Strathclyde

“ The valley at our feet, the limits of which I have attempted to mark off, is Strathearn—a right noble expanse of fertile soil, richly wooded, abundantly watered, dotted over with villages and guardian Parish Churches, like that of Muthill; bright with Castles that have left their names in history, and with mansion-houses of hardly less fame, that gleam from among their ancestral trees—a Strath that may be fitly characterised as the Scottish Esdraelon, in which many things have happened, and many men have been well worthy of being held in remembrance. ”

“ Whom do you assert stole the Widow Canby's money?"
"A tramp."
"Humph! A likely story."
"It's true. His name was John Stumpy."
"John Stumpy!"
As Mr. Aaron Woodwind uttered the name, all the color forsook his face.
"Yes, sir. And he claimed to know you," I went on, my curiosity amused over the merchant's show of feeling.
"It's a falsehood! I never heard of such a man," cried Mr. Woodward, but his face belied his words.
"Well, what is your charge against Strong?" asked Judge Penfold, impatiently, probably tired of being so utterly ignored in the discussion. ”

“ As he crept closer Joe could hear his sister begging piteously of the Indian to let her go back to Mrs. Parsons.
“Please, please, let me go back!” cried Harmony. “Oh, have you no heart?”
“White maiden be quiet,” growled Long Knife. “Can talk much after she is in Long Knife’s wigwam.”
“I do not want to go to your wigwam,” moaned the girl. “I want to go back to the lady I was with.”
“Bah! the old Quaker woman does not count,” was Long Knife’s comment. “She is not as good as the squaw that shall take care of the white maiden.” ”

“ It was four o’clock when Dave gave a sudden wild whoop. He had caught sight of a stockade through the branches of the low-hanging trees. “There is the post, Sam!” he cried, and made off at the top of his horse’s speed.
Dave’s cry was answered by a hunter standing close to the stockade. This was the fellow called Putty, a tall, lean specimen of the backwoodsman. As soon as he caught sight of the young rider, he, too, set up a shout. The shout was answered by somebody within the post, and a man hurried forth, bareheaded and coatless.
“Father!” shouted Dave, and rode up to his parent. ”

“ It was some time ere I could recover and call out to the cabin boy:
"What is it, Phil? Where are you?"
"Here I am," he cried, close beside me; and an instant later his hand touched my body.
"What happened?" I repeated.
"I don't know," he replied. "Either something struck the boat, or else we hit a rock."
"I don't think we are near enough to shore to strike a rock," I rejoined.
"Well, what was it then?"
"I don't know, and what's more I'm not going to try to find out just at present. Where is the raft?"
"I guess the Hasty has gone to the bottom. I can't see her anywhere around." ”

“ The pursued man, repenting of his rashness, and fearing the worst, as well he might, made straight for Knowe Park wall.
Bell had heard the laughter when milking Daisy; [146] Mr. and Mrs. Barrie had heard it when taking an evening stroll in the garden, and all three were standing at the wall wondering what could cause it, as the laughter was unusually boisterous. They saw the chase begin. The flying man observed Mr. Barrie, and made toward him as to a city of refuge. When Mr. Barrie saw Dan rushing on, so dangerously armed and so furious, he cried loudly, “Stop, Corbett! stop! I command you.” ”

“ But the ram paid no attention, and now turned to the very end of the orchard. Here the ground was rough, and in a twinkling all three of the boys went down in a hollow and rolled over and over, while the ram, finding himself free, plunged on, and was hidden from view in the darkness.
"He got away!" gasped Phil, scrambling up. "We must—Hark!"
He stopped short, and all of the boys listened. From a distance came the deep baying of the mastiff. The sounds drew closer rapidly.
"A dog—and he is after us!" cried Dave. "Fellows, we have got to get out of this!"
"If we can!" replied Sam Day. ”

“ Ye’ll see that we’re putting a better house on the Knowe Park? It’s a nice stance. The old cottage was done, so we’re putting up a good plain house; but the plasterers have dilly-dallied; they’re a provoking set.”
We were now in the garden. Bell’s first remark was, “This is no’ like you, Mr. Martin; but, however, I want to ask ye a secret” (so Bell put it) . “Can you tell me if Mr. Barrie’s gotten a call, or if he’s likely to get a call, to ony other kirk?” ”

