Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE MEN OF THE MOSS-HAGS _BEING A HISTORY OF ADVENTURE TAKEN FROM THE PAPERS OF WILLIAM GORDON OF EARLSTOUN IN GALLOWAY AND TOLD OVER AGAIN BY_ S. R. CROCKETT New York MACMILLAN AND CO. AND LONDON 1895 _All rights reserved_ COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY MACMILLAN AND CO. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co--Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A. _To ANDREW LANG Poet, Romancer, Scholar, and Friend of the goodly fellowship of the White Rose I, born of the Hill-Folk dedicate this attempt at a true history of some who fought bravely beneath the Banner of Blue_ _PREFATORY NOTE._ _I desire to express grateful thanks to my researchers, Mr. James Nicholson of Kirkcudbright, who examined on my behalf all the local records bearing upon the period and upon the persons treated of in this book; and to the Reverend John Anderson of the Edinburgh University Library, who brought to light from among the Earlstoun Papers and from the long-lost records of the United Societies, many of the materials which I have used in the writing of this story._ _I owe also much gratitude to the Library Committee of the University of Edinburgh, for permission to use the letters which are printed in the text, and for their larger permission to publish at some future time, for purposes more strictly historical, a selection from both the sets of manuscripts named above._ _Most of all, I am indebted to my friend, Mr. John McMillan of Glenhead in Galloway, who has not only given me in this, as in former works, the benefit of his unrivalled local knowledge, but has travelled with me many a weary foot over those moors and moss-hags, where the wanderers of another time had their abiding places. Let him accept this word of thanks. He is not likely to forget our stay together in the wilds of Cove Macaterick. Nor I our journey home._ _S. R. CROCKETT._ _Penicuik, Aug. 5, 1895._ CONTENTS. I. MY GOSSIP, MAISIE MAY II. GAY GARLAND CARRIES DOUBLE III. GAY GARLAND COMES HOME SADDLE EMPTY IV. SANDY GORDON COMES OVER THE HILL ALL ALONE V. THE CLASH OF WORDS VI. THE CLASH OF SWORDS VII. THE FIELD OF BOTHWELL BRIG VIII. THE CURATE OF DALRY IX. THROUGH DEATH'S DARK VALE X. THE GRAVE IN THE WILDERNESS XI. THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS XII. WE RIDE TO EDINBURGH XIII. WULLCAT WAT DARES HEAVEN AND HELL XIV. THE THING THAT FELL FROM TRAITOR'S GATE XV. THE BICKER IN THE SNOW XVI. THE GREY MOWDIEWORT XVII. OVER THE MUIR AMANG THE HEATHER XVIII. AULD ANTON OF THE DUCHRAE XIX. THE SWEET SINGERS OF THE DEER-SLUNK XX. THE HOME OF MY LOVE XXI. THE GREAT CONVENTICLE BY THE DEE WATER XXII. PEDEN THE PROPHET XXIII. BIRSAY THE COBBLER XXIV. THE SANQUHAR DECLARATION XXV. THE LAST CHARGE AT AYRSMOSS XXVI. HIDING WITH THE HEATHER-CAT XXVII. THE WATER OF THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM