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"Books! knave!" continued he, as his face was lighted up with a bitter and sarcastic smile. Books! verily, a soldier steal books! A life guards man take it into his head to read! By the everlasting Sathan, then ye're not going to live long, if ye be seized with that kind of fit of madness!"

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He now summoned his party together; and writhing and groaning with pain, he succeeded in telling them that'the Whig priest was certainly seen to henter this ere ouse; hand now hall hof them ad hocular demonstration! ay, faith, hand I ave ad more than hocular demonstration-ho! my poor shivered bones!-that e his not hin this ouse, nor habout hit, from the roof tree, down to the cellar." . And he added with an oath not to be recorded-" Hold Mahoon, hor the hauld deel, as the Scotch call im, must ave habsolutely elped im hof, being one hof is hown servants-scudding hit hon ha broomstick, through some crack, hor cranny, hin the door, hor the windur: hand as borne im through the hair! Hand, so, my gallants, baiting my loss hof the three thousand silver merks-ho! my crushed limbs !-they be hall poundered intur a jellyr-so hit will be hall to the same heffeck; has the colonel, hor the council could only ave sent im that same way, to Beelzebub's dominions, by ha good empen rope, eh?-ho my cracked ribs, hand my haching ead! I ham habsolutely pounded to ha jellyr!Elp me to my quarters, soldiers! I leave my death hon the Whiggamores! Ho! curses hon the Whigs! Good eavens! if there be hany eavens, save my soul, hif I ave a soul! when I die, hif I must die! Ho! ho! there's been murder ere, this very day, by the Whigs, I trow !-For ward, march!"

While the soldiers, with difficulty suppressing their laughter, were supporting him down the street, Cargil and Master James lost no time in effecting their speedy retreat from the rear of the building.

CHAPTER XIII.

"Give me, Heaven! a gude Scotch tongue, and a wee bairne's simplicity !"-AN OLD PROVERB.

Scarcely had they reached a friend's house in the Rotten Row, and drunk a cup o' cauld water, and eaten a cake o' oaten meal, when another file o' soldiers on foot, was seen, by his watchful host Robert Bruce, of that ilk, marching slyly up in the steps o' a spy and informer. The neighbours, a few o' his faithful and affectionate parishioners, procured his escape. They raised a scuffle: laid twa three weel applied looners to the chouks and hurdies o' the spy, and his coadjutors. Cargil, in the confusion, losing sight of Master James, had thrown himself over the garden wa', in the rear o' the hoose, into a narrow lane, and disappeared. In pursuin' his way frae the Deanside Brae into the High-street, he met full in the face two dragoons. No wonder! Ilka street was teemin' wi' them. He walked up wi' admirable presence o' mind, and hummed a tune. One o' them asked him 'pray, sir, what o'clock is it?' 'It is past six,' said Cargil. The other started, "That is the man we seek," cried he, "I ken his voice weel."

That moment Cargil plunged into an obscure close, and ran forward until he turned a corner. All this was effected before the soldier could convince his comrade that this man, walking so much at his ease, was Cargil. They set out in full trot, and directing their course down the Highstreet, they kept a strict look-out on the lanes, and rows of cottages, at that time, opposite the college,* and the ruins of the Grey Friars, in hopes that the Conventicle man might make his appearance again. Cargil had directed his retreat on the college grounds. He, therefore, did make his appearance in the High-street, nearly opposite the college gate, from a lane between a few cottages. But he had not reached the middle of the street, when his ear caught the dragoons' shout which they raised at the discovery. He directed his course to the spot where the Grey Friar's church had stood, and which had been thrown down by a

* How different, in those days, was the High-street, from what it now is, opposite the College!

violent storm some thirteen years before this. But perceiving no prospect of a hiding-place among the ruins, or in the vicinity, he turned suddenly down the college garden wynd, and in through Sucky Langthrapple's Close, and threw himself on the mercy of the inmates of the first door he found open. "Donald Cargil is pursued by the enemy," cried he, out of breath, "and he throws himself on your honour and mercy; wha eer ye be, ye'll no betray him."

To his utter astonishment he discovered that he had actually entered the house of one of the soldiers of the gallant Scottish dragoons. A tall female arose and met him. She was dressed in a plain dress, and coarse, but with that taste and neatness which characterizes a Scottish soldier's wife, who had received a Scottish education, and had probably seen better days.

"I am a soldier's wife," cried she, but a smile on her fine countenance chased away his fears. "You have ap pealed to oor honour, and the honour o' a soldier's wife has ne'er been appealed to, in vain. Come in, you sha'nna be betrayed by me."

He had not been secreted many minutes by the soldier's wife, when a soldier walked in. It was her husband. "I hae had a heat to nae purpose, wifie! after that thin lank Whig. My certie! though an auld man, he rins glegly. His auld pow, let me see noo, wad hae been worth three thoosand gude siller merks! That wad hae placed you and I, wifie! on a pretty wee farm, and a bonny cottage, wi' a bit green, and a ripplin' burnie rinnin' by, and murmurin' through the copse wood, and lang yellow broom! And, then, I could hae retired, and left aff the "killin' trade," as the Whigs ca' it. And may be, dinna misca' it, after a'!"

