The Outlaws of the Marches

Front matter

The Outlaws of the Marches SIX-SHILLING NOYELS. Uniform with this Volume. The Grey Man. By S. R. Crockett. Effie Hethertng-ton. By Robert Buchanan'. 2nd Edition. An Outcast of the Islands. By Joseph CONRAD. 2nd Edition. Almayer's Folly. By Joseph Conrad. A First Fleet Family. By Louis Becke and Walter JEFFERY. Paddy's Woman, and Other Stories. By Humphrey James. The Ebbing of the Tide. By Louis Becke. Clara Hopgood. Ey Mark Rutherford. The Tales of John Oliver Hobbes. Portrait of the Author. 2nd Edition. The Stlckit Minister. By S. R. Crockett, nth Edition. The Raiders. By S. R. Crockett. 8th Edition. Nancy Noon. By Beniamin Swift. 2nd Edition, Mr. Magnus. By F. Reginald Statham. The Lilac Sunbonnet. By S. R. Crockett. 6th Edition. In a Man's Mind. By J. R. Watson. A Daughter of the Fen. By J. T. Bealby. 2nd Edilion.

The Herb-Moon. By John Oliver Hobbes. 3rd Edition. Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. By Olive Schreiner. Photogravure Frontispiece. Mrs. Keith's Crime. By Mrs. W. H. Clifford. With Frontispiece by the Hon. John Collier. Pacific Tales. By Louis Becke. With Portrait The Gods, Some Mortals and Lord Wickenham. By John Oliver Hobbes. The Outlaws of the Marches. By Lord Ernest Hamilton. London: T. FISHER UNWIN. THE LIDDELL FROM THE FORD AT WHITHAUGH. The Outlaws of the Marches BY Lord Ernest Hamilton L O ND ON T. FISHER UNWIN PATERNOSTER SQUARE Mdcccxcvii Copyright, 1897, by T. Fisher Unwin, « for Great Britain, her Colonies and Dependencies. Copyright,i897, by Dodd, Mead and Company, for the United States of America. CONTENTS. Chapter Page I. Of my Message to Whisgills and what came OF IT I II.

Introduces some of the House of Whithaugh 12 III. HOW I RODE WITH THE ARMSTRONGS .... 22 IV. I capture a Prisoner 33 V. The " Hot-Trodd " 49 VI. The Coming of Master Beatoun 61 VII. Of what I learnt at Hartsgarth .... 73 VIII. I ride a Second Time to Temmon 79 IX. How I took Service with the Earl of Bothwell 100 X. Of the Joining of Hands in Briary Scaur 115 XI. Trimmie to the Rescue 124 XII. The Red Cock crows at Redheuch .... 132 XIII. Bedside Schemes 142 XIV. Archie's Errand and how it sped .... 152 XV. Agnes has a Plan 163 XVI. I pay a Visit to Whithaugh 171 XVII. A Night on the Leads 183 XVIII. Trimmie again to the Rescue contents. Chapter Pagb XIX. How I sought the Earl of Angus ... 212 XX. The Gathering of the Great Army . . . 225 XXI. Angus unsheathes his Sword 237 XXII. Tarras Moss 254 XXIII.

Chapter I. Of My Message To Whisgills And What Came Of It

IT has always seemed to me one of the strangest things in life how that some little trifling matter, so small in itself as barely to merit notice — such as the breaking of a stirrup leather, or a passing shower, or the casting of a shoe, may yet be sufficient to determine the whole nature and purport of a man's career. And as two roads diverging from the same point are presently separated by ranges of impassable hills, so may some petty circumstance of this kind deflect the course of one's life far from the channel through which it would otherwise have flowed. This is doubtless a common enough thought among the wise and learned, but for me it will ever remain a great mystery. For, without a shadow of doubt, if on that Martinmas morning I had carried my father's mes sage to Whisgills along the upper track across the flow, as was my custom, instead of taking the lower road, the twenty years or so of my life which have passed since that day would most assuredly have been spent in the somewhat sombre office of my cousin-germane, James Elliot in Edinburgh, to the greater profit of my present pocket, and possibly of my poor soul hereafter, and the teaching of good Master Beatoun might have borne some fruit.

