CHAPTER XLV.
THE OUTFACING OF CLAVERS.
It was indeed a wonderful sight and made our hearts beat high only tolook at it. Upon the Session Stone twelve men stood with heads bared tothe fierce heat of the sun. All of them were grey-headed men, saving twoonly, a lad of a pale and girlish face with dark sweet eyes, andtowering above him, the flecked raven locks of Sir Robert Hamilton.These twelve were the commissioners of districts, all ordained elders.At one side was a little table brought from the house of the Shalloch,and a man sat at it busily writing. By a curious sword cut across hischeek, I knew him for Michael Shields, presently the clerk, andafterwards the historian of the United Societies.
Behind upon the hillside was drawn up a guard of two hundred horse. Andthe tossing bits and jingling accoutrements made a pleasant sound to methat loved such things, which were mostly the portion of our enemies.The wide amphitheatre opposite to the Session Stone was occupied chieflyby the women and older men, who, as I have said, sat upon plaids spreadupon the bank. Behind these again, and extending far up the gentlysloping side of the Shalloch Hill, was a noble sight, that made me gaspfor gladness. Company behind company were ranked the men whom RobertHamilton had called the Seven Thousand. There were officers on theirflanks, on whose drawn swords the sun glittered; and though there was nouniformity of dress, there was in every bonnet the blue favour of theCovenant. Their formation was so steady and their numbers so large thatthe whole hillside seemed covered with their regiments. Looking backover the years, I think we might have risked a Dunkeld before the timewith such an ordered host.
I heard one speaking in the French language at my elbow and looked aboutme. Whereupon I spied two men who had been walking to and fro among thecompanies.
"But all this will do little good for a time," said one of the speakers."We must keep them out of the field till we are ready. They need one todraw them into the bond of obedience. They are able to fight singly, buttogether they cannot fight."
"No matter," said the other, "they will stand us in good stead one daywhen the Prince sails over. The Seven Thousand shall be our mainstay inthat day, not in Scotland only, but in Britain."
By this I guessed that these two were officers of the Prince of Orangesent over to see if the times were yet ripe.
Meanwhile the meeting proceeded to its end amid the voice of prayer andthe solemn throb of psalmody. It was a great and gracious thing to hearthe swell of praise that went up from that hillside, from the men whohad worshipped only in the way of silence and in private, because theydared no other, for many weary months.
It was about the third hour of the afternoon, and we had not begun towax weary, when, away on the hillside, we heard the sound of cheering.We looked about us to see what might be the cause. There came one ridingslowly down upon a much tired horse between the ranks of thecompanies--a great tall man in a foreign coat and hat, whom at the firstglint my mother knew for Sandy my brother.
As he came nearer the roar of greeting swelled and lifted. I declare Iwas proud of him. Even Robert Hamilton had gotten no such greeting. Ihad not thought that our Sandy was so well-kenned a man. And I forgavehim for flouting me.
"Mother," I said, "that is our Sandy they are cheering!"
"Think ye I kenned not that! Whaur has he come frae?" she said. "Iwonder if Jean Hamilton kens."
It was like my mother to think first of others; but in a little shesaid,
"I trust I am not overproud, that my bairn is so honoured."
And indeed it made us all proud that Sandy was thus greatly thought of.So in a little he also took his place on the Session Stone, and madeanother young head among the grey beards. Soon he was called upon tospeak, and in his sounding voice he began to tell of his message fromthe kirks of Holland, and to commend patience and faithfulness. They saythat every man that stood to arms among the Seven Thousand heard himthat day. Aye, and that even the watchers upon the tops caught manyblessed words and expressions, which the light winds blew them in wafts.Saving Richard Cameron's alone, there was no such voice as Sandy's heardin Scotland during all his time.
Then Robert Hamilton rose and spoke, counselling that since there wereso many present, they should once more and immediately fall to arms.
But one of the most venerable men there present, rose.
"Robin, ye are but one of the Council of Twelve, and ye know that ourdecision is to wait the man and the hour. It beseems you, then, eitherto speak within the order of the Society or to be silent."
Last of all the young man rose, he of the pale countenance and theclustering hair.
"It is young Mr. James Renwick, who is going abroad to study and beordained at Groningen in the Low Countries," said one near to me. Andindeed he was mightily changed so that I had scarce known him.
The lad's voice was sweet and thrilling, persuasive beyond belief. Inespecial, coming after the mighty roaring of the Bull of Earlstoun (sothey called Sandy) and the rasping shriek of Robin Hamilton, it had agreat effect upon me. There came a sough from the people as his wordsran over them, like a soothing and fanning wind blowing winningly amongthe trees of the wood.
So the day passed and the gladness of the people increased, till some ofus felt that it was like the golden gates of heaven just to be there.For the passion of a multitude of folk with one heart's desire,thrilling to the one word and the one hope, had taken hold on us. Thelike was never seen upon the wild mountains of the south.
Then, as though to recall us to earth, from the green meads of theMinnoch side there came one running to pass the word that the enemy wasin sight. Two companies of Strachan's Dragoons, with all Claverhouse'slevies, were riding from Straiton as fast as their horses could carrythem. Whereat, without haste and with due solemnity, the great anddesirable General Meeting of the United Societies held on the wilds ofShalloch-on-Minnoch was brought to an end.
