CHAPTER II: The Jacobite Agent.
So twelve years passed. Ronald Leslie grew up a sturdy lad, full of funand mischief in spite of the sober atmosphere of the bailie's house; andneither flogging at school nor lecturing at home appeared to have theslightest effect in reducing him to that state of sober tranquillitywhich was in Mrs. Anderson's eyes the thing to be most desired in boys.Andrew was less deeply shocked than his wife at the discovery of Ronald'svarious delinquencies, but his sense of order and punctuality wasconstantly outraged. He was, however, really fond of the lad; and evenMrs. Anderson, greatly as the boy's ways constantly disturbed and ruffledher, was at heart as fond of him as was her husband. She considered, andnot altogether wrongly, that his wilderness, as she called it, was in noslight degree due to his association with her husband's brother.
Ronald looked forward to the periodical visits of the drover with intenselonging. He was sure of a sympathetic listener in Malcolm, who listenedwith approval to the tales of the various scrapes into which he had gotsince his last visit; of how, instead of going to school, he had playedtruant and with another boy his own age had embarked in a fisherman'sboat and gone down the river and had not been able to get back until nextday; how he had played tricks upon his dominie, and had conquered insingle combat the son of Councillor Duff, the butcher, who had spokenscoffing words at the Stuarts. Malcolm was, in fact, delighted to find,that in spite of repression and lectures his young charge was growing upa lad of spirit. He still hoped that some day Leslie might return, and heknew how horrified he would be were he to find that his son was becominga smug and well conducted citizen. No small portion of his time on eachof his visits to Glasgow Malcolm spent in training the boy in the use ofarms.
"Your father was a gentleman," he would say to him, "and it is fittingthat you should know how to handle a gentleman's arms. Clubs are wellenough for citizens' apprentices, but I would have you handle rapier andbroadsword as well as any of the young lairds. When you get old enough,Ronald, you and I will cross the seas, and together we will try and getto the bottom of the mystery of your father's fate, and if we find thatthe worst has come to the worst, we will seek our your mother. She willmost likely have married again. They will be sure to have forced her intoit; but even if she dare not acknowledge you as her son, her influencemay obtain for you a commission in one of the king's regiments, and evenif they think I'm too old for a trooper I will go as your follower. Thereare plenty of occasions at the court of France when a sharp sword and astout arm, even if it be somewhat stiffened by age, can do good service."
The lessons began as soon as Ronald was old enough to hold a light blade,and as between the pauses of exercise Malcolm was always ready to tellstories of his adventures in the wars of France, the days were full ofdelight to Ronald. When the latter reached the age of fourteen Malcolmwas not satisfied with the amount of proficiency which the lad was ableto gain during his occasional visits, and therefore took him for furtherinstruction to a comrade who had, like himself, served in France, and hadreturned and settled down in Glasgow, where he opened a fencing school,having been a maitre d'armes among the Scotch regiments.
The arrangement was, however, kept a profound secret from Andrew and hiswife; but on half holidays, and on any other days when he could manage toslip away for an hour, Ronald went to his instructor and worked hard andsteadily with the rapier. Had Mrs. Anderson had an idea of the manner inwhich he spent his time she would have been horrified, and wouldcertainly have spared her encomiums on his improved conduct and theabsence of the unsatisfactory reports which had before been so common.
The cloud of uncertainty which hung over his father's fate could not buthave an influence upon the boy's character, and the happy carelessnessand gaiety which were its natural characteristics were modified by thethought that his father might be languishing in a dungeon. Sometimes hewould refuse to accompany his school fellows on their rambles or fishingexpeditions, and would sit for hours thinking over all sorts of wildplans by which he might penetrate to him and aid him to escape. He wasnever tired of questioning Malcolm Anderson as to the prisons in which,if still alive, his father would be likely to be confined. He would askas to their appearance, the height of their walls, whether they weremoated or not, and whether other houses abutted closely upon them. Oneday Malcolm asked him the reason of these questions, and he replied, "Ofcourse I want to see how it will be possible to get my father out." Andalthough Malcolm tried to impress upon him that it would be an almostimpossible task even to discover in which prison his father was kept, hewould not allow himself to be discouraged.