But for three days and nights it had rained in Liddesdale without ceasing, as indeed it well knows how in that troublous part of his Majesty's realms; and, solely with a view to Red Rowan's great age and the infirmity of his legs, I chose that day to follow the sounder but more circuitous road along the water. This was on the nth day of November, in the year of our Lord, 1587. I mind the day as though it were but last week. The sun shone bright and clear with a light fresh breeze from the east that fanned the cheek and set the blood a-tingling in the veins. Such a day it was as only comes after a stubborn spell of rain, when all nature seems busy drinking in the joy of life and the great beauty of the world. Even Red Rowan forgot his twenty-two years of toil in the glory of that day, and shook his old head and snatched at the bridle and hoisted his bony quarters a full three inches in the air to show what a small matter he made of my great, hulk ing body.

Poor old Rowan ! He was to be for ever quit of all earthly burdens before another sun had risen on the world. And as for me that morning as I rode along under the birken clad heuchs, all golden now in the death of their summer glory, sniffing the sweet fresh scent of the moorland, I wondered whether anywhere on God's earth was to be found a fairer spot than this same vale of Liddell, with its faint bleating of distant sheep and ever rippling waters ; and for the very joy of youth and life I squeezed the old horse between my knees and spurted gallantly a furlong or two along the track, sending the black peat slush flying like sparks from an anvil. I had at length perforce to pull up to cross the Blackburn, and as I did so I heard my name shouted lustily from behind, and became aware of my Uncle Will of Hartsgarth bearing down full clatter on my rear, his jacket and steel bonnet glinting bravely in the sun.

" Well, well," he cried as he drew up panting at my side, " who 'd hae thought auld Rowan could hae garred the mud fly that gate, wi' sic a great lang-leggit lub to carry and a' ? Here am I sprainting after ye this mile past and mair." Then, sinking his voice to a whisper and giving me a half wink, " Are you for the ba-speil the day?" "Ba-speil!" I said. "No, where? At the Tourney Holm?" " No, no, at Mangertoun. You '11 hae had no word of it then?" " No," I answered, greatly surprised, for, though there was in truth but little love lost between the Armstrongs and us Elliots of the Redheuch, still, when it came to be a question of playing football, all differences, ay, and blood feuds too, were laid aside for the nonce ; and even the English themselves would as often as not take a friendly part in the game, though the very next day they and the Scots might be tearing at one another's throats.

And, though I have ever had few accomplishments either of body or mind, still, I can say without undue boasting, now in my old age, that at that time I was accounted the best football player from Saughtree to Sark, and no game was held to be complete in which I did not take part ; so that it seemed a strange thing to me that I should have had no warning of the game at Mangertoun. But I said nothing of my thoughts to my uncle, merely remarking that I would try and get down in time for the game after I had borne my father's message to Whisgills. "To Whisgills, is it?" said my uncle, with a short laugh. "Then, in that case we canna do better than ride on to Mangertoun thegither, for it 's there you '11 find Whisgills the day." "At the ba-speil?" "Ay, at ba-speil," quoth he, with a twinkle in his grey eye ; and then, dull of wit as I am, I began to see that there were other games afoot that day besides the play ing of football, for both my uncle and Lancie Armstrong of Whisgills were well past the age for such sports.

How ever, I kept my own counsel, being indeed still in some perplexity as to what was in the wind ; but being anxious to turn doubt to certainty I asked my uncle straight what his business might be at Mangertoun. " Ah, Gavin," he said with a quick side glance and a smile, " moiiy ane speirs the gate they ken full well." " But I ken nothing," I said. "No?" he said. "Well then, just bide content wi' that, and you'll tak' no ill." After this we talked of other matters, my uncle being anxious to learn the nature of my message to Whisgills, and showing some little amusement when I explained what that message was. And so we came down to Copshaw, or rather to the point opposite Copshaw where the track winds down from the Bedda Hill. And here, to our surprise, we saw the very man we were talking of, Whisgills himself, trotting leisurely down the track before us, having clearly for some reason of his own come by that road in preference to the more direct one down the Tinnis burn.

