The Mosstrooper Part 4

The better to observe the party, Harthill and the old host went out to the door, but Ruthven remained at the window. The hors.e.m.e.n were seven in number, jackmen or retainers of Laird or Baron. All wore strong leathern "jacks" or doublets; iron bascinet caps or round helmets with cheek plates, but no visors; and heavy jack boots with large spurs.

They were armed, after the usual fashion, with spears, swords, and daggers--the spears being of the enormous length of nearly six ells, according to the regulation in the Act of the Scottish Parliament of 2nd April, 1481. The foremost rider, the apparent leader of the party, wore, in the front of his bascinet, a few sprigs of the golden broom, which Ruthven knew was the cognizance or badge of Gilbert Lauder, a grasping and restless laird, whose Peel was a number of miles distant.

"There maun be something in the wind," said the gaberlunzie to his host, "when gentle Edie Johnston is in the saddle sae early."

Edie Johnston? Yea, the leader was the very man who had left the child at Hawksglen gate! He looked much older now, older than perhaps he actually was. Twenty years and more of a habitual course of "sturt and strife" had done their work upon him: his complexion was darker, his form more spare, and the scar on his cheek, which he would carry to the grave with him, gave his countenance a settled and forbidding gloom. Ruthven gazed at him with surprise, for, though he could not remember having ever seen the man before, yet the face seemed one that had frequently haunted his dreams, and now the figment was embodied to his view.

Johnston, on coming up to the cottage, uttered an exclamation, and halting with his men, leaned aside, and tapped the gaberlunzie good-humouredly on the shoulder with his long lance, saying--"My worthy crony! Hard to tell where friends may meet. Troth, I ha'ena seen your blythesome face for near a twalmonth since yon nicht I fell foul o' you instead o' gleyed Hecky Lapstane, the Selkirk souter; but I hope you soon forgot the broil."

"My cloured pow wasna sae soon forgotten," answered Harthill. "But I bore you nae grudge, kenning that you ettled at the souter's croon and no at mine."

"Richt, Willie," replied the trooper. "When the drink's in, the wit's out--a saying as true as Gospel. But I was sair vexed next day when I cam' to my sober senses, and minded o' what befell."

"It was weel for you," cried a village youth, on the other bank of the burn, who was hacking wood; "it was weel for you that you had to do wi' souters and gaberlunzies, else you michtna seen the neist day."

"Hooly, hooly, Dandie," whispered a companion in the speaker's ear.

"Dinna raise his ill bluid. Let sleeping dogs lie."

"Hooly yoursel'," returned the youth. "If a' tales be true, he has done ill to my kin, as weel as to fremit folk no far awa'. He canna deny--and though he denies wha cares?--he whiles sell'd himsel' to our auld enemies ower the Border, and harried Scots land for them."

"Ralph Kerr's nowte were driven last Martinmas," said another voice.

"Wha did that?"

"And Widow Janfarrie's hoggs the Michaelmas before," added a third.

It was evident that the gentle Johnston was in bad repute among some, at least, of the Greenholm folks; and he was constrained to notice their aspersions.

"What?" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, with a sardonic grin, which showed that he had lost some of his front teeth. "Are a' the misdeeds on the Border to be laid to my charge?"

"Your hand has been in a hantle o' them," retorted a fourth voice.

Edie's eyes glowed with dusky fire, and shaking his spear, he said--"If another foul word be spoken against me, by the ma.s.s! but I'll gi'e some o' ye bluidy croons for your pains. Let the man that I ha'e wranged stand forward, and I'll answer him. If it werena that him I serve and your ain Laird are hand and glove, I wad tak' amends for what has pa.s.sed already."

The mention of their own superior had a good effect upon the traducers; for, one by one, they slunk away, muttering to themselves what they did not venture to speak aloud.

"Cowardly tykes!" said Edie. "Weel did I ken that a word frae my lips wad be worth mair than anither man's blow."

The gaberlunzie now stepped out from the doorway, and patted the neck of Johnston's nag, saying--"You wear Ballinshaw's favour in your cap again. I thocht that when you left his service, on a quarrel, it was for gude an' a'."

"Sae I thocht, and sae I said," answered Johnston. "But the Laird soon found out that he couldna want me; for I had been to him as his richt hand. He sent for me and southered up matters, and I put the bonnie broom in my cap again."

