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.