The women and aged men were placed behind the companies, and such ascould reach home without passing the troopers' line of march were setupon their way. But when once we found ourselves without the lines ofthe companies, which stretched across from the black downthrow of rocksupon Craigfacie to the Rig of the Shalloch Hill, my mother would go nofarther.
"Na," she said, "gang your ways back doon. This is the place for Kateand for an auld wife like me. But it shall never be said that WilliamGordon's wife grudged both her sons to the work of the Lord!"
So Wat and I went our ways down to where Sandy stood as chosen leader ofthe army of the Seven Thousand. He paid, indeed, but little attention tous, giving us no more than a nod, yet instantly setting us upon errandsfor him.
"Will ye fight?" said I, when I got a quiet moment of him.
"Alas!" he said, "there is no such good luck. Had I not the directmessage of the Prince to abide and wait, I would even now strike a blow.As it is, we must just stand to our arms. I would to God it wereotherwise!"
The companies of mounted soldiers rapidly approached, to the number ofperhaps three hundred. But I think they were daunted, when from a knollbelow the house of the Shalloch they first saw our great and imposingarmy. They say there were over two thousand under arms that day.
"The Seven Thousand will surely stay John Graham this day," said one atmy elbow.
But Claverhouse was not a man easily feared.
Leaving his men, he rode forward alone, having but a trumpeter somewaybehind him. He held a white hand-kerchief in his hand, and waved it ashe rode towards us upon his war-horse. I saw the trumpeter lad lookabout him more than once, as if he wished himself well out of it. ButColonel Graham rode straight at the centre of our array as if it hadbeen his own. Sandy went out to meet him.
"Will ye surrender and lay down your arms to the King's troops?" criedClavers as he came near. Since then I have never denied the man courage,for all his cruelty.
There came a gust of laughter from the nearer companies of our arraywhen they heard his words. But Sandy checked the noise with his hand.
"Surrender!" he said. "It is you, John Graham, th
at may talk ofsurrender this day. We are no rebels. We but stand to our arms indefence of our covenant rights."
"Keep that Whig garbage for the prayer-meeting, Earlstoun!" saidClaverhouse. "I at least know you too well, Sandy Gordon. Do you mindthe long wood of Dairsie by the Eden Water?"
What he meant I cannot tell, but I think his words daunted Sandy for amoment. For in his old unsanctified days they had been fast comrades,being of an age, and student lads together at Saint Andrews, where bothwere equally keen of the play upon the green; though ever since Sandymarried Jean Hamilton he had turned him to new courses.
So having obtained no satisfaction, Claverhouse rode slowly back to theDragoons. Then without a word, save the shout of command, he led themforward over the moor toward us.
"Sain my soul and body," said Wat, "is the Heather Cat going to chargean army in position?" And indeed, it looked like it.
But as he came toward us, from the front rank where Sandy stood with abroadsword bare in his hand, and his horse brisk as though it had justbeen led from its stall, came my brother's voice.
"If ye set a horse's hoof over that burn, ye shall receive our fire.Men, make ready!"
Right up to the burn bank rode Clavers and his troop, and there halted.For a long minute he looked at us very contemptuously. Then he snappedhis fingers at us.
"That for ye!" he cried. "Ye stand the day. Ye shall be scattered themorn. I ken ye brawly. Among a' your testimonies there is not one whichany three of ye could read over and not fall out about. This day ye areon the brae-face. The morn ye'll be at the dyke back, with an ounce ortwo of his Majesty's excellent lead in ye. God save the King!"
And with that he waved his hand, cried to his men, and rode off like thesteeve and dour persecutor that he was.
In the late evening we took my mother and Kate back again over the hill.My mother was very weary--so weary that at the house of Tonskeen we lefther with the decent man and wife that abode there, with Kate to bear hercompany. She was not used to the life on the hills, and so for that timecould flee no further. It was just grey day when we took the short waydown the face of the gairy, that lifts its brow over the desolate moorof Macaterick. Being unencumbered with women folk, Wat and I now camedown the nearest way, that which leads by the strange rocky hollow,steep on every side, which is named the Maiden's Bed. So, fleet of foot,we fled westwards.
As we looked, the sun began to rise over the Range of Kells and the tideof light flowed in upon us, gladdening our hearts. Wat was not so briskas I, for he had left Kate behind; and though young men in times ofdanger have perforce to think of their skins first and of their maidsafter, yet it makes not the foot move so light when it must step outaway from the beloved.
But all the same, it was a bright morning when we clambered down thesteep side of the hill that looks toward Macaterick. The feathery faceof the rock above the levels of Macaterick, and the burn that flows fromit by links and shallows into Loch Doon, glanced bright with the morningsun upon them. And there at last was the cave-mouth hidden under theboskage of the leaves.
I ran on before Wat, outstripping him, albeit that for ordinary he wasmore supple than I--so great was my desire to see Maisie Lennox, andassure myself that all had gone well with her father. I had not athought but that she would be sitting safely within, with the cavegarnished with fresh leaves like a bower, and her father watching her ather knitting through his bushy eyebrows.
Smiling, I lifted the curtain of birch leaves. Great God of Heaven! Thecave was wholly empty, as I slid down into it. Maisie and her father hadvanished!
I stood as one desperately amazed. There was no life or thought or soulleft in me. I stood as one stands at the threshold of his home, beforewhom a gulf suddenly yawns fathomless.