a view of sheltering

those suffering children who fled to her bosom for protection.

A guide being procured--in the person of a grey-haired labourer, to

point out the precise spots where lurked those hapless defenders of

Scotland's spiritual freedom--we entered the sequestered shades of

Crichup Linn. Few persons could visit this picturesque solitude without

being deeply impressed by the almost terrific grandeur of the scene

presented to their view while traversing the narrow path along which we

followed our venerable guide, who, staff in hand, strode slowly onwards,

with head and eyes bent towards the ground, as though he was ruminating,

sadly perhaps, on the vanished past. Above our heads gigantic masses of

rock towered upward, dark and menacing in their rugged strength, from

whose crevices burst forth some withered-looking trees, which wreathed

their distorted limbs into fantastic shapes around the huge blocks of

stone to which they clung; while at an immeasurable distance beneath,

the water--from whence the linn derives its name--fell with a murmuring

sound into the basins Nature had formed to receive it.

Evidently enjoying the delighted surprise with which we gazed on the

startling scene, our guide exclaimed, as if in answer to his own

thoughts, while he pointed with his stick to the gloomy depths

below:--"Yes! beneath the shade of these frowning rocks the persecuted

Covenanter--friendless and homeless, heart-sick and weary--could lay

himself down to rest in as much security as the sleeping child reposing

on its mother's breast!" The old man's colour rose as he gave utterance

to these words; his eyes flashed, and he grasped his staff with a

firmness which convinced me that he himself, had he lived in those

times, would have been a staunch supporter of the Covenanting cause. I

ventured to hint as much, upon which he replied--"Maybe, maybe! there is

no saying what either of us might have been had we lived in those wild

days; but praise be to God! they are gone--I trust never to return in

Scotland."

Re-echoing this heartfelt prayer, we pursued our way along the giddy

ledge of the precipice which stretched beneath. The farther we

advanced, the more wild and gloomy the scenery became, until at length

we paused, mutually overcome with the stern sublimity of the, formerly

believed to be, haunted linn. By means of fissures in the rocks, worn

away in some places so as to resemble huge skeletons, we beheld winding

passages and numberless cascades--the noise of whose falling waters

alone broke upon the stillness of the scene; while in the abyss beneath,

gigantic masses of hyperstein-looking rock, jutting boldly out from each

bank, seemed to form, what well might have been, the entrance to some

subterranean palace of the Genii. So perfect was the resemblance, that,

as we gazed affrighted on the towering portals and listened to the

murmurs of the water gurgling along its pebbled bed, we almost feared to

see some of its terrible inhabitants issue forth, and with denouncing

gestures, compel us to enter their unblest abode. After pointing out

for our observation the numerous caves which formerly sheltered the

adherents of the Covenant, our guide attracted our attention to a seat,

in the form of a chair, hollowed out in the solid rock, remarking, as he

did so, "You told me you thought from my appearance that I would have

been a Covenanter had I lived in their time, and well might you say so,

for my forefathers were staunch in the rightful cause; and for many a

long hour did my great-grandfather sit in that seat, when Claverhouse

and his dragoons were guarding the entrance to the linn. He was a

shoemaker in this parish, and from that circumstance alone it is still

known as the 'Sutor's Seat.'"

"Is there any tradition handed down in connection with your

great-grandfather?" I inquired.

"Yes, ma'm, there is; and if you would care to hear it, you are welcome

to all that I can remember." So saying, the old man seated himself on a

neighbouring stone and related the story which, clothed in my own

language, is now presented to the reader under the name of the