A shout from my companion brought him up short, and in less than a minute we were level with him. "Weel met, Launcie," cried my uncle. "Here's young Gavin just wild to get half a score or so o' your cattle i' swarth of some o' thae braxie hogrels up at the Redheuch." " Braxie hogrels indeed ! " I said indignantly. " I '11 uphaud there are no finer dimmonts in all the Sheriff dom of Roxburgh." And, then, while my uncle laughed at the heat that he had provoked in me, I went on to explain my proposition, which concerned the exchange of a score of our two-year old sheep for some milch cows, of which we were woefully short up at the Redheuch. Indeed, just at that time we were but poorly stocked all round, for scarce a month had elapsed since Tom Carle ton had harried us to the extent of sixty kye and oxen and four hundred sheep, to say nothing of two hundred pounds sterling ; and so far father had had neither the time nor opportunity to re-stock his land.

How ever, while I was in the midst of enlarging on the amazing excellence of our wethers, in which matter I had been well posted by father before leaving, I chanced to look up and discovered my uncle in the very act of passing a wink to Whisgills, whereupon I stopped short in some confusion, — a confusion in which perhaps was a touch of annoyance. "I 'm thinking, Gavin," said my uncle, slowly, as one delivering weighty judgment, " you 'd do best to let be till the morn. Kye are no sae plenty at Whisgills as they was twa months sin syne. How many of Adam Routledge's bonnie stirks hae gane to the brose, eh, Lancie? " " Oh, just orra yins frae time to time," replied Whis gills, with a laugh. " H'm ! " said the other, "orra yins quotha ! I dare threip there 's no a dizzen left." " Oh ! " I cried.

" In that case I can go elsewhere. But I was given to understand that Whisgills was need ing sheep." "Ay, I wot weel is he," replied my uncle, "needing them sae sairly that he canna bide till they come o' will." And at this they both fell to laughing again till the veins stood out on their foreheads, which nettled me not a little, for no man takes pleasure in a jest in which he has no part, so that I cried out in some irritation, — "Well, which is it to be, Whisgills? Will you niffer or no?" " Ay, surely will I, and blythely," said Whisgills, still laughing ; " only let be, Gavin, till the morn 's evening. I wadna say but what there might be twa-three mair beasties mauling the bents o' Tinnis Flill by then." After this, of course a Liddesdale lad, even though he were dull of wit as I was, needed no further explanation ; so I simply said : " Oh !

I didna ken. In that case I '11 likely ride across Friday forenoon." " You '11 need to watch him, Gavin," said my uncle. " He 's just a wee gell is Master Lancie when it comes to couping." " Gell ! " exclaimed Whisgills, indignantly. " Faith ! A man needs be gell these times to keep foot-side wi' near-begaun auld haggle-bargains sic as Hartsgarth ! " " Just a wee gell whiles," repeated my uncle, taking no notice of the interruption. " See to 't, Gavin, he doesna come in ahint ye." However, I was too busy with my own thoughts to pay much heed to what he was saying, for the question that was now uppermost in my mind was who would be taking part in the raid into England that night. If it were only Mangertoun and his sons with Hartsgarth and Whisgills, it would have suited the bent of my humour well enough to ride on with my companions and take an hour's turn at the football.

But my dread was that the Armstrongs of Whithaugh would be there, which was indeed more than probable, and if so I felt that it were best, having in some fashion accomplished my business with Whisgills, to turn my hand then and there and ride straight back to Redheuch. For, for downright wickedness and devilry, these Armstrongs of Whithaugh stood alone in the Middle Marches. Others of the Scots rode into England, and many of the Cumberland men rode into Teviotdale and Liddesdale, and no one was very greatly the worse beyond perhaps a tightened belt for a month or so. But when Whithaugh and his lads rode abroad, there was as often as not a red splotch left be hind on the door-stone, and beside it a weeping widow and scared wondering children. And other deeds there were that stood to their name, — deeds which may not be written, but at the very thought of which the teeth grow set, and the hand tightens on the sword hilt.

