The Robber Chief; or, Too good for his trade

Front matter

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Chapter I

I.YTO THE LION'S JAWS. N and on, over the bleak and lonely moors, through the thick darkness of a wild storm, dashed a boy one night, neither knowing nor caring in which direction his footsteps carried him, so that only they bore him to some solitary spot, safe from pursuit, where he might lie down and die in peace. Wild as were the elements he had to encounter beneath the open sky, they were welcome to him in exchange for those he had escaped from, beneath the roof of his own home. At least, all that he had known of home for the past four years, although the virago Madge Moncrieff, who styled herself his grandmother, bore as little resemblance to him in B appearance or character as the dark-browed Ronald, who exercised an imperious rule over him whenever he visited the boy's present dwelling-place.

This night cruelty of word and deed had reached its height, and with a sudden wrench Oswald Mon crieff had torn himself from Ronald's grasp, and fled. What was now to become of him in the future was a matter for after consideration ; his only present long ing was to escape from the past. At length exhausted nature could exert itself no more, and the half-starved, bruised, and bleeding fugitive sank down beneath the poor shelter of a low boundary wall of loose and crumbling stones. Two or three hours passed over his head while he still lay in a deathlike swoon, and when at last he slowly returned to consciousness, it was to find him self chilled to the bone with exposure to the bitter wind and pouring rain of a drear November night. He made an effort to rise, but pain and cold had benumbed his limbs, and rendered him powerless for the time to help himself.

He was forced to lie still, praying that death might come soon as a merciful refuge from misery. However, life had yet many a varied scene in store for him, and while he was thus. sadly occupied a new and startling change was sud denly given to his thoughts. "Was the belief in brownies, hobgoblins, and other unseen denizens of earth and air, really justified by facts ?" wondered Oswald dreamily, as a confused Into the Lion's Jaws. 11 murmur of subdued voices seemed to rise up through the very ground on which he lay. The sounds ascended and drew nearer, until he could almost distinguish words, while over the moor oame the rapid tramp of many feet. Then, from the other side of the wall, exactly behind the spot on which he had fallen, a low call was uttered as of a shepherd calling to his dog.

But, instead of the bounding form of the faithful collie, gruff human voices came in answer, with the one Gaelic word — " a friend." As those accents fell upon the boy's ears, a cold sweat of instinctive terror bathed his trembling body, and he gasped for breath. The half-waking thought, as to the neighbourhood of supernatural beings, was quickly merged in the more sensible guess, that his unguided steps had brought him to the very entrance of the hitherto undiscovered hiding-place of the celebrated band of smugglers, known by the name of their chief, Vich Dhu. He made one frantic effort to move from his dan gerous position, but it was too late. At that moment a man's foot pushed against him, as its owner prepared to leap over the wall. The smuggler stooped instantly to feel the nature of the obstacle, and with a fierce oath, and the equally furious exclamation, "A spy, a spy!" which quickly drew all his comrades to the spot, he seized Oswald in a savage grip, dragged him to his feet, and pulled him over the wall with him.

"Now," he exclaimed, "now to our chief with the vermin!" And he forthwith began a rapid descent along a steep and rugged path that seemed, from its length and utter darkness, to lead into the very heart of the earth. The man hurried on along this rude road with swift and uncareful steps, utterly regardless of the groans now and again extorted from his companion, when his already sorely-bruised limbs came in contact with the hard sides of the rough-hewn gallery, or were torn by the sharp protruding edges. Long before the cavern was reached Oswald had swooned again, and it was a senseless burden that his captor flung upon a heap of dry leaves and seaweed scattered on the sandy floor. While the smuggler paused a few moments to gather breath after his late exertions, a noble-looking man rose and came forward, asking, in a voice whose clear tones rang through the subterranean dwelling : " Say, then, comrade, what strange and undesirable booty have you brought us here ?"

" A spy, Vich Dhu," came the sharp, swift answer. "A spy taken in the very act. I would have sent him to his long account at once, if you hadn't given those strict orders as to all men being brought to you before they are put to death." " And you did well to obey those orders, Douglas," was the stern reply. " But a spy ! Said you that Into tlie Lion's yaws. 13 this fair boy is a spy ? What can have led him to so miserable a trade !" " Nothing," came the unexpected, hotly-uttered ex clamation of Oswald, answering for himself ; for the sudden shock of his fall, and the fresh sea-breezes coming in upon him from another and far wider opening to the cavern, had already wrought a cure from his fainting fit. " Nothing has led me to such a degrading trade," he continued firmly ; "for I am no spy, Vich Dhu."