"There must be some way of finding out, Malcolm. You tell me thatprisoners are not even known by their name to the warders, but only undera number. Still someone must know--there must be lists kept of those inprison, and I shall trust to my mother to find out for me. A great ladyas she is must be able to get at people if she sets about it, and ascertainly she must have loved my father very very much, or she neverwould have married him secretly, and got into such trouble for it. I amsure she will do her best when she finds that you and I have come over toget him out. When we know that, I think we ought to be able to manage.You could get employment as a warder, or I could go disguised as a woman,or as a priest, or somehow. I feel sure we shall succeed if we do butfind out that he is alive and where he is."
Malcolm knew too much about the strong and well guarded prisons of Franceto share in the boy's sanguine hopes, but he did not try to discouragehim. He thought that with such an object in life before him the boy woulddevote himself all the more eagerly to exercises which would strengthenhis arm, increase his skill with weapons, and render him a brave andgallant officer, and in this he was right. As the time went on Ronaldbecame more and more serious. He took no part whatever in the school boygames and frolics in which he had been once a leader. He worked hard athis school tasks the sooner to be done with them, and above all devotedhimself to acquiring a mastery of the sword with a perseverance andenthusiasm which quite surprised his instructor.
"I tell you, Malcolm, man," he said one day to his old comrade, afterRonald had been for upwards of two years his pupil, "if I had known, whenyou first asked me to teach the lad to handle a sword, how much of mytime he was going to occupy, I should have laughed in your face, for tentimes the sum you agreed to pay me would not have been enough; but,having begun it for your sake, I have gone on for the lad's. It has beena pleasure to teach him, so eager was he to learn--so ready to workheart and soul to improve. The boy's wrist is as strong as mine and hiseye as quick. I have long since taught him all I know, and it is practicenow, and not teaching, that we have every day. I tell you I have work tohold my own with him; he knows every trick and turn as well as I do, andis quicker with his lunge and riposte. Were it not that I have my extralength of arm in my favour I could not hold my own. As you know, I havemany of the officers of the garrison among my pupils, and some of themhave learned in good schools, but there is not one of them could defendhimself for a minute against that boy. If it were not that the matter hasto be kept secret I would set him in front of some of them, and you wouldsee what short work he would make of them. Have you heard the rumours,Malcolm, that the young Chevalier is likely to follow the example of hisfather, thirty years back, and to make a landing in Scotland?"
"I have heard some such rumours," Malcolm replied, "though whether therebe aught in them I know not. I hope that if he does so he will at anyrate follow the example of his father no further. As you know, I hold tothe Stuarts, but I must own they are but poor hands at fighting. Charlesthe First ruined his cause; James the Second threw away the crown ofIreland by galloping away from the battle of the Boyne; the Chevaliershowed here in '15 that he was no leader of men; and unless this lad ismade of very different stuff to his forefathers he had best stay inFrance."
"But if he should come, Malcolm, I suppose you will join him? I am afraidI shall be fool enough to do so, even with my fifty years on my head. Andyou?"
"I suppose I shall be a fool
too," Malcolm said. "The Stuarts are Scotch,you see, and with all their faults I would rather a thousand times have aScottish king than these Germans who govern us from London. If theEnglish like them let them keep them, and let us have a king of our own.However, nought may come of it; it may be but a rumour. It is a cardwhich Louis has threatened to play a score of times, whenever he wishesto annoy England. It is more than likely that it will come to nought, asit has so often done before."
"But they tell me that there are agents travelling about among theHighland clans, and that this time something is really to be done."
"They have said so over and over again, and nothing has come of it. Formy part, I don't care which way it goes. After the muddle that was madeof it thirty years ago it does not seem to me more likely that we shallget rid of the Hanoverians now. Besides, the hangings and slaughteringsthen, would, I should think, make the nobles and the heads of clans thinktwice ere they risked everything again."
"That is true, but when men's blood is up they do not count the cost;besides, the Highland clans are always ready to fight. If Prince Charlescomes you will see there will not be much hanging back whatever theconsequences may be. Well, you and I have not much to lose, except ourlives."
