Flower o' the Heather: A Story of the Killing TimesMacKenna, Robert William
History
Flower o' the Heather: A Story of the Killing Times
MacKenna, Robert William
Adventure stories; Covenanters -- Scotland -- Fiction; Love stories; Scotland -- History -- 17th century -- Fiction
"Inside they made an awfu’ steer, pokin’ here and searchin’ there,
nosin’ even into the meal barrel and castin’ the blankets off the beds
after Claver’se himsel’ had driven his sword through and through them.
Then ane o’ the troopers spied a ladder in the corner, and up he goes
into the loft, and Claver’se follows him. Then they cam’ doon again,
Claver’se leadin’ and no’ lookin’ pleased like. He stalked oot o’ the
kitchen into the open air. Juist then the daft laddie let a screech oot
o’ him, and Claver’se flung up his heid. ’What the devil is he yelling
about?’ he cried. ’I’ll stop his girning!’ and wi’ that he shouted an
order and twa sodgers ran forward and cuttin’ the thongs frae his
wrists, dragged him tae the wall o’ the hoose. They cast their hands
off him, but stood near enough to keep him frae runnin’ away. He looked
at the dragoons wi’ a simple look on his face, and then his e’en
wandered away to the blue hills in the distance,--’From whence cometh
mine aid,’ he said. But he spoke nae mair, for, wi’ a quick ’Make
ready: present: fire!’ Claver’se let his sword drop, the muskets
crashed, and the boy fell deid. ’A good riddance,’ said Claver’se,
spurning the body with his foot. ’There’s enough daft folk in the
world,’ and he laughed.
"There was a sudden turmoil among the men, and the soond o’ a woman’s
voice. The guid-wife was strugglin’ to free hersel’, and as she did so
she shouted, ’Inhuman deevils! Is there nae milk o’ mercy in yer herts?
What has the puir lad done that ye should murder him?’ But a word frae
her husband quieted her, ’Jean,’ he said--that was a’; but she stood
quite still and struggled nae mair, though the tears streamed doon her
face. Then Claver’se made a sign and Andra was unbound and led before
him, and at the same time the troopers let go their hold o’ the woman
and she cam’ and stood beside her man. ’Daldowie,’ says Claver’se, ’you
have long been suspected of consorting with and harbouring the hill-men.
I have caught you red-handed to-day in the act of succouring one of
them; and in your house I have found proof that you have sheltered
fugitives from justice. What have you to say for yourself?’ Andra
looked his judge straight in the face. ’The facts are against me, sir;
but I ha’e dune naething for which my conscience rebukes me, and I am
ready to answer to God.’
"’More cant! More cant!’ roared Claver’se. ’You have to answer to me,
the representative of the King. God only comes into the question
later,’ and he laughed as though he had said a clever thing. ’Will ye
tak’ the Test? Will ye swear allegiance to the King?’"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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