At the appointed signal Bertram and Dinmont sprung over the brushwood andrushed upon Hatteraick. Hazlewood, unacquainted with their plan ofassault, was a moment later. The ruffian, who instantly saw he wasbetrayed, turned his first vengeance on Meg Merrilies, at whom hedischarged a pistol. She fell with a piercing and dreadful cry betweenthe shriek of pain and the sound of laughter when at its highest and mostsuffocating height. 'I kenn'd it would be this way,' she said.
Bertram, in his haste, slipped his foot upon the uneven rock whichfloored the cave--a fortunate stumble, for Hatteraick's second bulletwhistled over him with so true and steady an aim that, had he beenstanding upright, it must have lodged in his brain. Ere the smugglercould draw another pistol, Dinmont closed with him, and endeavoured bymain force to pinion down his arms. Such, however, was the wretch'spersonal strength, joined to the efforts of his despair, that, in spiteof the gigantic force with which the Borderer grappled him, he draggedDinmont through the blazing flax, and had almost succeeded in drawing athird pistol, which might have proved fatal to the honest farmer, had notBertram, as well as Hazlewood, come to his assistance, when, by mainforce, and no ordinary exertion of it, they threw Hatteraick on theground, disarmed him, and bound him. This scuffle, though it takes upsome time in the narrative, passed in less than a single minute. When hewas fairly mastered, after one or two desperate and almost convulsionarystruggles, the ruffian lay perfectly still and silent. 'He's gaun to diegame ony how,' said Dinmont; 'weel, I like him na the waur for that.'
This observation honest Dandie made while he was shaking the blazing flaxfrom his rough coat and shaggy black hair, some of which had been singedin the scuffle. 'He is quiet now,' said Bertram; 'stay by him and do notpermit him to stir till I see whether the poor woman be alive or dead.'With Hazlewood's assistance he raised Meg Merrilies.
'I kenn'd it would be this way,' she muttered, 'and it's e'en this waythat it should be.'
The ball had penetrated the breast below the throat. It did not bleedmuch externally; but Bertram, accustomed to see gunshot wounds, thoughtit the more alarming. 'Good God! what shall we do for this poor woman?'said he to Hazlewood, the circumstances superseding the necessity ofprevious explanation or introduction to each other.
'My horse stands tied above in the wood,' said Hazlewood. 'I have beenwatching you these two hours. I will ride off for some assistants thatmay be trusted. Meanwhile, you had better defend the mouth of the cavernagainst every one until I return.' He hastened away. Bertram, afterbinding Meg Merrilies's wound as well as he could, took station near themouth of the cave with a cocked pistol in his hand; Dinmont continued towatch Hatteraick, keeping a grasp like that of Hercules on his breast.There was a dead silence in the cavern, only interrupted by the low andsuppressed moaning of the wounded female and by the hard breathing of theprisoner.