The Black Dwarf

Chapter 9

"It was Grace's hand and arm," he said; "I can swear to it amang a

thousand. There is not the like of it on this side of the Lowdens--We'll

have her out, lads, if we should carry off the Tower of Westburnflat

stane by stane."

Earnscliff, though he doubted the possibility of recognising a fair

maiden's hand at such a distance from the eye of the lover, would say

nothing to damp his friend's animated hopes, and it was resolved to

summon the garrison.

The shouts of the party, and the winding of one or two horns, at length

brought to a loophole, which flanked the entrance, the haggard face of

an old woman.

"That's the Reiver's mother," said one of the Elliots; "she's ten times

waur than himsell, and is wyted for muckle of the ill he does about the

country."

"Wha are ye? what d'ye want here?" were the queries of the respectable

progenitor.

"We are seeking William Graeme of Westburnflat," said Earnscliff.

"He's no at hame," returned the old dame.

"When did he leave home?" pursued Earnscliff.

"I canna tell," said the portress.

"When will he return?" said Hobbie Elliot.

"I dinna ken naething about it," replied the inexorable guardian of the

keep.

"Is there anybody within the tower with you?" again demanded Earnscliff.

"Naebody but mysell and baudrons," said the old woman.

"Then open the gate and admit us," said Earnscliff; "I am a justice of

peace, and in search of the evidence of a felony."

"Deil be in their fingers that draws a bolt for ye," retorted the

portress; "for mine shall never do it. Thinkna ye shame o' yoursells,

to come here siccan a band o' ye, wi' your swords, and spears, and

steel-caps, to frighten a lone widow woman?"

"Our information," said Earnscliff; "is positive; we are seeking goods

which have been forcibly carried off, to a great amount."

"And a young woman, that's been cruelly made prisoner, that's worth mair

than a' the gear, twice told," said Hobbie.

"And I warn you." continued Earnscliff, "that your only way to prove

your son's innocence is to give us quiet admittance to search the

house."

"And what will ye do, if I carena to thraw the keys, or draw the bolts,

or open the grate to sic a clamjamfrie?" said the old dame, scoffingly.

"Force our way with the king's keys, and break the neck of every living

soul we find in the house, if ye dinna gie it ower forthwith!" menaced

the incensed Hobbie.

"Threatened folks live lang," said the hag, in the same tone of irony;

"there's the iron grate--try your skeel on't, lads--it has kept out as

gude men as you or now."

So saying, she laughed, and withdrew from the aperture through which she

had held the parley.

The besiegers now opened a serious consultation. The immense thickness

of the walls, and the small size of the windows, might, for a time, have

even resisted cannon-shot. The entrance was secured, first, by a strong

grated door, composed entirely of hammered iron, of such ponderous

strength as seemed calculated to resist any force that could be brought

against it. "Pinches or forehammers will never pick upon't," said

Hugh, the blacksmith of Ringleburn; "ye might as weel batter at it wi'

pipe-staples."

Within the doorway, and at the distance of nine feet, which was the

solid thickness of the wall, there was a second door of oak, crossed,

both breadth and lengthways, with clenched bars of iron, and studded

full of broad-headed nails. Besides all these defences, they were by no

means confident in the truth of the old dame's assertion, that she

alone composed the garrison. The more knowing of the party had observed

hoof-marks in the track by which they approached the tower, which

seemed to indicate that several persons had very lately passed in that

direction.

To all these difficulties was added their want of means for attacking

the place. There was no hope of procuring ladders long enough to reach

the battlements, and the windows, besides being very narrow, were

secured with iron bars. Scaling was therefore out of the question;

mining was still more so, for want of tools and gunpowder; neither

were the besiegers provided with food, means of shelter, or other

conveniences, which might have enabled them to convert the siege into a

blockade; and there would, at any rate, have been a risk of relief from

some of the marauder's comrades. Hobbie grinded and gnashed his teeth,

as, walking round the fastness, he could devise no means of making a

forcible entry. At length he suddenly exclaimed, "And what for no do as

our fathers did lang syne?--Put hand to the wark, lads. Let us cut up

bushes and briers, pile them before the door and set fire to them, and

smoke that auld devil's dam as if she were to be reested for bacon."

