Fiction > Serialisations > London, 1893 - David Balfour

472
DAVID BALFOUR.
to take a notion. 1 think it's no you they're seek-
ing, I think it's me ; and I think they ken fine where
they're gaun."
" They ken ? " I asked.
"I think Andie Scougal's'sold me — him or his
mate wha kent some part of the affair — or else
Chairhe's clerk callant, which would be a pity too,"
says Alan; "and if you askit me for just my in-
ward private conviction, I think there'll be heads
cracked on Gillane Sands."
" Alan," I cried, " if you're at all right, there'll be
folk there and to spare. It'll be small service to
crack heads."
" It would aye be a satisfaction though," says
Alan. " But bide a bit, bide a bit ; I'm thinking—
and thanks to this bonny westland wind, I beheve
I've still a chance of it. It's this way, Davie. I'm
no trysted with this man Scougal till the gloaming
comes. But, says he, if I can get a bit of a
witid out of the tvest I'll be there long or that, he
says, and lie-to for ye behind the Isle of Fidra.
Now if your gentry kens the place, they ken the
time forbye. Do ye see me coming, Davie ?
Thanks to Johnnie Cope and other red-coat go-
merals, I should ken this country like the back
of my hand; and if ye're ready for another bit
run with Alan Breck, we'll can cast back inshore,
and come down to the seaside again by Dirleton.
If the ship's there, we'll try and get on board of
her. If she's no there, I'll just have to get back
to my weary haystack. But either way of it, I
think we will leave your gentry whistling on their
thumbs."
"I believe there's some chance in it," said I.
" Have on with ye, Alan ! "
■ CHAPTER XIII.
GILLANE SANDS.
I DID not profit by Alan's pilotage as he had done
by his marchings under General Cope ; for I can
scarce tell you what way we went. It is my excuse
that we travelled exceeding fast. Some part we
ran, some trotted, and the rest walked at a venge-
ance of a pace. Twice, while we were at top speed,
we ran against country-folk ; but though we plumped
into the first from round a corner, Alan was as
ready as a loaded musket.
" Hae ye seen my horse?" he gasped.
"No, man, I haenae seen nae horse the day,"
replied the countryman.
And Alan spared the time to explain to him that
we were travelling " ride and tie " ; that our charger
had escaped, and it was feared he had gone home
to Linton. Not only that, but he expended some
breath (of which he had not very much left) to
curse his own misfortune and my stupidity, which
was said to be its cause.
"Them that cannae tell the truth," he observed
to myself as we went on again, " should be aye
mindfu' to leave an honest, handy lee behind them.
If folk dinnae ken what ye're doing, Davie, they're
terrible taken up with it ; but if they think they
ken, they care nae mair for it than what I do for
pease porridge."
As we had first made inland, so our road came
in the end to lie very near due north ; the old Kirk
of Aberlady for a landmark on the left ; on the
right, the top of the Berwick Law ; and it was thus
we struck the shore again, not far from Dirleton.
From North Berwick west to Gillane Ness there
runs a string of four small islets, Cringlieth, the
Lamb, Fidra, and Eyrebrough, notable by their
diversity of size and shape. Fidra is the most
particular, being a strange grey islet of two humps,
made the more conspicuous by a piece of ruin ;
and I mind that (as we drew closer to it) by some
door or window of these ruins the sea peeped
through like a man's eye. Under the lee of Fidra
there is a good anchorage in westerly winds, and
there, from a far way off, we could see the Thistle
riding.
The shore in face of these islets is altogether
waste. Here is no dwelling of men, and scarce
any passage, or at most, of some vagabond children
running at their play. Gillane is a small place on
the far side of the Ness, the folk of Dirleton go to
their business in the inland fields, and those of
North Berwick straight to the sea-fishing from their
haven ; so that few parts of the coast are lonelier.
But I mind, as we crawled upon all fours into
that multiplicity of heights and hollows, keeping a
bright eye upon all sides, and our hearts hammer-
ing at our ribs, there was such a shining of the sun
and the sea, such a stir of the wind in the bent-
grass, and such a bustle of down-popping rabbits
and up-flying gulls, that the desert seemed to me
like a place alive. No doubt it was in all ways