Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 21
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 21
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
"Your name's no nosin to nobody, you roke," said Duncan M'Kay, seconding
the efforts of his colleague to lug the doctor out of his seat. "You'll
be one names to-day and anodder names to-morrow. So shust come along to
ta office, toctor--since you calls yourselfs a toctor--and teuket a
nicht's quarters wi' some o' your frients that's there afore you."
"Let's get a grup o' him," exclaimed the broad-shouldered young fellow
already spoken of, edging himself in to have a share in the honour of
laying a capturing hand on the doctor. "Od, he's as round as a pokmanky.
There's nae getting hand o' him. Come awa, doctor; come awa, my man.
Bailie Morton 'll be unco glad to see ye," he added, having succeeded in
getting hold of one of the doctor's arms, which he seized with a grip
like a vice.
Undeterred by the overpowering force with which he was assailed, the
doctor still resisted, vainly announcing and re-announcing his name and
calling. It had the effect only of increasing the clamour and hubbub
amongst the police, who now all huddled round him in a mob; and without
listening to a word he said, finally succeeded in carrying him bodily
out of the house, in despite of some desperate struggling, and a great
deal of noisy vociferation on the part of the doctor.
THE POLICE OFFICE, AND FINALE.
Leading off from and immediately behind the public office, there was a
small carpeted room, provided with a sofa, some chairs, and a
writing-desk.
This room was appropriated to some of the upper functionaries connected
with the police establishment of ----, and was the scene of private
examinations of culprits, and of other kinds of proceedings of a private
nature.
At the time at which we introduce the reader to this apartment, there
lay extended on the sofa above spoken of, a gentleman who appeared to
have seen some recent service, if one might judge from the circumstance
of his head being bound up in a blood-stained handkerchief, and his
exhibiting some symptoms of languor and debility. This gentleman was Mr.
Thomson, who was awaiting the result of the expedition which had gone to
examine his house, and whose return he was now momentarily expecting.
Awaiting the same issue then, and awaiting it in the same apartment, was
another gentleman. This person was a sort of sub-superintendent of the
police; and was, at the moment of which we speak, busily engaged writing
at the desk formerly mentioned.
Both of those persons, then, were anxiously waiting the return of the
detachment whose proceedings are already before the reader, beguiling
the time, meanwhile, by discussing the probabilities of the case. They
were thus engaged, when a tremendous noise in the outer office gave
intimation of an arrival, and one of no ordinary kind; for the tramping
of feet was immense, and the hubbub astounding.
"That's _them_," said Mr. Thomson.
"I think it is," said the sub.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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