CHAPTER XXI
THE LAST JACOBITE RISING
On the evening of the Queen's birthday, bridies were eaten to her honorin a hundred Thrums homes, and her health was drunk in toddy, Scotchtoddy and Highland toddy. Patullo, the writer, gave a men's party, andhis sole instructions to his maid were "Keep running back and forrit wi'the hot water." At the bank there was a ladies' party and ginger wine.From Cathro's bedroom-window a flag was displayed with _Vivat Regina_ onit, the sentiment composed by Cathro, the words sewn by the girls of hisMcCulloch class. The eight-o'clock bell rang for an hour, and a loyalcrowd had gathered in the square to shout. To a superficial observer,such as the Baron Bailie or Todd, the new policeman, all seemed well andfair.
But a very different scene was being enacted at the same time in thefastnesses of the Den, where three resolute schemers had met byappointment. Their trysting-place was the Cuttle Well, which is mosteasily reached by the pink path made for that purpose; but the better tofurther their dark and sinister design, the plotters arrived by threecircuitous routes, one descending the Reekie Broth Pot, a low butdangerous waterfall, the second daring the perils of the crags, and thethird walking stealthily up the burn.
"Is that you, Tommy?"
"Whist! Do you mind the password?"
"Stroke!"
"Right. Have you heard Gav Dishart coming?"
"I hinna. I doubt his father had grippit him as he was slinking out o'the manse."
"I fear it, Corp. I'm thinking his father is in the Woman's pay."
"What woman?"
"The Woman of Hanover?"
"That's the queen, is it no?"
"She'll never get me to call her queen."
"Nor yet me. I think I hear Gav coming."
Gav Dishart was the one who had come by the burn, and his boots werecheeping like a field of mice. He gave the word "Stroke," and the threethen looked at each other firmly. The lights of the town were notvisible from the Cuttle Well, owing to an arm of cliff that isoutstretched between, but the bell could be distinctly heard, andoccasionally a shout of revelry.
"They little ken!" said Tommy, darkly.
"They hinna a notion," said Corp, but he was looking somewhat perplexedhimself.
"It's near time I was back for family exercise," said Gav, uneasily,"so we had better do it quick, Tommy."
"Did you bring the wineglasses?" Tommy asked him.
"No," Gav said, "the press was lockit, but I've brought egg-cups."
"Stand round then."
The three boys now presented a picturesque appearance, but there wasnone save the man in the moon to see them. They stood round the CuttleWell, each holding an egg-cup, and though the daring nature of theirundertaking and the romantic surroundings combined to excite them, itwas not fear but soaring purpose that paled their faces and caused theirhands to tremble, when Tommy said solemnly, "Afore we do what we've comehere to do, let's swear."
"Stroke!" he said.
"Stroke!" said Gav.
"Stroke!" said Corp.
They then filled their cups and holding them over the well, so that theyclinked, they said:
"To the king ower the water!"
"To the king ower the water!"
"To the king ower the water!"
When they had drunk Tommy broke his cup against a rock, for he wasdetermined that it should never be used to honor a meaner toast, and theothers followed his example, Corp briskly, though the act puzzled him,and Gav with a gloomy look because he knew that the cups would bemissed to-morrow.
"Is that a' now?" whispered Corp, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
"All!" cried Tommy. "Man, we've just begood."
As secretly as they had entered it, they left the Den, and anon threefigures were standing in a dark trance, cynically watching the revellersin the square.
"If they just kent!" muttered the smallest, who was wearing his jacketoutside in to escape observation.
"But they little ken!" said Gav Dishart.
"They hinna a notion!" said Corp, contemptuously, but still he was alittle puzzled, and presently he asked softly: "Lads, what just is itthat they dinna ken?"
Had Gav been ready with an answer he could not have uttered it, for justthen a terrible little man in black, who had been searching for him inlikely places, seized him by the cuff of the neck, and, turning his facein an easterly direction, ran him to family worship. But there was stillwork to do for the other two. Walking home alone that night from Mr.Patullo's party, Mr. Cathro had an uncomfortable feeling that he wasbeing dogged. When he stopped to listen, all was at once still, but themoment he moved onward he again heard stealthy steps behind. He retiredto rest as soon as he reached his house, to be wakened presently by aslight noise at the window, whence the flag-post protruded. It had beenbut a gust of wind, he decided, and turned round to go to sleep again,when crash! the post was plucked from its place and cast to the ground.The dominie sprang out of bed, and while feeling for a light, thought heheard scurrying feet, but when he looked out at the window no one was tobe seen; _Vivat Regina_ lay ignobly in the gutters. That it could havebeen the object of an intended theft was not probable, but the openwindow might have tempted thieves, and there was a possible though riskyway up by the spout. The affair was a good deal talked about at thetime, but it remained shrouded in a mystery which even we have beenunable to penetrate.
