Catriona

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The hale way hame I roared and grat wi' the terror o' that

dispensation. The grawn folk were nane sae muckle better; there

was little said in Sandie's boat but just the name of God; and when

we won in by the pier, the harbour rocks were fair black wi' the

folk waitin' us. It seems they had fund Lapraik in ane of his

dwams, cawing the shuttle and smiling. Ae lad they sent to hoist

the flag, and the rest abode there in the wabster's house. You may

be sure they liked it little; but it was a means of grace to

severals that stood there praying in to themsel's (for nane cared

to pray out loud) and looking on thon awesome thing as it cawed the

shuttle. Syne, upon a suddenty, and wi' the ae dreidfu' skelloch,

Tod sprang up frae his hinderlands and fell forrit on the wab, a

bluidy corp.

When the corp was examined the leid draps hadnae played buff upon

the warlock's body; sorrow a leid drap was to be fund! but there

was grandfaither's siller tester in the puddock's heart of him.

Andie had scarce done when there befell a mighty silly affair that

had its consequence. Neil, as I have said, was himself a great

narrator. I have heard since that he knew all the stories in the

Highlands; and thought much of himself, and was thought much of by

others on the strength of it. Now Andie's tale reminded him of one

he had already heard.

"She would ken that story afore," he said. "She was the story of

Uistean More M'Gillie Phadrig and the Gavar Vore."

"It is no sic a thing," cried Andie. "It is the story of my

faither (now wi' God) and Tod Lapraik. And the same in your

beard," says he; "and keep the tongue of ye inside your Hielant

chafts!"

In dealing with Highlanders it will be found, and has been shown in

history, how well it goes with Lowland gentlefolk; but the thing

appears scarce feasible for Lowland commons. I had already

remarked that Andie was continually on the point of quarrelling

with our three MacGregors, and now, sure enough, it was to come.

"Thir will be no words to use to shentlemans," says Neil.

"Shentlemans!" cries Andie. "Shentlemans, ye hielant stot! If God

would give ye the grace to see yoursel' the way that ithers see ye,

ye would throw your denner up."

There came some kind of a Gaelic oath from Neil, and the black

knife was in his hand that moment.

There was no time to think; and I caught the Highlander by the leg,

and had him down, and his armed hand pinned out, before I knew what

I was doing. His comrades sprang to rescue him, Andie and I were

without weapons, the Gregara three to two. It seemed we were

beyond salvation, when Neil screamed in his own tongue, ordering

the others back, and made his submission to myself in a manner the

most abject, even giving me up his knife which (upon a repetition

of his promises) I returned to him on the morrow.

Two things I saw plain: the first, that I must not build too high

on Andie, who had shrunk against the wall and stood there, as pale

as death, till the affair was over; the second, the strength of my

own position with the Highlanders, who must have received

extraordinary charges to be tender of my safety. But if I thought

Andie came not very well out in courage, I had no fault to find

with him upon the account of gratitude. It was not so much that he

troubled me with thanks, as that his whole mind and manner appeared

changed; and as he preserved ever after a great timidity of our

companions, he and I were yet more constantly together.

CHAPTER XVI--THE MISSING WITNESS

On the seventeenth, the day I was trysted with the Writer, I had

much rebellion against fate. The thought of him waiting in the

King's Arms, and of what he would think, and what he would say when

next we met, tormented and oppressed me. The truth was

unbelievable, so much I had to grant, and it seemed cruel hard I

should be posted as a liar and a coward, and have never consciously

omitted what it was possible that I should do.

Robert Louis Stevenson
Classic Literature Library

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