A mocking laugh from a circle of forbidding faces was the comment on this declaration. " He has a good countenance forsooth to make such a declaration, and expect to be believed," they exclaimed scornfully. " Why, we caught him in the deed. His very ear was glued to the entrance on the Glennert Moors, to catch what he might of our secret counsels. Give the word, Vich Dhu, and let us rid us of the weasel, and fling out the body on the waves while the tide is high." And two gleaming claymores flashed out over Oswald's head in huge and brawny hands that trembled for very eagerness to use them. But even in that supreme moment the innate chivalry of the boy's nature upheld him. Although his face was colourless there was no perceptible tremor in his voice, as he raised his dark eyes to the chieftain's face, and repeated proudly : " I speak truth ; I am no spy.

I have this night fled from my home, to escape death at the hands of those to whom I ought to be able to look for pro tection. But I do not fear to die." A second mocking laugh broke in upon his words for a moment ; but he continued : " I believed awhile since that in truth the end had already come, and I felt no gratitude to the voices of your followers recalling me to a world in which I have known naught but misery. When I fell, weak and suffering, up yonder I neither knew nor cared on what spot of the earth's surface I should yield up the life that to me at least has proved such a wretched gift. I am no spy, and you know it." " I do," was the deep-toned, earnest reply of Vich Dhu, as he kept his gaze fixed on the frank, fine face of the boy, as though it possessed some especial fascination for him.

At length, with a heavy sigh, he turned from him to his followers. "We have crime enough of necessity upon our heads, comrades," he began. " Let us spare ourselves a greater accumulation than there is need for. We will give this lad his life ; he is staunch and dauntless by nature, and he shall be one of us." Something in the boy's tone and bearing had favourably impressed others of the lawless men by whom he was surrounded, besides the chieftain. They also believed his statement, and were nearly unani mous in giving consent to their leadtr's proposition. Half a dozen arms were quickly bared, and slashed Into the Lion's Jaws. 15 more or less deeply with hardened indifference to pain, and a shallow metal vessel was held to catch the red-flowing drops, while the eager words went round : " Yes, he shall take the oath, and become one of us.

Administer the oath. Bind him to us with this cup." And the vessel, stained with its heavy liquid, was put into their leader's hand. He accepted it, but visibly shuddered as he did so, and with reluctance sank on his right knee beside the young prisoner to perform an odious, and at the present moment more than usually abhorred, duty. But although his voice betrayed some agitation, it echoed from the farthest recesses of the cavern with its wonted clearness, as he pronounced the formulary with which a new member was admitted to the band. " We give you your life and freedom ; we extend to you the right hand of brotherhood, on condition that you swear to hold with us through good fortune and evil fortune ; that you swear to give up your con science into the common keeping of the band, obey ing all commands that may be laid upon you without presuming to hesitate, or to question whether you approve, even though the common cause should demand the sacrifice of those you hold most dear to you.

Swear to be faithful to us ; swear that you will never leave us, that nothing shall tempt you to betray us, neither fear nor favour, neither love nor hate, neither scorn, contumely, torture, nor the threat of death. Now swear, and seal your oath with this cup." He ceased, and held it towards the boy's lips while forty pairs of fierce eyes gleamed with excited ex pectation. Their glances might have been enough to cow many a bold spirit into submission ; but Oswald Moncrieff, raising himself with an effort upon his elbow, and looking fearlessly around the terrible circle, turned his fair frank face back again to the chief, and exclaimed in his ringing, boyish voice : " Do with me then what you will ; for I will neither utter your sinful vow, nor sully my lips with your horrible oath-blood. I am resolved."