And yet, in spite of all this, for the dread of their displeasure and of the great power that lay behind it, men held in with them, and spoke them fair, and even fawned upon them and licked their boots ; and as for the maids, poor silly fools, though you would have thought the very name of Whithaugh would have sent them flightering pale-faced to their mother's skirts, they must needs gild around these brutes, and make heroes of them and weave about them a framework of romance, though God knows that where women were concerned, there was as much romance about a Whithaugh Armstrong as about a swine boar. Seven grown men they were at this time, — old Lancie the Laird, his five sons, and young Lancie his grandson, a lad of seventeen, but the equal in wickedness of the rest ; and from first to last they were straight, proper men, of more than common size, with the faces of kings and the hearts of devils.

There was a wonderful likeness to one another in them all, — a likeness that lay in the thick level brows, " lucken-brows," as we call them, the small straight features, and great dark eyes. These things they doubtless inherited from the Faa maiden that married old " Sim the Lord," the grandsire of the present laird ; and from her, too, they must have got some of the fierce wild passions that were the only law they knew, though these indeed they had a claim to from both sides ; for " Sim the Lord " himself, fifty years before, had made the name of Whithaugh a terror from Berwick to Carlisle, and had died at last on the Hairibee with his neck in a noose, as became a laird of that name. And as I say, the present evil brood were not only tolerated but even paid court to by men and women alike, — by the women on account of their beauty and great daring, and a certain glamour that hung about the name ; and by the men because within five hours they could raise between two and three hundred fighting men, and use them for any evil purpose they had in hand.

But between us Elliots of the Redheuch and the Armstrongs of Whithaugh there was a great and bitter hatred, the occasion of which from first to last is too long a tale for the telling. For the flame of this feud had not sprung up with the sudden flare that leaps from spilt blood, but had been kindled far away at the beginning, none knew how. But this much all knew, that of late years both houses had fanned and fed the flame till it was now past all quenching, and this not so much by open violence upon stock and steading, as by baughling at fairs and markets, or wherever else chance might throw us one against the other. And then, of course, there was the affair in which John Gled stane was killed and my father thrust through the thigh with a lance by Sim Armstrong, the eldest of the Laird's sons, — the effect of which was to send him limping slowly to his grave and to widen the breach between the two houses past all healing.

So that though the two towers were only a short two miles apart, and in winter actually within sight of one another, we kept as clearly apart as do oil and water ; the which was easier than it might seem, for the business of Whithaugh lay chiefly down the water and ours up. For the rest, they left us toler ably alone, and this with high disdain, for the balance of wrong lay with us, and at the time, owing to reasons that will presently be shown, we had no strength to stand against them. Between us and Man gertoun or his sons there was no such enmity, so that as far as they were concerned, I would readily have rid den further with my companions ; but I had but little mind for a kick-up with any of the Whithaugh blood, being but a poor fighter with either tongue or sword, for all my great body.

So, after turning over the matter in my mind, I asked my uncle point blank whether old Lancie and his sons would have any part in the night's riding. "Surely," he said, "auld Whithaugh hissel', and may be two or three o' the lads." " Then in that case, I '11 e'en wish you guid day," I replied, pulling up to a halt, " for the company 's no' exactly to my liking." " Hout, Gavin, dinna be sic a fule," said my uncle, impatiently. " What are you feared for, man ? They winna gawp you up, these Whithaugh folk, e'en though we should rub shoulders wi' them." " Oh, likely enough," I replied. " I 'm no feared for that, but I wadna for two and a plack there should be any bauchling, for my blood's apt to be hot whiles, and aiblin's I might mak' a fule o' myself." " Oh, havers ! " cried my uncle, " I '11 lay a pound sterling to a penny Scot they winna sae muckle as own you.