All immediately closed with this proposal, and some went to work with

swords and knives to cut down the alder and hawthorn bushes which grew

by the side of the sluggish stream, many of which were sufficiently

decayed and dried for their purpose, while others began to collect

them in a large stack, properly disposed for burning, as close to the

iron-grate as they could be piled. Fire was speedily obtained from

one of their guns, and Hobbie was already advancing to the pile with a

kindled brand, when the surly face of the robber, and the muzzle of

a musquetoon, were partially shown at a shot-hole which flanked the

entrance. "Mony thanks to ye," he said, scoffingly, "for collecting sae

muckle winter eilding for us; but if ye step a foot nearer it wi' that

lunt, it's be the dearest step ye ever made in your days."

"We'll sune see that," said Hobbie, advancing fearlessly with the torch.

The marauder snapped his piece at him, which, fortunately for our honest

friend, did not go off; while Earnscliff, firing at the same moment

at the narrow aperture and slight mark afforded by the robber's face,

grazed the side of his head with a bullet. He had apparently calculated

upon his post affording him more security, for he no sooner felt

the wound, though a very slight one, than he requested a parley,

and demanded to know what they meant by attacking in this fashion a

peaceable and honest man, and shedding his blood in that lawless manner?

"We want your prisoner," said Earnscliff, "to be delivered up to us in

safety."

"And what concern have you with her?" replied the marauder.

"That," retorted Earnscliff, "you, who are detaining her by force, have

no right to enquire."

"Aweel, I think I can gie a guess," said the robber. "Weel, sirs, I am

laith to enter into deadly feud with you by spilling ony of your bluid,

though Earnscliff hasna stopped to shed mine--and he can hit a mark to a

groat's breadth--so, to prevent mair skaith, I am willing to deliver up

the prisoner, since nae less will please you."

"And Hobbie's gear?" cried Simon of Hackburn. "D'ye think you're to be

free to plunder the faulds and byres of a gentle Elliot, as if they were

an auld wife's hens'-cavey?"

"As I live by bread," replied Willie of Westburnflat "As I live by

bread, I have not a single cloot o' them! They're a' ower the march lang

syne; there's no a horn o' them about the tower. But I'll see what o'

them can be gotten back, and I'll take this day twa days to meet Hobbie

at the Castleton wi' twa friends on ilka side, and see to make an

agreement about a' the wrang he can wyte me wi'."

"Ay, ay," said Elliot, "that will do weel eneugh."--And then aside to

his kinsman, "Murrain on the gear! Lordsake, man! say nought about them.

Let us but get puir Grace out o' that auld hellicat's clutches."

"Will ye gie me your word, Earnscliff," said the marauder, who still

lingered at the shot-hole, "your faith and troth, with hand and glove,

that I am free to come and free to gae, with five minutes to open the

grate, and five minutes to steek it and to draw the bolts? less winna

do, for they want creishing sairly. Will ye do this?"

"You shall have full time," said Earnscliff; "I plight my faith and

troth, my hand and my glove."

"Wait there a moment, then," said Westburnflat; "or hear ye, I wad

rather ye wad fa' back a pistol-shot from the door. It's no that I

mistrust your word, Earnscliff; but it's best to be sure."

O, friend, thought Hobbie to himself, as he drew back, an I had you but

on Turner's-holm, [There is a level meadow, on the very margin of the

two kingdoms, called Turner's-holm, just where the brook called Crissop

joins the Liddel. It is said to have derived its name as being a place

frequently assigned for tourneys, during the ancient Border times.] and

naebody by but twa honest lads to see fair play, I wad make ye wish ye

had broken your leg ere ye had touched beast or body that belanged to

me!

"He has a white feather in his wing this same Westburnflat, after

a'," said Simon of Hackburn, somewhat scandalized by his ready

surrender.--"He'll ne'er fill his father's boots."

In the meanwhile, the inner door of the tower was opened, and the mother

of the freebooter appeared in the space betwixt that and the outer

grate. Willie himself was next seen, leading forth a female, and the old

woman, carefully bolting the grate behind them, remained on the post as

a sort of sentinel.

"Ony ane or twa o' ye come forward," said the outlaw, "and take her frae

my hand haill and sound."

Hobbie advanced eagerly, to meet his betrothed bride. Earnscliff

followed more slowly, to guard against treachery. Suddenly Hobbie

slackened his pace in the deepest mortification, while that of

Earnscliff was hastened by impatient surprise. It was not Grace

Armstrong, but Miss Isabella Vere, whose liberation had been effected by

their appearance before the tower.