For some moments all stood as though spell bound. Then, with wild imprecations on his temerity, they started forward, thundering out their furious verdict with one voice. " Die then, fool and idiot, if you will to have it so !" And once more the claymores clashed above him, each longing to be the one that should drive his weapon home to the beating heart, or sever the bright-locked head from the quivering body. But ere any of the savage cravings could be satisfied Vich Dhu had snatched his pistols from his belt, shouting with a furiousness that overmatched his followers : " Stand back ! Who is chief here, say, you or I ? Who dares attempt to act without my orders ? Stand off and be silent, you rabble crew, or I have means here shall make you so." Into thc Lion's Jaws. 17 Having thus imperiously driven back his scowling followers he turned again to Oswald, saying in a tone that sounded almost that of entreaty, and that stirred a strange chord of tenderness in the young listener's heart : " Do you understand that your decision is a matter of life and death ?"

"When I spoke just now I certainly did so under stand it," replied Oswald, with a new accent of long ing and hope in his voice. "But now I begin to think whether my fortunes may not be less desperate perhaps ; whether there may not be some middle course possible both to you and me." A sudden feeling of admiration for the renowned chieftain of the dreaded robber band had arisen in his heart, and made him feel, for the first remembered time during his short and troubled existence, that life might have some sweetness in it, might yet be worth at least one last effort. Turning his large earnest eyes upon one after the other of the stern, rugged faces before him, he said with an almost contemptuous smile : "Surely great strong men like you are flinging away, somewhat strangely, your just dignity!"

"How so?" asked one of the band with surly curiosity. The boy still smiled as he answered, " You flatter my vanity when you confess that you shall only feel safe from my power when I am dead. For the present, at any rate, as you may sec, I am too weak to attempt escape, and for thc future surely you arc clever and numerous enough to guard one weak boy ! I can be of some use to you besides in my life, and I should bc none in my death. I am not helpless. Although I will not join you in evil, I will spare you all the unwelcome tasks of preparing your own food. I will be your cook if you will let me, and clean your weapons and your platters, and I will mend your tartans when they want repair, and bc your minstrel when you would bc sung to sleep." While Oswald was speaking the chief had closely and anxiously scanned the faces of his followers, and their expression had changed so much that lie now asked, with some confidence that mercy had gained thc day, " What say you, comrades ; that we spare him ?"

A few moments' muttered consultation succeeded this question, and then Donald Campbell, with a peculiar expression on his face, stepped forward, saying, "Thc lad speaks well and boldly, forsooth. And we would fain be relieved from the mean tasks he offers to undertake. But— bethink you — although we voluntarily hold our lives in our hands, we see not why we should needlessly put them in the power of yon youngster, who gives us no pledge that he will not betray us the first moment that our circumstances, or his own cunning, give him the chance." Before the chief could open his lips to this address, thc lad himself replied quickly : Into the Lion's Jaws. 19 " Nay, not so. I willingly swear, by that name that is to me a hundredfold more sacred than the horrible drink you offer me, that I will not try to escape from you, and that nothing shall tempt me to betray you, neither love nor hate, neither contumely, torture, nor the fear of death.

All this I promise. If for this you are content to let me live, I will prove neither a burden nor ungrateful. If not, I must die ; for more I cannot swear." "And more you shall not have to swear!" exclaimed Vich Dhu, as he flung the blood-stained vessel from him. "And you shall live. Would that we all had as good a right to face death so fearlessly." A momentary murmur of assent ran round the circle of hardened men, in whose hearts more than one dim longing after their own unstained boyhood had been aroused by their bright-haired prisoner. But suddenly there broke upon the stillness a fierce growl, more like the cry of a wild beast than the utterance of a human being, and the smugglers and their prisoner were alike startled. "Vich Dhu !" began the furious exclamation. "Vich Dhu, it is against our laws.

He must swear the full oath, and taste our cup, or the white-faced rat must die. You have sworn to keep our laws, keep them now." The chieftain drew his majestic figure to its full height as he faced the dim obscurity of the cavern whence the remonstrance came ; and, with flashing The Robber Cities. 20 eyes -and scornful curling lips, he said in a measured tone of unutterable contempt : " There are some vermin so mean that they are avoided rather than destroyed, yet if they make themselves obnoxious men will get rid of them. Remember this, Black George, there are more laws than one binding on the members of our brotherhood, and on the path of those who love to shroud them selves in darkness sometimes an unknown light shines. Be sure that your own life is quite secure before you are too ready to demand that of others."