"And my braw Bauldy," replied his pretty wife, with a smile, “could you, noo, hae enjoyed yoursel, and the company o' yer wee anes prattlin' on yer knee, had ye made three thoosan' merks oot o' human blood and butchery? Could ye hae kneeled aside me, yer ain wife, and thanked kind Heaven for a' yer comforts, when thae comforts were boucht by blude and crime?"

"What for no, woman!" cried the soldier, “It's no the blude o' a nobleman, or o' ane honest liege, but the vile puddle that creeps in the veins o' a Whiggamore fanatic! A base rebel loon wha assembles the lieges at his canting Con

venticles, 'thae rendevouzes o' rebellion,' as his maist sacred Majesty, and his Cooncil ca's them."

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Na, na, Bauldy, I ken yer feelings better, my braw callan. Ye're no speaking as ye think, this time. I hae heard ye, and seen ye shudder at the monsters, Claverse and Dalziel, and Kennoway; and at the deeds of thae swashbucklers, the life guards. The dragoons o' yer Scottish regiment, thank God, are no the life guards. It was poortith and cruel injustice that drove ye into the military life, at a time when the gallant soldier nae longer fights the battles o' his kintry, but turns his weapons on its bowels! I speak what ye weel ken, Bauldy!"

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What, woman! think ye, I wad na hae ta'en aff that Whig's head? Think ye, I wad na hae whanged it aff like the stalk o' an ingen. Three thousand merks o' siller are no to be sneezed at, by ane honest Scottish soldier! And yespecially when he can come honestly at it, ye ken, by justifying a Whig, and slicing up Whiggery! But e'en tak it yer ain way, my sweet wifie," added he in a soothing tone, and asked "if it wasna' near brose time yet, for he was unco sharp set."

As he spoke this he began to unbuckle the belt of his long sword and laying his steel cap beaming on the floor, he took up his little prattler, in his arms,-a pretty boy with yellow curly locks, and laughing blue een.

Come, wee Davy! what hae ye been aboot a' day? Bonny laddie, Heelan' laddie!”

After a few minutes' prattling, and tickling, and worrying, the wee laddie looked him earnestly in the face and said—" Daddy, de ye ken wha's in the hoose?"

His mother from behind the soldier knit her brows, in a terrible frown; and shook her fist at him slyly.

Davie did na ken the meaning of all this. His kind little heart and soul had no idea of his father's employment. He did not know yet, that one man sold himself, for silver, to do any thing which an unprincipled commander might order him to do. He had not yet found out by experience that there were men,-that his own father was one of them, who made it his trade to kill his brother man, at the word o' another;-because that brother did not think and believe as he, and his commanders think on religious matters! Wee Davie had not felt the influence

of this knowledge on this unspoiled kind heart. Like other sweet children, he knew no guile. He, therefore, repeated the question in the perfect simplicity of his heart, thinking it would give pleasure to his father.

"Dee ye ken, Daddy! wha's in the hoose?-Guess." "In the hoose, my wee man: why, wha should be in the hoose, but yer ain dear ma, and yer ain wee brithers and sisters."

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Davie laughed merrily, and clapt his little hands, and crowed because 'he kenned mair,' he said, than his father." Why, Daddy, gude auld Donald Cargil's in the hoose! He cam bickering and running in, a bittock ago, a' oot o' breath, and said 'auld Donald Cargil,' said he, that's the way, Daddy, that we kenned his name-auld Donald Cargil,' says he, 'comes in to tak shelter wi' ye-ye'll no put him oot, the enemy is pressing hard on me'; thae vile bodies, wha can they be, Daddy, that wad be sae naughty as to chase auld Donald Cargil? I can think o' nane wha wud du it, unless they I read of, in my carratches, the deevil and his angels.'-Speak, daddy,-what for look ye sae wild and staring at me.-Oh! Daddy, auld Donald is a bonny auld man His hair is sae white;and it's divided sae nicely down the front this gate,”—and Davie, parted his curly locks in like manner in front; and it fa's doon in lang bushy curls on his neck and shoulders. I do love auld Donald Cargil. Dinna ye love him, daddy? I hae been wonnerin' whaur he bides: mither put him into the meikle press ben in the spence there; and steeket the door on him; just a wee while afore ye came in, at the street door."

As Davie thus ran thoughtlessly on; the soldier looked, in speechless amazement, first at his bairn; then at his wife; who threw herself on her knees, clasping wi' ae arm, her wee Davie, as he sat on his father's knee; and with the other arm, she embraced her gallant soldier's neck. And before his words could find utterance, Donald Cargil presented himself before the dragoon.

"There he is, daddy—I tauld ye sae,-Is na Donald an anco bonny auld man?' And Davie threw himself down off his faither's knee, and ran to the old pastor, exclaim. ing-Ye're no gaun awa' already, afore ye speak to faither!→