"That is true enough, old friend; and I would rather die that way thanany other. Still, to tell you the truth, I would rather keep my head onmy shoulders for a few years if I can."
"Well, nothing may come of it; but if it does I shall strike a blow againfor the old cause."
At home Ronald heard nothing but expressions of loyalty to the crown. Themere fact that the Highlanders espoused the cause of the Stuarts wassufficient in itself to make the Lowlanders take the opposite side. Thereligious feeling, which had always counted for so much in the Lowlands,and had caused Scotland to side with the Parliament against King Charles,had not lost its force. The leanings of the Stuarts were, it was known,still strongly in favour of the Catholic religion, and although PrinceCharles Edward was reported to be more Protestant in feelings than therest of his race, this was not sufficient to counterbalance the effect ofthe hereditary Catholic tendency. Otherwise there was no feeling ofactive loyalty towards the reigning king in Scotland. The first andsecond Georges had none of the attributes which attract loyal affection.The first could with difficulty speak the language of the people overwhom he ruled. Their feelings and sympathies were Hanoverian rather thanEnglish, and all court favours were bestowed as fast as possible upontheir countrymen. They had neither the bearing nor manner which menassociate with royalty, nor the graces and power of attraction whichdistinguished the Stuarts. Commonplace and homely in manner, in figure,and in bearing, they were not men whom their fellows could look up to orrespect; their very vices were coarse, and the Hanoverian men and womenthey gathered round them were hated by the English people.
Thus neither in England nor Scotland was there any warm feeling ofloyalty for the reigning house; and though it was possible that but fewwould adventure life and property in the cause of the Stuarts, it wasequally certain that outside the army there were still fewer who woulddraw sword for the Hanoverian king. Among the people of the Lowlandcities of Scotland the loyalty which existed was religious rather thancivil, and rested upon the fact that their forefathers had fought againstthe Stuarts, while the Highlanders had always supported their cause.Thus, although in the household and in kirk Ronald had heard King Georgeprayed for regularly, he had heard no word concerning him calculated towaken a boyish feeling of loyalty, still less of enthusiasm. Upon theother hand he knew that his father had fought and suffered for theStuarts and was an exile in their cause, and that Hanoverians had handedover the estate of which he himself would now be the heir to one of theiradherents.
"It is no use talking of these matters to Andrew," Malcolm impressed uponhim; "it would do no good. When he was a young man he took the side ofthe Hanoverians, and he won't change now; while, did Mistress Janet guessthat your heart was with the Stuarts, she would say that I was ruiningyou, and should bring you to a gallows. She is not fond of me now, thoughshe does her best to be civil to her husband's brother; but did she knowthat you had become a Jacobite, like enough she would move Andrew to puta stop to your being with me, and there would be all sorts of trouble."
"But they could nor prevent my being with you," Ronald said indignantly."My father gave me into your charge, not into theirs."
"That's true enough, laddie; but it is they who have cared for you andbrought you up. When you are a man you can no doubt go which way itpleases you; but till then you owe your duty and respect to them, and notto me, who have done nought for you but just carry you over here in mycloak."
"I know they have done everything for me," Ronald said penitently. "Theyhave been very good and kind, and I love them both; but for all that itis only natural that my father should be first, and that my heart shouldbe in the cause that he fought for."
"That is right enough, Ronald, and I would not have it otherwise, and Ihave striven to do my best to make you as he would like to see you. Didhe never come back again I should be sorry indeed to see Colonel Leslie'sson growing up a Glasgow tradesman, as my brother no doubt intends you tobe, for I know he has long since given up any thought of hearing fromyour father; but in that you and I will have a say when the time comes.Until then you must treat Andrew as your natural guardian, and there isno need to anger him by letting him know that your heart is with the kingover the water, any more than that you can wield a sword like agentleman. Let us have peace as long as we can. You are getting on forsixteen now; another two years and we will think about going to Paristogether. I am off again tomorrow, Ronald; it will not be a long tripthis time, but maybe before I get back we shall have news from Francewhich will set the land on fire."
