rebels?"
"There's nae rebels here, gentlemen," said Mrs. Black. "Ye're welcometo seek."
"They maun hae gaen up the next stair," said Quentin, turning to theofficer.
"And pray, who are you, that ye seem so anxious to catch the rebels?"
"Wha am I?" repeated Quentin with glaring eyes, and a sort of graspingof his strong fingers that suggested the idea of tearing some one topieces. "Div 'ee no see that I'm a shepherd? The sufferin's than I haegaen through an' endured on accoont o' thae rebels is past--But c'way,sirs, they'll escape us if we stand haverin' here."
So saying the bold man dashed down the stair and into the next house,followed by the town-guards, who did not know him. The prisoners'guards were fortunately searching in another direction. A strict searchwas made in the next house, at which Quentin assisted. When they wereyet in the thick of it he went quietly down-stairs and walked away fromthe scene, as he expressed it, "hotchin'"--by which he meant chuckling.
But poor Andrew Black and Will Wallace were not so fortunate. A searchwhich was made in the outer churchyard resulted in their beingdiscovered among the tombs, and they were forthwith conducted to theTolbooth prison.
When Ramblin' Peter, after many narrow escapes, reached the farm inDumfries in a half-famished state, he sat down among the desolate ruinsand howled with grief. Having thus relieved his feelings, he dried hiseyes and proceeded in his usual sedate manner to examine things indetail. He soon found that his master had been wrong in supposing thatthe hidy-hole had been discovered or destroyed. As he approached theouter end of the tunnel a head suddenly appeared above ground, and assuddenly vanished.
"Hallo!" exclaimed Peter in surprise.
"Hallo!" echoed the head, and reappeared blazing with astonishment. "Isthat you, Peter?"
"Ay, McCubine, that's me. I thought ye was a' deid. Hae ye onyparritch i' the hole? I'm awfu' hungry."
"C'way in, lad: we've plenty to eat here, an guid company as weel--theLord be thankit."
The man led the way--familiar enough to Peter; and in the hidy-hole hefound several persons, some of whom, from their costume, were evidentlyministers. They paid little attention to the boy at first, beingengaged in earnest conversation.
"No, no, Mr. Cargill," said one. "I cannot agree with you in the sternline of demarcation which you would draw between us. We are all theservants of the most high God, fighting for, suffering for, the truth asit is in Jesus. It is true that rather than bow to usurped power Ichose to cast in my lot with the ejected; but having done that, andsuffered the loss of all things temporal, I do not feel called on topronounce such absolute condemnation on my brethren who have acceptedthe Indulgence. I know that many of them are as earnest followers ofChrist as ourselves--it may be more so--but they think it right to bowbefore the storm rather than risk civil war; to accept what oftoleration they can get, while they hope and pray for more."
"In that case, Mr. Welsh," replied Cargill, "what comes of theirtestimony for the truth? Is not Christ King in his own household?Charles is king in the civil State. The oath which he requires of everyminister who accepts the Indulgence distinctly recognises him--theking--as lord of the conscience, ruler of the spiritual kingdom of thisland. To take such an oath is equivalent to acknowledging the justiceof his pretensions."
"They do not see it in that light," returned Mr. Welsh. "I agree withyour views, and think our Indulged brethren in the wrong; but I counselforbearance, and cannot agree with the idea that it is our duty torefuse all connection with them, and treat them as if they belonged tothe ranks of the malignants. See what such opinions have cost usalready in the overwhelming disaster at Bothwell Brig."
"Overwhelming disaster counts for nothing in such a cause as this,"rejoined Cargill gravely. "The truth has been committed to us, and weare bound to be valiant for the truth--even to death. Is it not so, Mr.Cameron?"
The young man to whom the old Covenanter turned was one of the mostnoted among the men who fought and died for the Covenant. An earnestgodly young minister, he had just returned from Holland with theintention of taking up the standard which had been almost dropped inconsequence of the hotter persecutions which immediately followed thebattle of Bothwell Bridge.