None saw the livid hue that overspread the features of the heavy-browed miscreant addressed as Black George at the chief's last words, nor noted how he cowered yet further back, where the jutting rock covered him from the torches' flickering flare. A subject of greater present interest lay before them in the form of their young captive, who had suddenly uttered a horrified cry, half sprung from his rough bed of leaves, gazed around the enormous and weird looking cavern with starting eyes, and then, ere Vich Dhu had finished speaking, fallen with a convulsive shudder, apparently lifeless, back upon his couch. "Strange, very strange!" was the muttered ejacu lation that passed from mouth to mouth of the wild outlaws. Death had been contemplated but a few minutes since with dauntless courage, and yet now that inex plicable look of the intensest terror still lingered on Into the Lion's Jaws. 21 the face of the fair boy, who lay at their feet crushed down by some mystery of fear.

All around made their comments on the singular affair, but Vich Dhu held his peace, busying himself with almost a woman's tenderness in restoring the lad to consciousness, bathing his many wounds, and giving him a sorely-needed meal when he had re covered strength to take it. Two hours later the chieftain and the young prisoner were the only waking members, apparently, of tlie caverns inmates. Vich Dhu had been for some time buried in deep thought when, happening to raise his head, he met the blue eyes of Oswald Moncrieff fixed earnestly upon him, and a new train of ideas arose in his mind. Bending forward, he said quietly : " My boy, I took upon myself the charge of being the first to watch over your safe keeping, that I might ensure your rest being undisturbed, but I fear that you have taken small advantage from my guardian ship.

Gain strength from repose as quickly as you can, for my followers are a rough set, and not too well inclined to be forbearing towards weakness. Besides, these are unusually stirring times for us just now." " And for Scotland," said tlie boy in the same low tone, but eagerly, while a flush suffused his pale cheeks as he asked, "Are you for our prince's cause ?" A somewhat sad, grave smile accompanied the The Robber Chief. 22 reply—" Heart and soul, as you evidently are, so far as my prince will deign to accept the services of such as I am." Then, as a thought flashed across his brain, the chieftain suddenly stooped, and placing his lips to Oswald's ear he whispered with redoubled caution, " Tell me, what cause have you to fear Black George ? Why did the sound of his voice crush the spirit out of even your brave heart ?

" There was a pause. Oswald Moncrieff opened his mouth as though to answer, and then stopped, and turned away. His companion's interest grew still deeper, as he said quickly : " Nay, you need not fear to speak. I know that you can have no secret of your own to hide, and if any feeling of compunction for him tie your tongue, know this, that I have already learned that of him that has placed his life in my hand. You cannot jeopardize it more greatly than he has done himself. Will you not trust me?" " I trust you fully," was the ready reply of an honest nature. " But I have a terrible thing to tell you, and one that nearly concerns my safety here. The voice that so furiously demanded my death at your hands was the same voice that I had so lately heard uttering curses against me in my own wretched home.

The black eyes that glared so fiercely through the gloom yonder were the same whose murderous hate drove me to flight. Black George is Into the Lion's Jaws. 23 Again there was a pause. The chieftain, however, waited until the reluctant words came out — " Black George is my Uncle Ronald." Terrible enough such an announcement might have seemed, but its horror was lost upon the hearer in other thoughts, and a strange light came into his eyes as he clasped his companion's hand, exclaiming : " This is indeed a singular Providence that has brought you to me, and inspired me with so strong a resolution to protect your life !" The chieftain was about to add more in the same loud key, when a restless movement, and a loud snore from one of the sleepers, warned him to be more cautious in his tone, and he continued in a lower voice, " The forbearance I have hitherto shown to your uncle, for his name's sake, I can now exchange for affection for yourself.