A short time after this conversation, as Ronald on his return fromcollege (for he was now entered at the university) passed through theshop, the bailie was in conversation with one of the city magistrates,and Ronald caught the words:
"He is somewhere in the city. He came down from the Highlands, where hehas been going to and fro, two days since. I have a warrant out againsthim, and the constables are on the lookout. I hope to have him in jailbefore tonight. These pestilent rogues are a curse to the land, though Icannot think the clans would be fools enough to rise again, even thoughCharles Stuart did come."
Ronald went straight up to his room, and for a few minutes sat inthought. The man of whom they spoke was doubtless an emissary of PrinceCharles, and his arrest might have serious consequences, perhaps bringruin on all with whom he had been in communication. Who he was or what hewas like Ronald knew not; but he determined at any rate to endeavour todefeat the intentions of the magistrate to lay hands on him. Accordinglya few minutes later, while the magistrate was still talking with Andrew,he again went out.
Ronald waited about outside the door till he left, and then followed himat a short distance. The magistrate spoke to several acquaintances on theway, and then went to the council chamber. Waiting outside, Ronald sawtwo or three of the magistrates enter. An hour later the magistrate hewas watching came out; but he had gone but a few paces when a manhurrying up approached him. They talked earnestly for a minute or two.The magistrate then re-entered the building, remained there a fewminutes, and then joined the man who was waiting outside. Ronald hadstolen up and taken his stand close by.
"It is all arranged," the magistrate said; "as soon as night has fallen aparty will go down, surround the house, and arrest him. It is better notto do it in daylight. I shall lead the party, which will come round to myhouse, so if the men you have left on watch bring you news that he haschanged his hiding place, let me know at once.
The magistrate walked on. Ronald stood irresolute. He had obtained noclue as to the residence of the person of whom they were in search, andafter a moment's thought he determined to keep an eye upon the constable,who would most likely join his comrade on the watch. This, however, hedid not do immediately. He had probably been for some time at work, andnow took the opport
unity of going home for a meal, for he at once madehis way to a quiet part of the city, and entered a small house.
It was half an hour before he came out again, and Ronald fidgeted withimpatience, for it was already growing dusk. When he issued out Ronaldsaw that he was armed with a heavy cudgel. He walked quickly now, andRonald, following at a distance, passed nearly across the town, and downa quiet street which terminated against the old wall running from theCastle Port to a small tower. When he got near the bottom of the street aman came out from an archway, and the two spoke together. From theirgestures Ronald felt sure that it was the last house on the left handside of the street that was being watched. He had not ventured to followfar down the street, for as there was no thoroughfare he would at once beregarded with suspicion. The question now was how to warn the man of hisdanger. He knew several men were on the watch, and as only one was in thestreet, doubtless the others were behind the house. If anything was to bedone there was no time to be lost, for the darkness was fast closing in.
After a minute's thought he went quickly up the street, and then startedat a run, and then came down upon a place where he could ascend the wall,which was at many points in bad repair. With some difficulty he climbedup, and found that he was exactly opposite the house he wished to reach.It was dark now. Even in the principal streets the town was only lit byoil lamps here and there, and there was no attempt at illumination in thequiet quarters, persons who went abroad after nightfall always carrying alantern with them. There was still sufficient light to show Ronald thatthe house stood at a distance of some fourteen feet from the wall. Theroof sloped too steeply for him to maintain his holding upon it; buthalfway along the house was a dormer window about three feet above thegutter. It was unglazed, and doubtless gave light to a granary or storeroom.
Ronald saw that his only chance was to alight on the roof close enough tothis window to be able to grasp the woodwork. At any other moment hewould have hesitated before attempting such a leap. The wall was only afew feet wide, and he could therefore get but little run for a spring.His blood was, however, up, and having taken his resolution he did nothesitate. Drawing back as far as he could he took three steps, and thensprang for the window. Its sill was some three feet higher than the edgeof the wall from which he sprang.
The leap was successful; his feet struck just upon the gutter, and theimpetus threw forward his body, and his hands grasped the woodwork of thewindow. In a moment he had dragged himself inside. It was quite darkwithin the room. He moved carefully, for the floor was piled with disusedfurniture, boxes, sacking, and rubbish. He was some time finding thedoor, but although he moved as carefully as he could he knocked over aheavy chest which was placed on a rickety chair, the two falling with acrash on the floor. At last he found the door and opened it. As he did soa light met his eyes, and he saw ascending the staircase a man with adrawn sword, and a woman holding a light above her head followingclosely. The man uttered an exclamation on seeing Ronald appear.