"Where is Grace? where is Grace Armstrong?" exclaimed Hobbie, in the

extremity of wrath and indignation.

"Not in my hands," answered Westburnflat; "ye may search the tower, if

ye misdoubt me."

"You false villain, you shall account for her, or die on the spot," said

Elliot, presenting his gun.

But his companions, who now came up, instantly disarmed him of his

weapon, exclaiming, all at once, "Hand and glove! faith and troth! Haud

a care, Hobbie we maun keep our faith wi' Westburnflat, were he the

greatest rogue ever rode."

Thus protected, the outlaw recovered his audacity, which had been

somewhat daunted by the menacing gesture of Elliot.

"I have kept my word, sirs," he said, "and I look to have nae wrang

amang ye. If this is no the prisoner ye sought," he said, addressing

Earnscliff, "ye'll render her back to me again. I am answerable for her

to those that aught her."

"For God's sake, Mr. Earnscliff, protect me!" said Miss Vere, clinging

to her deliverer; "do not you abandon one whom the whole world seems to

have abandoned."

"Fear nothing," whispered Earnscliff, "I will protect you with my life."

Then turning to Westburnflat, "Villain!" he said, "how dared you to

insult this lady?"

"For that matter, Earnscliff," answered the freebooter, "I can answer to

them that has better right to ask me than you have; but if you come with

an armed force, and take her awa' from them that her friends lodged her

wi', how will you answer THAT--But it's your ain affair--Nae single man

can keep a tower against twenty--A' the men o' the Mearns downa do mair

than they dow."

"He lies most falsely," said Isabella; "he carried me off by violence

from my father."

"Maybe he only wanted ye to think sae, hinny," replied the robber; "but

it's nae business o' mine, let it be as it may.--So ye winna resign her

back to me?"

"Back to you, fellow? Surely no," answered Earnscliff; "I will

protect Miss Vere, and escort her safely wherever she is pleased to be

conveyed."

"Ay, ay, maybe you and her hae settled that already," said Willie of

Westburnflat.

"And Grace?" interrupted Hobbie, shaking himself loose from the friends

who had been preaching to him the sanctity of the safe-conduct, upon

the faith of which the freebooter had ventured from his tower,--"Where's

Grace?" and he rushed on the marauder, sword in hand.

Westburnflat, thus pressed, after calling out, "Godsake, Hobbie, hear

me a gliff!" fairly turned his back and fled. His mother stood ready

to open and shut the grate; but Hobbie struck at the freebooter as he

entered with so much force, that the sword made a considerable cleft in

the lintel of the vaulted door, which is still shown as a memorial of

the superior strength of those who lived in the days of yore. Ere

Hobbie could repeat the blow, the door was shut and secured, and he was

compelled to retreat to his companions, who were now preparing to break

up the siege of Westburnflat. They insisted upon his accompanying them

in their return.

"Ye hae broken truce already," said old d**k of the Dingle; "an we

takena the better care, ye'll play mair gowk's tricks, and make yoursell

the laughing-stock of the haill country, besides having your friends

charged with slaughter under trust. Bide till the meeting at Castleton,

as ye hae greed; and if he disna make ye amends, then we'll hae it out

o' his heart's blood. But let us gang reasonably to wark and keep our

tryst, and I'se warrant we get back Grace, and the kye an' a'."

This cold-blooded reasoning went ill down with the unfortunate lover;

but, as he could only obtain the assistance of his neighbours and

kinsmen on their own terms, he was compelled to acquiesce in their

notions of good faith and regular procedure.

Earnscliff now requested the assistance of a few of the party to

convey Miss Vere to her father's castle of Ellieslaw, to which she was

peremptory in desiring to be conducted. This was readily granted; and

five or six young men agreed to attend him as an escort. Hobbie was not

of the number. Almost heart-broken by the events of the day, and his

final disappointment, he returned moodily home to take such measures as

he could for the sustenance and protection of his family, and to arrange

with his neighbours the farther steps which should be adopted for

the recovery of Grace Armstrong. The rest of the party dispersed in

different directions, as soon as they had crossed the morass. The

outlaw and his mother watched them from the tower, until they entirely

disappeared.