The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 1 of 2)Hogg, James
General
The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 1 of 2)
Hogg, James
Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Clavers made a sign to one of his dragoons, who unbound William, and
took the bandage from his eyes. Regardless of all else, he looked wildly
around in search of his brother, and seeing his only companion lying
flat on his face, he at first turned away, as if wishing to escape from
a scene so dismal; but his helpless and forlorn situation staring him in
the face, and the idea doubtless recurring that he was never to part
with his brother, but forthwith to be slaughtered and carried to the
grave with him, he returned, went slowly up to the body, kneeled down
beside it, and pulling the napkin farther down over the face to keep the
dead features from view, he clasped his arms about his brother’s neck,
laid his cheek to his, and wept bitterly.
The narrator of this part of the tale was wont to say, that the scene
which followed had something more touching in it than any tongue could
describe, although Clavers and his troops only laughed at it. William
had now quite relinquished all sensations of fear or danger, and gave
full vent to a flood of passionate tenderness and despair. He clasped
his brother’s neck closer and closer, steeped his cheek with his tears,
and seemed to cling and grow to the body with a miserable fondness.
While he was giving full scope in this manner to the affections of his
young heart, his brother made a heave up with his head and shoulder,
saying at the same time, like one wakening from a dream, “Little Will,
is that you?—Haud aff—What ails ye?”
William raised up his head,—fixed his eyes on vacancy,—the tears
dried on his cheek, and his ruby lips were wide open,—the thing was
beyond his comprehension, and never was seen a more beautiful statue of
amazement. He durst not turn his eyes towards his brother, but he
uttered in words scarcely articulate, “Lord! I believe they hae missed
Jock too!”
Clavers had given private orders to his dragoons to fire over the heads
of the two boys, his intent being to intimidate them so much as to
eradicate every principle of firmness and power of concealment from
their tender minds; a scheme of his own fertile invention, and one which
he often practised upon young people with too sure effect. When William
found that his brother was really alive, and that both of them were to
be spared on condition that he gave up the names and marks of all the
people that had of late been at Chapelhope; he set himself with great
earnestness to recount them, along with every mark by which he
remembered them, determined that every hidden thing should be brought to
light, rather than that poor Jock should be shot at again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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