"A thief!" he said. "Surrender, or I will run you through at once."
"I am no thief," Ronald replied. "My name is Ronald Leslie, and I am astudent at the university. I have come here to warn someone, whom I knownot, in this house that it is watched, and that in a few minutes at theoutside a band of the city watch will be here to capture him."
The man dropped the point of his sword, and taking the light from thewoman held it closer to Ronald's face.
"How came you here?" he asked. "How did you learn this news?"
"The house is watched both sides below," Ronald said, "and I leapt fromthe wall through the dormer window. I heard a magistrate arranging withone of the constables for a capture, and gathered that he of whom theywere in search was a Jacobite, and as I come of a stock which has alwaysbeen faithful to the Stuarts, I hastened to warn him."
The woman uttered a cry of alarm.
"I thank you with all my heart, young sir. I am he for whom they are insearch, and if I get free you will render a service indeed to our cause;but there is no time to talk now, if what you tell me be true. You saythe house is watched from both sides?"
"Yes; there are two men in the lane below, one or more, I know not howmany, behind."
"There is no escape behind," the man said; "the walls are high, and otherhouses abut upon them. I will sally out and fight through the men infront."
"I can handle the sword," Ronald put in; "and if you will provide me witha weapon I will do my best by your side."
"You are a brave lad," the man said, "and I accept your aid."
He led the way down stairs and entered a room, took down a sword fromover the fireplace, and gave it to Ronald.
As he took it in his hand there was a loud knocking at the door.
"Too late!" the man exclaimed. "Quick, the light, Mary! At any rate Imust burn my papers."
He drew some letters from his pocket, lit them at the lamp, and threwthem on the hearth; then opening a cabinet he drew forth a number ofother papers and crumpling them up added them to the blaze.
"Thank God that is safe!" he said; "the worst evil is averted."
"Can you not escape by the way by which I came hither?" Ronald said. "Thedistance is too great to leap; but if you have got a plank, or can pullup a board from the floor, you could put it across to the wall and makeyour escape that way. I will try to hold the stairs till you are away."
"I will try at least," the man said. "Mary, bring the light, and aid mewhile our brave friend does his best to give us time."
So saying he sprang upstairs, while Ronald made his way down to the door.
"Who is making such a noise at the door of a quiet house at this time ofnight?" he shouted.
"Open in the king's name," was the reply; "we have a warrant to arrestone who is concealed here."
"There is no one concealed here," Ronald replied, "and I doubt that youare, as you say, officers of the peace; but if so, pass your warrantthrough the grill, and if it be signed and in due form I will open toyou."
"I will show my warrant when need be," the voice answered. "Once more,open the door or we will break it in."
"Do it at your peril," Ronald replied. "How can I tell you are notthieves who seek to ransack the house, and that your warrant is apretence? I warn you that the first who enters I will run him through thebody."
The reply was a shower of blows on the door, and a similar attack wasbegun by a party behind the house. The door was strong, and after aminute or two the hammering ceased, and then there was a creaking,straining noise, and Ronald knew they were applying a crowbar to force itopen. He retreated to a landing halfway up the stairs, placed a lampbehind him so that it would show its light full on the faces of thoseascending the stairs, and waited. A minute later there was a crash; thelock had yielded, but the bar still held the door in its place. Then theblows redoubled, mingled with the crashing of wood; then there was thesound of a heavy fall, and a body of men burst in.
There was a rush at the stairs, but the foremost halted at the sight ofRonald with his drawn sword.
"Keep back," he shouted, "or beware! The watch will be here in a fewminutes, and then you will all be laid by the heels."
"Fools! We are the watch," one of the men exclaimed, and, dashing up thestairs, aimed a blow at Ronald. He guarded it and ran the man through theshoulder. He dropped his sword and fell back with a curse.
At this moment the woman ran down stairs from above and nodded to Ronaldto signify that the fugitive had escaped.
