Lochinvar: A NovelCrockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)
History
Lochinvar: A Novel
Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)
Covenanters -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 17th century -- Fiction
She came fearlessly forth from her adjacent dwelling, clad in her
decent white cap and apron, looking snod and wiselike as if she had
been going to the Kirk of Colmonel on a sacrament Sabbath. Even as
Barra looked at her he was recalled to himself. To him she represented
that civilization from which he had so recently come, and which looked
askance on the wild vengeances that were expected and even thought
proper among the clansmen of Suliscanna.
"My lord," she said, "there was one man lang syne that was crucified
with nails for the sins of the people. Be kinder to poor Colin. Tie him
up with ropes, lest his blood be on your head, and ye win not within
the mercy of the Crucified."
Now though when abroad he made a pretence of religious fervor for
political purposes, in reality Barra was purely pagan and cared nothing
for Bess's parable. Nevertheless, he acknowledged tacitly the force of
an outside civilization and another code of justice, speaking to him in
the person of the woman from Ayrshire.
"Tie him up with ropes," he commanded, abruptly.
And so in a trice the Misfortunate Colin was secured to the door of
the dungeon of which he had proved himself so inefficient a guard, his
arms fixed by the wrists to the corners of it, and his heavy, drunken
head rolling loosely from side to side upon his breast. His wife knelt
at his feet, but without daring so much as to touch him with a finger.
Round his neck swung the keys, the emblem of his broken trust. As for
the Calf and the Killer, they were flung, bound as they were, into the
dungeon, where upon awaking their seeming fraternal amity suddenly gave
way, and they bit and butted at each other to the extent of their bonds
with mutual recriminations and accusations of treachery.
Barra surveyed carefully every trace which had been left of the manner
of the prisoners' escape. But for the present, at least, he could come
to no conclusion, save that they had escaped in a boat, probably with
the help of Wise Jan. He judged also that, thanks to this excellent
navigator, the fugitives were by this time far beyond the reach of his
present vengeance. Nevertheless he left nothing untried. He climbed
the heights of Lianacraig and looked out seaward and northward. But he
could see nothing upon the black ridge of the central cliffs of Fiara,
and nothing in the gloomy strait which separated it from the opposite
rock-wall of Suliscanna. All in that direction was warded by the race
of the Suck, ridging dangerously on either side and tailing away to the
north in a jabble of confused water.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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