“ Letters from home are always welcome, and doubly so when one has been out of reach of the mail for a long time. As Professor Strong held up nearly a dozen written communications, the lads fairly pounced upon them, and for the time being the newspapers were forgotten.
“Here’s one for Mark and two for Frank,” cried Darry. “Where is mine?”
“Here you are,” said Frank, holding out three. “And here is one for you, Jake.”
“And here’s another for Jake,” added Sam. “And two for myself.”
“No, boys, these two are my own!” laughed Professor Strong, holding them back. ”

“ The boys had hardly time to get the most of the evidence of the feast out of the way when they heard a knock on the door.
"Look out there!" yelled Tom. "Don't open that door if you value your life!"
"What's the matter?" came in George Strong's voice.
"A snake!" answered Dick, and then went on in a whisper: "Quick, boys, get the rest of the stuff out of the way!"
His chums understood, and the remains of the feast were swept under bed covers in a jiffy.
"Did you say there was a snake in there?" demanded the teacher.
"Yes, sir," said Sam. "He's right close to the door now." ”

“ Dave was gazing out on the lake, and now he climbed on the rock to get a better view.
“It’s a canoe,” said Dave slowly. “And unless I am mistaken there are two or three Indians in it.”
“Some of Sir William’s followers most likely. Are they coming this way?”
“They are not paddling at all. They seem to be sleeping.”
“Sleeping? That’s queer.” Henry climbed up beside his cousin and gave an equally searching look. “I don’t believe they are sleeping at all, Dave. Those Indians are either dead or else shamming death.” ”

“ One night, when David was in the kitchen, Mrs. Barrie went “ben” and said, after the usual courtesies had been exchanged: “Mr. Tait, I see that you are going to take Bell away to Blackbrae, reason or none, and I wish you much joy; a wife like Bell’s a prize not to be got every day, and you may consider yourself lucky to have won her. I’ll see about another servant to-morrow, although I never expect to get one as good as Bell. You must never think about waiting till the term. Marriages break all terms ”

“ Mumps led the way down the rocky steps and Josiah Crabtree followed, moving slowly that he might not fall. Creeping to the edge of the cliff, the Rover boys saw the pair reach the Falcon and go on board.
"Now what is in the wind?" said Dick, as soon as the pair were out of hearing.
"That's a conundrum," replied Tom. "I'll wager one thing though—old
Crabtree is up to no good."
"I believe you are right. I wish we could hear the rest of what is going on."
"Can't we get close to the yacht?" suggested Sam. "See, the sky is clouding over. I don't believe they will see us going down the stairs." ”

“ He led the way back to the gully and pointed to a pot of tar and a brush which rested by it.
"It is tar!" cried Crabtree.
"Exactly."
"And you are—ahem—going to give him a coat of that?"
"Yes. Doesn't he deserve it?"
"To be sure he does. I will assist you," answered the former teacher readily, with a malicious gleam in his fishy eyes. "I wish you had all three boys here, to tar them with the same brush."
"One at a time, Crabtree. We'll fix the others some time later." ”

“ Five minutes later the shower stopped short, and the clouds began to scatter.
“The squall is over. They are always short, sharp, and nasty. Let us hoist the mainsail, and continue our chase.”
Easier said than done. Under cover of the squall the Catch Me had slid out of sight.
“Then we’ll make for Rock Island. I am satisfied that that is the place for which Mr. Norton was bound. It is more than likely he has been off to get some provisions.”
“Shouldn’t wonder but what you were right, Rube. Shall we make for the south shore?” ”

“ I hope you consider yourself a very lucky man?”
I made as nice a reply as I could. Mrs. Barrie repeated her husband’s “You must take an egg with us;” and laying the half-darned stocking into her work-basket on the back table, she looked into a cradle that stood in the cosiest corner of the room, and seeing that all was right there, she said, “I must see that the other little folks are happit before I sit down,” and left the room. But before I tell of the evening’s quiet enjoyment in the manse parlour, I will say something about the inmates of the manse itself. ”

“ I am sure those people in Strathgovan spend half their lives in fault-finding; and expect ye to do everything they can think of without asking them for a farthing. At the last meeting of the ratepayers in the Burgh Hall I heckled them, I can tell ye. I am not a good speaker—no, no; far from it; but I can speak plain. I use words that can be driven into people's heads; and I will say this, that some o' those people in Strathgovan have a skull of most extraordinar' thickness. ”