On the heels of the Queen's birthday came the Muckley, the one that wasto be known to fame, if fame was willing to listen to Corp, as Tommy'sMuckley. Unless he had some grand aim in view never was a boy whoyielded to temptations more blithely than Tommy, but when he had suchaim never was a boy so firm in withstanding them. At this Muckley he hada mighty reason for not spending money, and with ninepence in his pocketclamoring to be out he spent not one halfpenny. There was somethinguncanny in the sight of him stalking unscathed between rows of standsand shows, everyone of them aiming at his pockets. Corp and Gav, ofcourse, were in the secret and did their humble best to act in the sameunnatural manner, but now and again a show made a successful snap atGav, and Corp had gloomy fears that he would lose his head in presenceof the Teuch and Tasty, from which humiliation indeed he was only savedby the happy idea of requesting Tommy to shout "Deuteronomy!" in awarning voice, every time they drew nigh Californy's seductive stand.
Was there nothing for sale, then, that the three thirsted to buy? Therewere many things, among them weapons of war, a pack of cards, moreproperly called Devil's books, blue bonnets suitable for Highlandgentlemen, feathers for the bonnets, a tin lantern, yards of tartancloth, which the deft fingers of Grizel would convert into warriors'sashes. Corp knew that these purchases were in Tommy's far-seeing eye,but he thought the only way to get them was to ask the price and thenoffer half. Gav, the scholar, who had already reached daylight throughthe first three books of Euclid, and took a walk every Saturday morningwith his father and Herodotus, even Gav, the scholar, was asthick-witted as Corp.
"We'll let other laddies buy them," Tommy explained in his superior way,"and then after the Muckley is past, we'll buy them frae them."
The others understood now. After a Muckley there was always a greatdearth of pence, and a moneyed man could become owner of Muckleypurchases at a sixth part of the Muckley price.
"You crittur!" exclaimed Corp, in abject admiration.
But Gav saw an objection. "The feck of them," he pointed out, "willwaur their siller on shows and things to eat, instead of on what we wantthem to buy."
"So they will, the nasty sackets!" cried Corp.
"You couldna blame a laddie for buying Teuch and Tasty," continued Gavwith triumph, for he was a little jealous of Tommy.
"You couldna," agreed Corp, "no, I'll be dagont, if you could," and hishand pressed his money feverishly.
"Deuteronomy!" roared Tommy, and Corp's hand jumped as if it had beencaught in some other person's, pocket.
"But how are we to do?" he asked. "If you like, I'll take Birkie and theHaggerty-Taggertys round the Muckley and fight il
ka ane that doesnabuy--"
"Corp," said Tommy, calmly, "I wonder at you. Do you no ken yet that thebest plan is to leave a thing to me?"
"Blethering gowks that we are, of course it is!" cried Corp, and heturned almost fiercely upon Gav. "Lippen all to him," he said with grandconfidence, "he'll find a wy."
And Tommy found a way. Birkie was the boy who bought the pack of cards.He saw Tommy looking so-woe-begone that it was necessary to ask thereason.
"Oh, Birkie, lend me threepence," sobbed Tommy, "and I'll give yousixpence the morn."
"You're daft," said Birkie, "there's no a laddie in Thrums that willhave one single lonely bawbee the morn."
"Him that buys the cards," moaned Tommy, "will never be without siller,for you tell auld folks fortunes on them at a penny every throw. Lend methreepence, Birkie. They cost a sic, and I have just--"
"Na, na," said greedy Birkie, "I'm no to be catched wi' chaff. If it'strue, what you say, I'll buy the cards mysel'."
Having thus got hold of him, Tommy led Birkie to a stand where the Kingof Egypt was telling fortunes with cards, and doing a roaring tradeamong the Jocks and Jennys. He also sold packs at sixpence each, and theelated Birkie was an immediate purchaser.