"Of course you know that I agree with you, Mr. Cargill. When youlicensed me to preach the blessed Gospel, Mr. Welsh, you encouraged meto independent thought. Under the guidance, I believe, of the HolySpirit, I have been led to see the sinfulness of the Indulgence, and Iam constrained to preach against it. Truly my chief concern is for thesalvation of souls--the bringing of men and women and children to theSaviour; but after that, or rather along with that, to my mind, comesthe condemnation of sin, whether public or private. Consider what theIndulgence and persecution together have done now. Have they notwell-nigh stopped the field-preaching altogether, so that, with theexception of yourselves and Mr. Thomas Douglas and a few others, thereis no one left to testify? Part of my mission has been to go roundamong the ministers on this very point, but my efforts have been in vainas far as I have yet gone. It has been prophesied," continued Cameronwith a sad smile, "that I shall yet lose my head in this cause. Thatmay well be, for there is that in my soul which will not let me standstill while my Master is dishonoured and sin is triumphant. As to theKing, he may, so far as I know, be truly descended from the race of ourkings, but he has so grievously departed from his duty to the people--bywhose authority alone magistrates exist--and has so perjured himself,usurped authority in Church matters, and tyrannised in matters civil,that the people of Scotland do no longer owe him allegiance; andalthough I stand up for governments and governors, such as God's Wordand our covenants allow, I will surely--with all who choose to join me--disown Charles Stuart as a tyrant and a usurper."
The discussion had continued so long that the ministers, as if by mutualconsent, dropped it after this point, and turned to Ramblin' Peter, whowas appeasing his hunger with a huge "luggie o' parritch." But the poorboy had no heart to finish his meal on learning that Marion Clark andIsabel Scott--of whom he was very fond--had been captured by thesoldiers and sent to Edinburgh. Indeed nothing would satisfy him butthat he should return to the metropolis without delay and carry the badnews to his master.
That same night, when darkness rendered it safe, Cargill, Cameron,Welsh, and Douglas, with some of their followers, left Black's place ofconcealment, and went off in different directions to risk, for a briefspace, the shelter of a friendly cottage, where the neighbours wouldassemble to hear the outlawed ministers while one of them kept watch, orto fulfil their several engagements for the holding of conventiclesamong the secret places of the hills.
CHAPTER TEN.
FIERCER AND FIERCER.
After his escape, Quentin Dick, hearing of the recapture of hiscomrades, and knowing that he could not in any way help them, resolvedto go back to Dumfries to make inquiries about the servant lassiesMarion and Isabel, being ignorant of the fact that Ramblin' Peter hadbeen sent on the same errand before him.
Now, although the one was travelling to, and the other from, Edinburgh,they might easily have missed each other, as they travelled chiefly atnight in order to escape observation. But, hearing on the way that themuch-loved minister, Mr. Welsh, was to preach in a certain locality,they both turned aside to hear him, and thus came together.
A price of 500 pounds sterling had been set on the head of Mr. Welsh,and for twenty years he had been pursued by his foes, yet for that longperiod he succeeded in eluding his pursuers--even though the resoluteand vindictive Claverhouse was among them,--and in continuing his workof preaching to the people. Though a meek and humble man, Welsh wascool, courageous, and self-possessed, with, apparently, a dash of humourin him--as was evidenced by his preaching on one occasion in the middleof the frozen Tweed, so that either he "might shun giving offence toboth nations, or that two kingdoms might dispute his crime!"
The evening before the meeting at which Quentin and Peter unwittinglyapproached each other, Mr. Welsh found himse
lf at a loss where to spendthe night, for the bloodhounds were already on his track. He boldlycalled at the house of a gentleman who was personally unknown to him,but who was known to be hostile to field-preachers in general, and tohimself in particular. As a stranger Mr. Welsh was kindly received.Probably in such dangerous times it was considered impolite to makeinquiry as to names. At all events the record says that he remainedunknown. In course of conversation his host referred to Welsh and thedifficulty of getting hold of him.
"I am sent," said Welsh, "to _apprehend rebels_. I know where Mr. Welshis to preach to-morrow, and will give you the rebel by the hand."
Overjoyed at this news the gentleman agreed to accompany him