By my faith, Gavin, an you were worth your lugs you wadna stand for Whithaugh or anyone else, but just ride wi' us the night and see the thing through. You '11 never fill your father's bonnet, man, gin you dinna get a bit schooling i' the road to Cumberland. Sic a grand chance as it is too for your first ride, with a bonnie clear lift and the moon at the fu' and a'." " It would no be my first," I answered with some pride, " as you should surely ken o' your ain self, Hartsgarth. Why, man, do you no mind the night six years syne when I rode with yersel and father and auld Adam o' the Shaws to Simwhaite, and helped to ease Jim Foster of five hundred head of his braw black nowt? " Hartsgarth laughed merrily. " Ay," he said, " I 'm no likely to forget it, seeing that your mither, honest woman, well nigh pu'd the lugs frae my head for letting sic a niif naff of a lad as you waur at the time ride wi' us.

But the Lord kens you 're big enough the noo." "I 'd ride blythely enough wi' the same party again," I said, " but I '11 hae no troke wi' the Armstrongs of Whithaugh." " Oh, they 're no that bad when they 're rightly han dled," said Hartsgarth, " though I '11 allow they 're a wee thingie kittle at times. But I trow there 's ane among them, Gavin, that you shouldna miscall onyway. Ma certie ! There 's many a lad would hirple frae here to Carlisle on his twa bare feet for ae single look sic as yon striekin' hizzie Trimmie flings at your head braidcast." All this while we were standing right opposite the square grey tower of Mangertoun and so close to the water that we had to raise our voices to make ourselves heard. Over on the far side, through the leafless trees, I could already descry a good few folk moving idly about upon the holms, and beyond again the stakes that marked the boundaries of the game, — small silver-stemed birks shorn of their branches and thrust upright into the ground.

And at sight of those well-known signs there was I fear an end straightway of all my fine resolves, for not even the fear of Whithaugh could hold me back when the stakes were once posted on the holms of Manger toun. So without a word I followed the other two, but with a face I take it that showed my thoughts, for Harts garth laughed. The Liddell was coming down in a white spate, with the smooth unbroken surface that only comes when the water covers the big stone at Westburnflat, and at sight of it I felt moderately thankful that the bridge had been repaired since the big Tammas flood swept it away ; for honest Rowan had no great love or aptitude either for water. We crossed over in single file, for it was a rickety concern at the best, and avoiding the throng made our way straight to the stables behind the south angle of the keep.

These, however, we found already so packed with horses that a dog could hardly have found standing room, at which my uncle swore roundly and continuously for some minutes, for he set great store by the black mare, and was in no way minded to let her stand in the open in the heat she was then in. However, we presently found that the byre was empty, and moreover warm and comfortable ; so, knowing that they could remain undisturbed till the evening milking, we left our beasts there, well content.

Chapter II. Introduces Some Of The House Of Whithaugh

THE football after all was but a poor affair, for only some few of the herd-callants and such like took part in it, and as none of them cared to withstand me, I did pretty well as I pleased ; and greatly I would have loved that one or two of the Whithaugh lads — Chris for choice, or young Lancie — would have come and meas ured their strength and speed against mine. But they had clearly no mind that way, for I could see them loll ing on the knowe in front of the castle with their great limbs stretched out in the morning sun, watching the game with the half sneer that sat so easily on their devil may-care faces. So after a little, wearying of a game that had no heart in it, I flung myself down hot and breathless on the ground, half regretting that I had not followed my first resolve and ridden straight back to Redheuch after delivering my message, for it was little I had in common with any of those that were gathered there that day, and I felt a trifle lonesome and strange among them all.

Presently I saw Trimmie Armstrong come swinging along towards me with a piggin of milk in her hand. Now, greatly as I hated the whole of the Whithaugh brood and their ways, I could never do other than feel friendly towards Mistress Trimmie, with her bonnie red cheeks and dark flashing eyes, for none could gainsay that, Whithaugh though she was to the very backbone, she was a right proper quean, and as liesh a one and supple as could be found in all broad Scotland ; let-abee one that could guddle for trout, or fling a stone, or ride a bare-backed colt with any lad in the country. She was accounted a great beauty too in Liddesdale, and right well she knew it as she swung along with a cock of her small head, and a curious freedom of limb that was all her own. But what I chiefly liked in Trimmie was her gentleness and goodness to myself, for, despite the ill blood between the two houses, she was always fair-farrand and friendly, and ready to do me any little kindness that lay in her power, which I took to mean that for all the bad blood that was in her she had a good and tender heart and was anxious to make some amends for the injuries we had suffered at the hands of her family.