"You see I hold to my word," Ronald said in a loud voice. "If ye be thewatch, which I doubt, show me the warrant, or if ye have one in authoritywith you let him proclaim himself."
"Here is the warrant, and here am I, James M'Whirtle, a magistrate ofthis city."
"Why did you not say so before?" Ronald exclaimed, lowering his sword."If it be truly the worshipful Mr. M'Whirtle let him show himself, forsurely I know him well, having seen him often in the house of myguardian, Bailie Anderson."
Mr. M'Whirtle, who had been keep
ing well in the rear, now came forward.
"It is himself." Ronald said. "Why did you not say you were here at once,Mr. M'Whirtle, instead of setting your men to break down the door, as ifthey were Highland caterans on a foray?"
"We bade you open in the king's name," the magistrate said, "and youwithstood us, and it will be hanging matter for you, for you have aidedthe king's enemies."
"The king's enemies!" Ronald said in a tone of surprise. "How can therebe any enemies of the king here, seeing there are only myself and thegood woman up stairs? You will find no others."
"Search the house," the magistrate said furiously, "and take thismalapert lad into custody on the charge of assisting the king's enemies,of impeding the course of justice, of withstanding by force of arms theissue of a lawful writ, and with grievously wounding one of the citywatch."
Ronald laughed.
"It is a grievous list, worshipful sir; but mark you, as soon as youshowed your warrant and declared yourself I gave way to you. I onlyresisted so long as it seemed to me you were evildoers breaking into apeaceful house."
Two of the watch remained as guard over Ronald; one of the otherssearched the house from top to bottom. No signs of the fugitive werediscovered.
"He must be here somewhere," the magistrate said, "since he was seen toenter, and the house has been closely watched ever since. See, there area pile of ashes on the hearth as if papers had been recently burned.Sound the floors and the walls."
The investigation was particularly sharp in the attic, for a board washere found to be loose, and there were signs of its being recentlywrenched out of its place, but as the room below was unceiled thisdiscovery led to nothing. At last the magistrate was convinced that thefugitive was not concealed in the house, and, after placing his seals onthe doors of all the rooms and leaving four men in charge, he left theplace, Ronald, under the charge of four men, accompanying him.
On the arrival at the city Tolbooth Ronald was thrust into a cell andthere left until morning. He was then brought before Mr. M'Whirtle andtwo other of the city magistrates. Andrew Anderson was in attendance,having been notified the night before of what had befallen Ronald. Thebailie and his wife had at first been unable to credit the news, and wereconvinced that some mistake had been made. Andrew had tried to obtain hisrelease on his promise to bring him up in the morning, but Mr. M'Whirtleand his colleagues, who had been hastily summoned together, would nothear of it.
"It's a case of treason, man. Treason against his gracious majesty;aiding and abetting one of the king's enemies, to say nought of brawlingand assaulting the city watch."
The woman found in the house had also been brought up, but no precisecharge was made against her. The court was crowded, for Andrew, in hiswrath at being unable to obtain Ronald's release, had not been backwardin publishing his grievance, and many of his neighbours were present tohear this strange charge against Ronald Leslie.
The wounded constable and another first gave their evidence.
"I myself can confirm what has been said," Mr. M'Whirtle remarked,"seeing that I was present with the watch to see the arrest of a personagainst whom a warrant had been issued."
"Who is that person?" Ronald asked. "Seeing that I am charged with aidingand abetting his escape it seems to me that I have a right to know who heis."
The magistrates looked astounded at the effrontery of the question, butafter a moment's consultation together Mr. M'Whirtle said that in theinterest of justice it was unadvisable at the present moment to state thename of the person concerned.
"What have you to say, prisoner, to the charge made against you? Inconsideration of our good friend Bailie Anderson, known to be a worthycitizen and loyal subject of his majesty, we would be glad to hear whatyou have to say anent this charge."
"I have nothing to say," Ronald replied quietly. "Being in the house whenit was attacked, with as much noise as if a band of Border ruffians wereat the gate, I stood on the defence. I demanded to see what warrant theyhad for forcing an entry, and as they would show me none, I did my bestto protect the house; but the moment Mr. M'Whirtle proclaimed who he wasI lowered my sword and gave them passage."