"And what's your errand this morning, if ane may daur to speir?"

"A peacefu' errand," responded Edie. "Ballinshaw and Royston Scott o'

Altoncroft ha'e differed anent the marches o' their lands. In my judgment, a wheen spear-thrusts and sword-slashes wad ha'e decided the dispute speedily and honourably, according to Border use and wont, and I ga'e Ballinshaw my mind to that effect. But, by ill luck, Sir Robert Home, the Shirra, got inkling o' the affair, and sent word to baith Lairds that if they broke the peace, he wad visit them baith wi' the King's vengeance. On the ither hand, he advised them to appoint him as arbiter atwixt them, and he wad decide justly on the plea."

"He's a worthy man Sir Robert," said Willie. "Ever since he cam' into power in this shire, he has done his best to mak' the law respected."

"Law respected! whew!" exclaimed Edie, with a scoffing whistle. "Baith Lairds swithered about coming to blows, and agreed to mak' the Shirra their arbiter, and to gi'e leal and true obedience to his award. They are to meet him on the disputed ground this day at noon-tide: and I ha'e been gaun the rounds, warning men that can mak' aith in Ballinshaw's favour to attend at the place and hour appointed, and bear soothfast testimony, as I am to do mysel'. Will you gang ower the way? I'll be glad to toom a tankard wi' you after the sport."

"Whaur's the ground?"

"The meeting is to be at the Deadman's Holm--ten lang mile awa."

"I ken the place weel," said the gaberlunzie, "and I'm a-mind to gang, just as I gang to a' gatherings whaur there's chance o' bount.i.th and gude cheer."

"See that you keep tryst, Willie," responded the gentle Johnston. "Now lads," he cried, "the day is advancing, and we maun mak' speed. We ha'e mair witnesses to warn."

Instantly he and his band shook their bridles, spurred their horses, and clattered at the gallop through the village. The gaberlunzie came in from the door, and he and Ruthven proceeded to finish their morning meal.

"Yon's a dare-deevil." said Willie. "He wad as soon drive cauld, cauld steel through a man's brisket as I cut up this black pudding": and then, in answer to Ruthven's anxious enquiry, the wanderer related what he knew of the gentle Johnston's history: "Edie canna be muckle blamed; for, like mony anither Border lad, he was brocht up to rough living frae his young years--his faither being a famous reiver and lifter till he met his death in a fray with the Warden's men. Edie was but a stripling when he was cuisten upon the world. For some time he lived by his ain hand, like his forbears, but syne took service as a common jackman, whiles on this side o' the Border, whiles on the ither--Edie caring only for the side that brocht him the best pay.

Mair nor ance he has rubbit shouthers wi' the gallows, whilk, I fear, will be his end."

The gaberlunzie then began to suggest that our adventurer might accompany him to the Deadman's Holm to witness the proceedings of the arbitration. After some dubiety, the youth, who had decided as yet on no special destination, gave his consent, but deemed it absolutely necessary that, in going to the meeting, he should adopt a disguise to baffle recognition, and accordingly he requested his host to procure a humble garb for him. What he wanted was obtained for a small sum of money, and he donned a common dress, which was likely to suit his purpose. Retaining only his sword and dagger, he left his cast attire, with his hunting horn and spear, to be kept by the old villager until reclaimed.

Everything being satisfactorily arranged, Ruthven and the wanderer bade good-day to their host, who, being liberally rewarded for his hospitality, stuffed Willie's wallet with what victuals would suffice for the day; and the strangely-a.s.sorted companions set forth.

The day was beautiful, the welkin pure as the brow of childhood, and the earth robed in all the flowery freshness of the merry month of May. The heart of the exile was lightened of its brooding despondency by the sweet influences of Nature, and seemed to beat in unison with the summer joy. But the relief was transient. Gloomy thoughts returned, like dark clouds over a sunny sky, imparting a sadness to his countenance, which, his fellow-traveller observing, he sought to divert his mind by singing legendary ballads, and telling tales of haunted ruins, fairies, and general diablerie--all which, if failing in their true object, served to beguile the tedium of the way.