But to sleep. You shall learn my history another time. Only know this much, that whatever you may have heard of my lawless and sinful career during the past eight years, I was once bright, honest, brave, and spotless, like yourself. Pray God that you may continue so, and not have cause to feel in after years that you sully your own boyhood by daring to look back upon it." QJ^QJLa'^)-

Chapter II The Biter Bit

AVING told his startling discovery to the chief of the smugglers' band, the mind of Oswald Moncrieff was relieved for the time, and yielding to the overpowering weariness induced by the day's occurrences he soon fell asleep. To judge from his companion's regular breathing he had followed the lad's example, strange as it might seem that he had not rather re doubled his watchfulness after the intelligence he had just received. However, if the head of the band slept, one of his followers was still wakeful amidst the slumberers. Black George, crouched in his usual shadowy corner, formed by a projecting angle of the rock, had feigned sleep long ago. Feigning was as a second nature with him at any time, and now he had a black, base purpose to serve by his skill in craftiness. There was a ravening hate in his heart, combined with a coward -4 fear for his own safety, that drove out all wish for slumber.

The minutes seemed to lengthen into hours to his hungry fury, .as his keen eyes watched through the dimness the scarce traced figure of his chief sitting wrapped in meditation, apparently as little disposed for rest as himself. Then the tiger eyes noted, al though with all the man's straining he could not hear, the short conversation between the prisoner fugitive and his guardian, and finally the crafty watcher saw Vich Dhu draw his plaid more closely round him, and stretch himself on the bed of leaves beside young Oswald. The regular deep breathing of the two soon gave him the assurance he had been longing for, that both objects of his hatred slept. He waited yet a few moments, and then grasping his dirk in his hand he rose cautiously, and crept stealthily round by the sides of the cavern until he was nearly behind where Oswald lay.

There he paused awhile to still the panting of his greedy heart. Then, going down on hands and knees, he dragged himself slowly and silently along the ground like some huge, hideous reptile, till he reached the sleeper's side. There he made yet a second pause for a moment or two. No feeling of pity for the brave young life he was about to cut short, no remorse for the awful crime he was about to pile on his own head, stayed his hand. No ; he only waited to discern where he should strike, c where he should plant a blow that should be the full accomplishment of his fell pupose. While the cruel eyes sought out the victim's heart Oswald moved in his sleep, and clasped his hands, murmuring : " Nay, I have no fear of death ; but at your hands it would be too terrible. For the sake of your own soul spare me."

" Spare you ? Aye, as I would spare the mongrel cur that annoyed me," hissed the ruffian as he raised his keen and gleaming blade for the fatal plunge. Oswald Moncrieffs last moment was very close at hand, and neither human nor divine guardians appeared to make much account, that a young and innocent life was to be snatched away so cruelly. The steel already descends, when — hark ! the whole cavern is in a sudden tumult and bewildered uproar. A howl of mingled surprise, pain, and baffled rage had broken suddenly upon the silence of the night, and on the sleepers' startled ears ; and the cry was not uttered by the boy's ringing voice, but in the well-known tones of the worst member of their own band. The night had gradually been clearing, and now the full moon burst out from behind the clouds, silver ing the wide expanse of sea spread out before them, and flooding the whole cavern with its beams.

The smugglers stood revealed to each other in the various attitudes of surprise and alarm with which they had started to their feet, on being aroused by the sudden cry ; but they had not long to wait for its explanation. Before their mouths could frame the questions asked by their wondering eyes, the com manding voice that they all knew so well exclaimed with haughty mockery : " So, friend, did you really think I was such a trusting fool as to sleep, or to let my captive sleep unprotected in your traitorous neighbourhood ? You are cunning, but perhaps my wits are yet sharper; your eyes and ears are keen, mine methinks are keener. You imagined me too deep in thought to note your stealthy movements, as you half rose from time to time to learn if I had yet resigned myself to sleep, and you believed at length that I was too fast locked in slumber to be able to watch the would-be assassin of an innocent and helpless boy.

You forgot that you had given me a lesson in pretence, and that others can feign besides yourself. "Why, you miserable creature," continued the chief yet more scornfully, "you are too wretched a bungler even to commit a crime, that wants anything more than malice and brute force. Had I not been prepared before, your own spiteful hiss would have aroused me." Turning from his contemptible, base follower he called to two of his worthier comrades with con temptuous disgust. "Donald and Fraser, take this fellow, and guard him between you for the remainder of the night. And you, Fitzmaurice, look to his wounds. I believe my blow has well-nigh broken his arm. I would have the treacherous head broken too, without more ado, but that our prince's cause needs all the strong men we can muster. Meanwhile I charge you all, should he ever again dare to approach within four yards of Oswald Moncrieff, he is to be put to death."