A noise of footsteps followed this singular annunciation, and young Steenie Mucklebackit, closely followed by Edie Ochiltree, bounced into the hut.They were panting and out of breath.
The first thing Steenie did was to look for the bar of the door, which his mother reminded him had been broken up for fire-wood in the hard winter three years ago; ``for what use,'' she said, ``had the like o' them for bars?''
``There's naebody chasing us,'' said the beggar, after he had taken his breath: ``we're e'en like the wicked, that flee when no one pursueth.''
``Troth, but we were chased,'' said Steenie, ``by a spirit or something little better.''
``It was a man in white on horseback,'' said Edie, ``for the soft grund that wadna bear the beast, flung him about, I wot that weel; but I didna think my auld legs could have brought me aff as fast; I ran amaist as fast as if I had been at Prestonpans.''<*>
* [This refers to the flight of the government forces at the battle of * Prestonpans, 1745.]
``Hout, ye daft gowks!'' said Luckie Mucklebackit, ``it will hae been some o' the riders at the Countess's burial.''
``What!'' said Edie, ``is the auld Countess buried the night at St.Ruth's? Ou, that wad be the lights and the noise that scarr'd us awa; I wish I had ken'd--I wad hae stude them, and no left the man yonder--but they'll take care o' him.Ye strike ower hard, Steenie I doubt ye foundered the chield.''
``Neer a bit,'' said Steenie, laughing; ``he has braw broad shouthers, and I just took measure o' them wi' the stang.Od, if I hadna been something short wi' him, he wad hae knockit your auld hams out, lad.''
``Weel, an I win clear o' this scrape,'' said Edie, ``I'se tempt Providence nae mair.But I canna think it an unlawfu' thing to pit a bit trick on sic a landlouping scoundrel, that just lives by tricking honester folk.''
``But what are we to do with this?'' said Steenie, producing a pocket-book.
``Od guide us, man,'' said Edie in great alarm, ``what garr'd ye touch the gear? a very leaf o' that pocket-book wad be eneugh to hang us baith.''
``I dinna ken,'' said Steenie; ``the book had fa'en out o' his pocket, I fancy, for I fand it amang my feet when I was graping about to set him on his logs again, and I just pat it in my pouch to keep it safe; and then came the tramp of horse, and you cried, `Rin, rin,' and I had nae mair thought o' the book.''
``We maun get it back to the loon some gait or other; ye had better take it yoursell, I think, wi' peep o' light, up to Ringan Aikwood's.I wadna for a hundred pounds it was fund in our hands.''
Steenie undertook to do as he was directed.
``A bonny night ye hae made o't, Mr.Steenie,'' said Jenny Rintherout, who, impatient of remaining so long unnoticed, now presented herself to the young fisherman--``A bonny night ye hae made o't, tramping about wi' gaberlunzies, and getting yoursell hunted wi' worricows, when ye suld be sleeping in your bed, like your father, honest man.''
This attack called forth a suitable response of rustic raillery from the young fisherman.An attack was now commenced upon the car-cakes and smoked fish, and sustained with great perseverance by assistance of a bicker or two of twopenny ale and a bottle of gin.The mendicant then retired to the straw of an out-house adjoining,--the children had one by one crept into their nests,--the old grandmother was deposited in her flock-bed,--Steenie, notwithstanding his preceding fatigue, had the gallantry to accompany Miss Rintherout to her own mansion, and at what hour he returned the story saith not,--and the matron of the family, having laid the gathering-coal upon the fire, and put things in some sort of order, retired to rest the last of the family.