“ Songbird and Stanley and several others rushed to the carriage to greet them.
"Were you wrecked?"
"Did you get a bad tumble?"
"Where did you come down?"
So the questions ran on and the boys had to answer as best they could. Everybody seemed to be glad to learn that they had escaped from the fury of the sudden hailstorm—that is, everybody but Dudd Flockley and his new crony, Andy Yates. [178]
"Just like the Rovers' luck," muttered Flockley, sourly. "They'd escape where everybody else would be smashed up."
"Oh, they'll get a smash, if you give 'em time enough," answered Andy Yates, heartlessly. ”

“ No one was with him when he died; but after his death a will was found leaving the greater part of his property for the benefit of the poor of the parish of Stratton. His effigy may be seen in the church, in the habit of a Crusader, grasping a sword, with his feet resting on the back of a lion. Through his interest Stratton had the charter of its market. His spirit haunts Binamy grounds (avoided after dark by the superstitious) in the form of a hare, which always starts out of the moat and manages to elude the dogs. ”

“ I suppose Professor Strong expects to make us toe the mark everywhere we go, but I don’t intend to stand it. I came for a good time, and if I can’t get it with the rest of the party I’m going to go it on my own hook.”
“To be sure—that’s just what I’d do.” Dan Markel slapped Hockley on the back. “Hang me if you ain’t a young man after my own heart. For two pins I’d go down to Caracas with you, just to show you around.” ”

“ It had an upper and a lower berth on one side, and a tiny washstand and some clothing hooks on the other.
“We’ll all have close quarters,” said Barwell Dawson. “My own room is but two feet larger than this.”
“It’s large enough,” said Andy. He turned to his chum. “We’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug in here, won’t we?”
“Suits me right down to the ground,” returned Chet. “Not much room for clothing, but as we haven’t much, that’s all right.”
Professor Jeffer was to share his stateroom with another man, who had not yet arrived. ”

“ Then up went four partridge with a whirr that would have startled one not accustomed to the sound. Bang! went Chet’s gun, and bang! came the report of Andy’s immediately after. Two of the partridges came fluttering down, while the two others circled around in a helpless, dazed fashion.
“We must get those, too!” cried Chet, and blazed away again, and then Andy took another shot. Down came the game, and the boys glided forward to secure the prizes. ”

“ James now took speech in hand: “My name’s James Barrie, and this is Mary, and this is Lewie. We’re flitting from the manse over yonder;” and he pointed in the same direction as Mary had looked. But Dr. Guthrie, thus suddenly brought into contact with this stern reality of the Disruption, had again to apply to his snuff-box, and was in the act of taking it out of his pocket when Sir John McLelland drove up to the post office and alighted. Dr. Guthrie and he knew one another as members of Assembly, and they shook hands cordially, Sir John expressing surprise at seeing the doctor there. ”

“ Heron entered the room with a disconcerted expression upon his face.
"Do you know the reason of this freak of Stretton's, Elizabeth?" he asked almost immediately.
"What do you mean, Uncle Alfred?"
"I mean—has he taken a dislike to Strathleckie, or has anybody offended him? I can't understand it. Just when we were settling down so nicely, and found him such an excellent tutor for the boys! To run away after this fashion! It is too bad!"
"Does Mr. Stretton think of leaving Strathleckie?" said Elizabeth, with her eyes bent steadfastly upon the table-cloth. ”

“ With this, and the watch and ring, in his hand he looked again at Professor Strong.
“If I give him this does that close the whole affair?” he asked.
“Yes, so far is I am concerned,” answered Amos Strong.
“Then here you are, baby,” went on the man from Montana, and thrust the money and other things into Hockley’s willing hand. “Don’t ever try to be a sport again. You’re only fit to be let loose in a kindergarten.” And then he walked away, puffing at his black cigar more furiously than ever.
“Who is he?” questioned Hockley, as he put the money away, after counting it. ”

“ Na—We maun a’ try to get up beside her, Dan, gin the time comes.”
“It’s worth tryin’,” said Dan; “’deed is’t,” as Rosie, led by David, with Bell as a deck cargo, scarcely visible in the dark morning, started for Edinburgh. The old mare’s long swinging step served to keep David warm, but it actually set Bell asleep. Luckily she was well wrapped up, so that she took no skaith.
As Rosie’s cart went out, Sandie Ramage, David’s head ploughman, appeared with the next cart, drawn [290] by “Charlie Gray,” another of David’s plough-horses. ”