In the present case indeed, being greatly heated with the warmth of the day, I was more than thankful to her for bringing the milk, which she did with a short friendly nod and a smile that became her well. " You '11 be none the waur o' that," she said as I drained my third cup. " Ba-speil 's gey drouthy work, mair-by-token when the sun 's as hot as it is the day." " Thank you, Trimmie," I said, handing her back the cup, "you 're a guid lass." " A guid lass ! " echoed she, with huge scorn. " By my faith, Gavin, an you 've nothing better nor that to say, you may een haud your tongue. Guid lass indeed ! " "But what would you have me say?" I asked help lessly. " Oh, say what ye wull," she cried with a fling of her head, " only Gudesake, dinna 'guid lass ' me ! " Then, after a little, when I said nothing, she went on : " But I may tell you this muckle, Master Gavin, that there 's mony ane i' Liddesdale wadna need telling what to say to Trimmie Armstrong gin she 'd steppit the length of the holm to bring them a gaedoun o' milk.

But you Pah ! You haena the gumption of a pap-bairn." "Why, Trimmie, what's wrong?" I asked, bewildered. " Oh, just nothing at all. Only you 're sic a great gowk, I haena patience wi' you." Of this last Heaven knows I was conscious enough myself, though what connection there was between my dulness and Trimmie's present ill-humour was more than my dulness could determine. However, being in the ill-humour in which she was, I wished heartily that she would leave me, for at a war of words there is no worse fighter under heaven than I ; and Trimmie, as I had learnt from one or two former passages, has a tongue that on occasions could sting and lash and goad to the verge of madness. However, it soon became apparent that nothing was further from Miss Trimmie's thoughts than to leave me, for after watching me with a half smile for a minute or two, she plumped herself right down at my side, and so sat, with her knees tucked up to her chin and her hands clasped round them.

"Well," she said at length, making a face at me over her shoulder. " Well," said I in return, for lack of something better. " You were i' grand fettle the day, Gavin ; how many doons did ye tak'? " " Oh, three or four," I answered carelessly, " but it was just no game at all. What for did thae dawless brothers o' yours no play, eh, Trimmie?" " Well, they were laith, I think, to get forfaughlit sae airly i' the day. They say there '11 be wark enough and to spare afore the morn. You '11 no be riding, I suppose ? " " No." Trimmie looked straight before her for a minute. Then she said with a little hoist of her shoulders : " Gavin, if I were a man, oh gin I wadna gae riding into England, and gar the bonnie red cock craw, and drive back the black nowt and whiles maybe bring hame a sonsie Cumberland quean on my curple."

" Whist ! Trimmie," I said. " It 's no mensefu' for a may to talk that gate." " Mensefu', quotha ! " said she, with a high-pitched laugh. " It 's gey little there is mensefu' about me. I 'm thinking, Gavin, it 's you should hae been the may and I the man." " I 'm well content to let things bide as they are," I said. " D' ye say so? " she said, looking at me aslant, " and what for, Gavin? " " Well, I think I wad as lief be a man." " Pah ! Is that all? And so wad I as lief be a man. I warrant I 'd set the kiln o' fire. Ay, there 's ower little skaff for womenfolk i' this world. A man can just gang wi' the whole country side, and be up to the very lugs in a' kinds of devilment, and nane '11 think a bodle the waur o' him ; but gif a lass sae muckle as gledge across a dyke, my ! gin there is na a right fie-gae-to, and my ! gin the auld fag-me-fuffs dinna thraw their moues and shake their donnart auld heads ; and it 's wow !