"Harkye!" said Lintstock again, "are ye not the runion who drove all the cattle mad, and hounded them out upon the hills? where all the collies and dogs in Lanarkshire will never collect them again; for mony a gude score hae tummelled owre the craigs of the Cairntable, and are drowned in the Douglas burn." "Oho, my friend," said Roland, setting down his wine-cup, and gazing sternly on the brutal and bilious visage of his prisoner, every twitch of whose square mouth, and every glance of whose twinkling eyes indicated the mass of bad thoughts that festered in his heart, "the charges are coming thick and fast against thee; so 'tis to thee we owe the loss of our lawful prize--those prime herds and fattened hirsels?" "Say rather to witchcraft; for ken ye, sir, that when I arrived here, three were found to be elfshot, and the rest were under spell; for the gudeman Fleming was dropping upon their horns the blessed wax of a paschal candle, the half whereof is yet remaining----" "In the pen; he speaks the truth," said Lintstock, "for I saw it there mysel; but sure as I am a living man, it was you who threw the blazing straw-wisps owre the parapets of the bartizan." "Well, rascal, and didst thou give my message to the bull-headed proprietor of this dwelling?" "Yea, Sir Roland Vipont, by Heaven I did, word for word." "So thou knowest _my_ name too, eh? (hold him fast, Lintstock)--well?" "And he made me prisoner." "I verily believe, peasant, thou liest; for the Laird of Balquhan avers that he saw thee on the walls in armour." "True, for I armed me in my own defence." "But thou didst thrice try to shoot me with an arquebuse, as Lintstock here is ready to swear." "Lintstock hath but one eye." "'Tis gude as a dozen, d--n ye," growled the old soldier. "How the devil is it this fellow wears a sword like a French barber?" said Leslie. "Ay, how is this, thou, who art not a gentleman?" "I am travelling, and wear it for mine own security."