Travelling leisurely, our wayfarers, in a few hours, approached the scene of the judicial meeting. A company of troopers and footmen, with the Sheriff at their head, marched past, showing that the appointed hour was drawing nigh. Our travellers, on reaching a spa.r.s.e wood, halted in the cool shade, and partook of refreshments from the gaberlunzie's wallet, which, being well stored, furnished a "feast of good things," and their drink was supplied by a slender streamlet that flowed murmuring among the trees, and sparkling in the broken sunbeams that glinted through the foliage overhead. After satisfying their appet.i.te, they pursued their route, and, having ascended an eminence, descried a dark tower with turrets in the distance, which the gaberlunzie said was the Keep of Ballinshaw, near which stretched a wide expanse of level moorland, yellow with the broom and whin.

They quickened their pace, and soon heard an occasional winding of horns and the loud voices of men, which directed their steps to a broad hollow, or holm, on the verge of the moor farthest from the tower of Ballinshaw, and traversed by a burn, the banks of which were lined with aged saughs. There a considerable concourse of men had a.s.sembled, partly armed, retainers and partly peasantry, straggled about on both sides of the water, some of the former trotting up and down on horseback, some lounging on the gra.s.s casting dice, whilst their steeds grazed at random. In the midst of a well-appointed band of jackmen appeared a knight in half-armour, Sir Robert Home, the Sheriff, a man of middle age, with a grey beard. A young page attended him, bearing aloft a spear with a gauntlet or glove on the point of it, as the well-known border emblem of peace and amity. Behind their superior stood the footmen of the party, some six Sheriff Officers or "Serjeants," as they are distinctively termed in the old Acts of the Scottish Parliament. Their status was denoted by _white wands_ in their hands; _blazons_, or medallions of bra.s.s, charged with the royal arms, displayed upon their b.r.e.a.s.t.s; and _horns_ (for denouncing rebels) hanging from their necks by iron chains; while, for greater security in those troublous times, when law was so often defied, each officer was armed with a sword, and wore an iron bascinet cap, and gloves of mail.

CHAPTER VI.

The times are wild; contention, like a horse Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loose, And bears down all before him.

_King Henry IV., Part Second._

Neither of the contending parties had yet appeared on the ground, although the hour of meeting was rather past, as shown by the position of the sun in the cloudless firmament. The Sheriff was indicating signs of uneasiness at the delay. But now, on the farther confines of the broomy moor, a dark, moving object was descried, which soon resolved itself into a rider, and by and by into a monk, habited in black frock and cowl, and mounted on a mule, which was trotting at an easy pace. This was an ecclesiastic, who had been summoned from the nearest religious house to a.s.sist in administering the judicial oath to the witnesses at the arbitration. The breast of his frock was bulged out by what had the appearance of a volume within it, which was retained in its place by the cord encircling his waist. It was a frequent custom of the time that priests went about the country, when required, to perform the sacraments of matrimony and baptism, carrying their missal in their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and thereby acquiring the vulgar appellation of _book-a-bosoms_. Thus, we are told, in the _Lay of the Last Minstrel_, about the goblin page, when he discovered the magic book which William of Deloraine carried, that

Much he marvell'd a knight of pride Like a book-bosom'd priest should ride.

The monk's mule bore the commonest caparisons, but several small bells hanging at the bridle-reins, so that we may say of the rider, what old Dan Chaucer said of his pilgrim-father on the merry journey to Canterbury shrine, that

When he rode, men might his bridle hear Gingling, in a whistling wind, as clear And eke as loud as doth the chapel bell.

The dark brother rode up to the Sheriff, who, with a courteous salute, desired him to take position by his side.

Ere much longer time had fled a company of hors.e.m.e.n arrived--Lauder of Ballinshaw and retainers, prominent among which last was the gentle Johnston. Such of the party as were intended for witness-bearing dismounted. Ballinshaw was a wiry, short-statured man, bearing his advanced years well; but his sallow and shrivelled visage had an air of avarice and duplicity, which was attempted to be hidden under an evident mask of careless candour. Offering his hand to the Sheriff, he delivered himself as follows, in a wheezing, jog-trot tone:--

"My humble service, Sir Robert, to uttermost power. I'm a wee ahint the appointed time; but some o' my witnesses were slack in coming forward; though I'm glad and proud to think that you'll find them a'

leal and true men that wadna forswear themsel's for a King's ransom.

Gude kens! I dinna wish to wheedle ony man oot o' his richts, far less my neighbour, Royston Scott, though he has lang borne enmity to me without cause. I see I'm before-hand wi' him: he's no' on the field yet."