There was a smile in the court at the boy's coolness.
"But how came ye there, young sir? How came ye to be in the house at all,if ye were there for a good motive?"
"That I decline to say," Ronald answered. "It seems to me that any onemay be in a house by the consent of its owners, without having to givehis reasons therefor."
"It will be the worse for you if you defy the court. I ask you again howcame you there?"
"I have no objection to tell you how I came there," Ronald said. "I waswalking on the old wall, which, as you know, runs close by the house,when I saw an ill looking loon hiding himself as if watching the house,looking behind I saw another ruffianly looking man there." Two gasps ofindignation were heard from the porch at the back of the court. "Thinkingthat there was mischief on hand I leapt from the wall to the dormerwindow to warn the people of the house that there were ill doers who haddesigns upon the place, and then remained to see what came of it. That isthe simple fact."
There was an exclamation of incredulity from the magistrates.
"If you doubt me," Ronald said, "you can send a man to the wall. I feltmy feet loosen a tile and it slid down into the gutter."
One of the magistrates gave an order, and two of the watch left thecourt.
"And who did you find in the house?"
"I found this good woman, and sorely frightened she was when I told herwhat kind of folk were lurking outside."
"And was there anyone else there?"
"There was a man there," Ronald said quietly, "and he seemed alarmedtoo."
"What became of him?"
"I cannot say for certain," Ronald replied; "but if you ask my opinion Ishould say, that having no stomach for meeting people outside, he justwent out the way I came in, especially as I heard the worshipfulmagistrate say that a board in the attic had been lifted."
The magistrates looked at each other in astonishment; the mode of escapehad not occurred to any, and the disappearance of the fugitive was nowexplained.
"I never heard such a tale," one of the magistrates said after a pause."It passes belief that a lad, belonging to the family of a worthy andrespectable citizen, a bailie of the city and one who stands well withhis fellow townsmen, should take a desperate leap from the wall through awindow of a house where a traitor was in hiding, warn him that the housewas watched, and give him time to escape while he defended the stairs.Such a tale, sure, was never told in a court. What say you, bailie?"
"I can say nought," Andrew said. "The boy is a good boy and a quiet one;given to mischief like other boys of his age, doubtless, but alwaysamenable. What can have possessed him to behave in such a wild manner Icannot conceive, but it seems to me that it was but a boy's freak."
"It was no freak when he ran his sword through Peter Muir's shoulder,"Mr. M'Whirtle said. "Ye will allow that, neighbour Anderson."
"The man must have run against the sword," the bailie said, "seeing theboy scarce knows one end of a weapon from another."
"You are wrong there, bailie," one of the constables said; "for I haveseen him many a time going into the school of James Macklewain, and Ihave heard a comrade say, who knows James, that the lad can handle asword with the best of them."
"I will admit at once," Ronald said, "that I have gone to Macklewain'sschool and learned fencing of him. My father, Colonel Leslie of Glenlyon,was a gentleman, and it was right that I should wield a sword, and JamesMacklewain, who had fought in the French wars and knew my father, wasgood enough to teach me. I may say that my guardian knew nothing ofthis."
"No, indeed," Andrew said. "I never so much as dreamt of it. If I haddone so he and I would have talked together to a purpose."
"Leslie of Glenlyon was concerned in the '15, was he not?" Mr. M'Whirtlesaid; "and had to fly the country; and his son seems to be treading inhis steps, bailie. I doubt ye have been nouris
hing a viper in yourbosom."
At this moment the two constables returned, and reported that certainly atile was loose as the prisoner had described, and there were scratches asif of the feet of someone entering the window, but the leap was one thatvery few men would undertake.
"Your story is so far confirmed, prisoner; but it does not seem to usthat even had you seen two men watching a house it would be reasonablethat you would risk your neck in this way without cause. Clearly you haveaided and abetted a traitor to escape justice, and you will be remanded.I hope, before you are brought before us again, you will make up yourmind to make a clean breast of it, and throw yourself on the king'smercy."
Ronald was accordingly led back to the cell, the bailie being too muchoverwhelmed with surprise at what he had heard to utter any remonstrance.