Part 51 (1/2)

”I said factor, an' that same 's 'maist eneuch, for he's like a roarin' lion an' a ragin' bear amang the people, an' that sin'

ever ye gaed. Bow o' Meal said i' the meetin' the ither nicht 'at he bude to be the verra man, the wickit ruler propheseed o' sae lang sin syne i' the beuk o' the Proverbs. Eh! it's an awfu' thing to be foreordeent to oonrichteousness!”

”But you haven't told me what is the matter at Scaurnose,” said Malcolm impatiently.

”Ow, it's jist this--at this same's midsimmer day, an' Blew Peter, honest fallow! he's been for the last three month un'er nottice frae the factor to quit. An' sae, ye see,--”

”To quit!” exclaimed Malcolm. ”Sic a thing was never h'ard tell o'!”

”Haith! it's h'ard tell o' noo,” returned the gatekeeper. ”Quittin'

's as plenty as quicken (couch gra.s.s). 'Deed there's maist naething ither h'ard tell o' bit quittin'; for the full half o' Scaurnose is un'er like nottice for Michaelmas, an' the Lord kens what it 'll a' en' in!”

”But what's it for? Blue Peter's no the man to misbehave himsel'.”

”Weel, ye ken mair yersel' nor ony ither as to the warst fau't there is to lay till's chairge; for they say--that is, some say, it's a' yer ain wyte, Ma'colm.”

”What mean ye, man? Speyk oot,” said Malcolm.

”They say it's a' anent the abduckin' o' the markis's boat, 'at you an' him gaed aff wi' thegither.”

”That'll hardly haud, seeing the marchioness hersel' cam' hame in her the last nicht.”

”Ay, but ye see the decree's gane oot, an' what the factor says is like the laws o' the Medes an' the Prussians, 'at they say's no to be altert; I kenna mysel'.”

”Ow weel! gien that be a', I'll see efter that wi' the marchioness.”

”Ay, but ye see there's a lot o' the laads there, as I'm tellt, 'at has vooed 'at factor nor factor's man s'all ever set fut in Scaurnose fine this day furth. Gang ye doon to the Seaton, an' see hoo mony o' yer auld freen's ye'll fin' there. Man, they're a' oot to Scaurnose to see the plisky. The factor he's there, I ken, an'

some constables wi' 'im--to see 'at his order 's cairried oot.

An' the laads they ha'e been fortifeein' the place--as they ca'

't--for the last oor. They've howkit a trenk, they tell me, 'at nane but a hunter on 's horse cud win ower, an' they're post.i.t alang the toon side o' 't wi' sticks an' stanes, an' boat heuks, an'

guns an' pistils. An' gien there bena a man or twa killt a'ready,--”

Before he finished his sentence, Kelpie was levelling herself for the sea gate.

Johnny Bykes was locking it on the other side, in haste to secure his eye share of what was going on, when he caught sight of Malcolm tearing up. Mindful of the old grudge, also that there was no marquis now to favour his foe, he finished the arrested act of turning the key, drew it from the lock, and to Malcolm's orders, threats, and appeals, returned for all answer that he had no time to attend to him, and so left him looking through the bars. Malcolm dashed across the burn, and round the base of the hill on which stood the little windG.o.d blowing his horn, dismounted, unlocked the door in the wall, got Kelpie through, and was in the saddle again before Johnny was halfway from the gate. When the churl saw him, he trembled, turned, and ran for its shelter again in terror--nor perceived until he reached it, that the insulted groom had gone off like the wind in the opposite direction.

Malcolm soon left the high road and cut across the fields--over which the wind bore cries and shouts, mingled with laughter and the animal sounds of coa.r.s.e jeering. When he came nigh the cart road which led into the village, he saw at the entrance of the street a crowd, and rising from it the well known shape of the factor on his horse. Nearer the sea, where was another entrance through the back yards of some cottages, was a smaller crowd. Both were now pretty silent, for the attention of all was fixed on Malcolm's approach. As he drew up Kelpie foaming and prancing, and the group made way for her, he saw a deep wide ditch across the road, on whose opposite side was ranged irregularly the flower of Scaurnose's younger manhood, calmly, even merrily prepared to defend their entrenchment.

They had been chaffing the factor, and loudly challenging the constables to come on, when they recognised Malcolm in the distance, and expectancy stayed the rush of their bruising wit. For they regarded him as beyond a doubt come from the marchioness with messages of goodwill. When he rode up, therefore, they raised a great shout, everyone welcoming him by name. But the factor, who, to judge by appearances, had had his forenoon dram ere he left home, burning with wrath, moved his horse in between Malcolm and the a.s.sembled Scaurnoseans on the other side of the ditch. He had self command enough left, however, to make one attempt at the loftily superior.

”Pray what is your business?” he said, as if he had never seen Malcolm in his life before, ”I presume you come with a message.”

”I come to beg you, sir, not to go further with this business.

Surely the punishment is already enough!” said Malcolm respectfully.

”Who sends me the message?” asked the factor, his teeth clenched, and his eyes flaming.

”One,” answered Malcolm, ”who has some influence for justice, and will use it, upon whichever side the justice may lie.”