"Weel," he went on, "after they had murdered the guid-wife, the troopers gathered roond Claver’se anxious-like, for he looked deidly. But when they had sprinkled water on his face, he began to come tae himsel’. By and by he opened his e’en and looked aboot him dazed like. "’What has happened?’ he said; then, memory coming back, he cried: ’Whaur the devil is the old hell-cat? Blow her brains out.’ The sergeant saluted and said, ’Your orders ha’e already been carried out, sir.’ Wi’ that Claver’se pulled himsel’ thegither and sat up. But he was a’ o’ a dither. He couldna staun’ by his lane, but there was enough o’ the de’il left in him to gi’e orders to set the steadin’ on fire and burn it to the ground. When the place was a’ in a blaze and the roof had fallen in, he sent off others to round up the cattle and the sheep and drive them to Kirkcudbright. "’Nothing like making a clean job o’t,’ he said. Then wi’ the help o’ the sergeant he mounted his horse, but his heid went licht again and he couldna sit in the saddle. So there was naething for it but to cairry him back to heidquarters. The sergeant and maybe a dozen dragoons were left behind to see that the fire didna gang oot till the bodies were completely destroyed. The rest set oot for heidquarters, taking it in turns to cairry Claver’se on a stretcher they had knocked thegither, while others drove the cattle behin’. "That is the story," said Hector, "as the trooper telled it to me. Though my heart was heavy, I forced up the ghost o’ a laugh when he had feenished and said, ’So that was what the guid-wife o’ Daldowie did to Claver’se. Weel, weel, a bonnie tale!’ Then I plied him wi’ mair drink, for there was something else I wanted to ken, aboot which he had said naething. And when he had primed his pipe aince mair I said switherin’-like, as though I were tryin’ to mind something: ’Let me see. I think in my traivels I ha’e visited Daldowie. If I’m no wrang I aince sold a ribbon to a bonnie lass there, wha I took for the dochter. Did ye see onything o’ her when ye were up by?’ The trooper shook his heid. "’No,’ he said, ’I saw naething o’ ony bonnie lass, and it was as weel for her, for in the mood that Claver’se was in he would ha’e made short work o’ her tae. Are ye sure ye’re no’ mistaken?’ he asked. "’No, no,’ I said, ’I’m no mistaken. If I min’ richtly the lassie’s name was Mary.’ "’Weel,’ he replied, ’I saw naething o’ her while I was at Daldowie. But I’m thinkin’ that if she happened to be hidin’ onywhere aboot she wad be discovered by the sergeant and the men that were left behin’, and mair than likely they’d mak’ a clean job by feenishing her tae. Hooever,’ he said, ’if it’ll be ony satisfaction to ye, I’ll speir at ane o’ the men wha’ was left behin’ wi’ the sergeant. And if ye’re here the morn, at this time, it will gi’e me pleasure tae drink the health o’ the King wi’ ye again and I’ll then be able to tell ye what ye want to ken.’