As soon as he had this completed to his satisfaction, he lifted the bucket from the hook, and began to lower the men down the shaft, slinging them to the rope by the belly-bands of His Majesty's regimental breeches. The men cried out to ask if he meant to drown them. "Na, na, droon nane," said Sandy. "There's but three feet o' water in the well. Ye'll be fine and caller doon there a' nicht, but gin ye as muckle as gie a cry afore the morrow's sunrise--weel, ye hae heard o' Sandy Gordon o' the Earlstoun!" And this, indeed, feared the men greatly, for he was celebrated for his strength and daring all athwart the country; and especially among soldiers and common people, who, as is well known, are never done talking about feats of strength. This being completed, he brought me down from my loft and took me into the house to bid the women folk farewell. They cried out with terror when he told them what he had done as a noble jest, and how he had bound the soldiers and put them in the well-bottom. But my mother said sadly, "It is the beginning of the end! O Sandy, why could you not have been content with scaring them?" "It was our lives or theirs, mither," said Sandy. "Had they gotten room to put steel into me, your first-born son wad hae been at the well-bottom, wi' his heid doon an' his mooth open, and your second dangling in a hempen collar in the Grass Market. The eggs are all in one basket now, mither!" "Haste ye away!" cried she, "lest the soldiers break lowse and come and find ye here!" "They hae somewhat better sense than to break lowse this nicht," said Sandy, grimly smiling. "I'm gaun nane to tak' the heather withoot my supper." So he sat him down on the settle like a man at ease and well content. "Jean, fetch the plates," he said to his wife; "it's graund to be hungry an' ken o' meat!" Maisie Lennox stood quietly by; but I could see that she liked not the turn of affairs, nor the reckless way that Sandy had of driving all things before him. "Haste ye, young lass," he said to her, and at the word she went quietly to help Jean Hamilton. "Whither gang ye?" our mother said to us, as we made us ready to flee. "Mind and be canny wi' that laddie, Sandy, for he has been ill and needs care and tendance to this day." And it pleased me to see that Maisie Lennox looked pale and anxious when she came near me. But no word spoke she. "Na, mither. I'll no tell ye whaur we gang, for ye micht be put to the question, and now ye can say ye dinna ken wi' a guid conscience." I got a word with Maisie at the stair foot as she went up to bring some plaid or kerchief down, which our mother insisted I should take with me. "Maisie," I said, "ye'll no forget me, will ye?" But she would give me no great present satisfaction. "There are so many gay things in my life to gar me forget a friend!" was all she said; but she looked down and pulled at her apron.