"You're no so clever as you think yoursel'!" he said triumphantly toTommy, who replied with his inscrutable smile. But to his satellites hesaid, "Not a soul will buy a fortune frae Birkie. I'll get thae cardsfor a penny afore next week's out."
Francie Crabb found Tommy sniggering to himself in the back wynd. "Whatare you goucking at?" asked Francie, in surprise, for, as a rule, Tommyonly laughed behind his face.
"I winna tell you," chuckled Tommy, "but what a bar, oh, what a divert!"
"Come on, tell me."
"Well, it's at the man as is swallowing swords ahint the menagerie."
"I see nothing to laugh at in that."
"I'm no laughing at that. I'm laughing at him for selling the swords forninepence the piece. Oh, what ignorant he is, oh, what a bar!"
"Ninepence is a mislaird price for a soord," said Francie. "I never gaveninepence."
Tommy looked at him in the way that always made boys fidget with theirfists.
"You're near as big a bar as him," he said scornfully. "Did you ever seethe sword that's hanging on the wall in the backroom at thepost-office?"
"No, but my father has telled me about it. It has a grand name."
"It's an Andrea Ferrara, that's what it is."
"Ay, I mind the name now; there has been folk killed wi' that soord."
This was true, for the post-office Andrea Ferrara has a stirringhistory, but for the present its price was the important thing. "Dr.McQueen offered a pound note for it," said Tommy.
"I ken that, but what has it to do wi' the soord-swallower?"
"Just this; that the swords he is selling for ninepence are AndreaFerraras, the same as the post-office ones, and he could get a pound apiece for them if he kent their worth. Oh, what a bar, oh, what--"
Francie's eyes lit up greedily, and he looked at his twosilver shillings, and took two steps in the direction of thesword-swallower's, and faltered and could not make up his agitated mind.Tommy set off toward the square at a brisk walk.
"Whaur are you off to?" asked Francie, following him.
"To tell the man what his swords is worth. It would be ill done no totell him." To clinch the matter, off went Tommy at a run, and off wentFrancie after him. As a rule Tommy was the swifter, but on this occasionhe lagged of fell purpose, and reached the sword-swallower's tent justin time to see Francie emerge elated therefrom, carrying two AndreaFerraras. Francie grinned when they met.
"What a bar!" he crowed.
"What a bar!" agreed Tommy, and sufficient has now been told to showthat he had found a way. Even Gav acknowledged a master, and, when theaccoutrements of war were bought at second hand as cheaply as Tommy hadpredicted, applauded him with eyes and mouth for a full week, afterwhich he saw things in a new light. Gav of course was to enter thebursary lists anon, and he had supposed that Cathro would have the lastyear's schooling of him; but no, his father decided to send him for thegrand final grind to Mr. Ogilvy of Glen Quharity, a famous dominiebetween whom and Mr. Dishart existed a friendship that none had ever gotat the root of. Mr. Cathro was more annoyed than he cared to show, Gavbeing of all the boys of that time the one likeliest to do his teacherhonor at the university competitions, but Tommy, though the decisioncost him an adherent, was not ill-pleased, for he had discovered thatGav was one of those irritating boys who like to be leader. Gav, as hasbeen said, suddenly saw Tommy's victory over Messrs. Birkie, Francie,etc., in a new light; this was because when he wanted back the shillingwhich he had contributed to the funds for buying their purchases, Tommyreplied firmly:
"I canna give you the shilling, but I'll give you the lantern and thetartan cloth we bought wi' it."
"What use could they be to me at Glen Quharity?" Gav protested.
"Oh, if they are no use to you," Tommy said sweetly, "me and Corp iswilling to buy them off you for threepence."
Then Gav became a scorner of duplicity, but he had to consent to thebargain, and again Corp said to Tommy, "Oh, you crittur!" But he wassorry to lose a fellow-conspirator. "There's just the twa o' us now," hesighed.
"Just twa!" cried Tommy. "What are you havering about, man? There's asmany as I like to whistle for."
"You mean Grizel and Elspeth, I ken, but--"
"I wasna thinking of the womenfolk," Tommy told him, with acontemptuous wave of the hand. He went closer to Corp, and said, in alow voice, "The McKenzies are waiting!"
"Are they, though?" said Corp, perplexed, as he had no notion who theMcKenzies might be.
"And Lochiel has twa hunder spearsmen."
"Do you say so?"
"Young Kinnordy's ettling to come out, and I meet Lord Airlie, when themoon rises, at the Loups o' Kenny, and auld Bradwardine's as spunky asever, and there's fifty wild Highlandmen lying ready in the muckle caveof Clova."
He spoke so earnestly that Corp could only ejaculate, "Michty me!"
"But of course they winna rise," continued Tommy, darkly, "till helands."
"Of course no," said Corp, "but--wha is he?"
"Himsel'," whispered Tommy, "the Chevalier!"
Corp hesitated. "But, I thought," he said diffidently, "I thought you--"
"So I am," said Tommy.
"But you said he hadna landed yet?"
"Neither he has."
"But you--"
"Well?"
"You're here, are you no?"
Tommy stamped his foot in irritation. "You're slow in the uptak," hesaid. "I'm no here. How can I be here when I'm at St. Germains?"
"Dinna be angry wi' me," Corp begged. "I ken you're ower the water, butwhen I see you, I kind of forget; and just for the minute I think you'rehere."
"Well, think afore you speak."
"I'll try, but that's teuch work. When do you come to Scotland?"
"I'm no sure; but as soon as I'm ripe."
At nights Tommy now sometimes lay among the cabbages of the school-housewatching the shadow of Black Cathro on his sitting-room blind. Cathronever knew he was there. The reason Tommy lay among the cabbages wasthat there was a price upon his head.
"But if Black Cathro wanted to get the blood-money," Corp saidapologetically, "he could nab you any day. He kens you fine."
Tommy smiled meaningly. "Not him," he answered, "I've cheated him bonny,he hasna a notion wha I am. Corp, would you like a good laugh?"
"That I would."
"Weel, then, I'll tell you wha he thinks I am. Do you ken a little houseyont the road a bitty irae Monypenny?"
"I ken no sic house," said Corp, "except Aaron's."
"Aaron's the man as bides in it," Tommy continued hastily, "at least Ithink that's the name. Well, as you ken the house, you've maybe noticeda laddie that bides there too?"
"There's no laddie," began Corp, "except--"
"Let me see," interrupted Tommy, "what w
as his name? Was it Peter? No.Was it Willie? Stop, I mind, it was Tommy."
He glared so that Corp dared not utter a word.
"Have you notitched him?"
"I've--I've seen him," Corp gasped.
"Well, this is the joke," said Tommy, trying vainly to restrain hismirth, "Cathro thinks I'm that laddie! Ho! ho! ho!"
Corp scratched his head, then he bit his warts, then he spat upon hishands, then he said "Damn."
The crisis came when Cathro, still ignorant that the heather was onfire, dropped some disparaging remarks about the Stuarts to his historyclass. Tommy said nothing, but--but one of the school-windows waswithout a snib, and next morning when the dominie reached his desk hewas surprised to find on it a little cotton glove. He raised it on high,greatly puzzled, and then, as ever when he suspected knavery, his eyessought Tommy, who was sitting on a form, his arms proudly folded. Thatthe whelp had put the glove there, Cathro no longer doubted, and hewould have liked to know why, but was reluctant to give him thesatisfaction of asking. So the gauntlet--for gauntlet it was--was laidaside, the while Tommy, his head humming like a beeskep, mutteredtriumphantly through his teeth, "But he lifted it, he lifted it!" and atclosing time it was flung in his face with this fair tribute:
"I'm no a rich man, laddie, but I would give a pound note to know whatyou'll be at ten years from now."
There could be no mistaking the dire meaning of these words, and Tommyhurried, pale but determined, to the quarry, where Corp, with a barrowin his hands, was learning strange phrases by heart, and finding it ahelp to call his warts after the new swears.
"Corp," cried Tommy, firmly, "I've set sail!"
On the following Saturday evening Charles Edward landed in the Den. Inhis bonnet was the white cockade, and round his waist a tartan sash;though he had long passed man's allotted span his face was still full offire, his figure lithe and even boyish. For state reasons he had assumedthe name of Captain Stroke. As he leapt ashore from the bark, theDancing Shovel, he was received right loyally by Corp and other faithfuladherents, of whom only two, and these of a sex to which his House wasever partial, were visible, owing to the gathering gloom. Corp of thatIlk sank on his knees at the water's edge, and kissing his royalmaster's hand said, fervently, "Welcome, my prince, once more to bonnyScotland!" Then he rose and whispered, but with scarcely less emotion,"There's an egg to your tea."