CHAPTER III.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 191, 8 March 1878, Page 3

CHAPTER 111.

When Tarn Glen saw his fosterbrother, Malcolm- -Ogilvie, so unceremoniously ...upset the men-at-arms and malrebi-F' with, his horse, he stood and stared with astonishmen t. ' Lord save us,' said Tarn, ' the man's fed wtid, ah' T suppose this puir deevil 'ill;-hae?broke his i.leg or his airm, or something. Wait till I see.' H-ere Tarn assisted the soldier on his TuA. f and then asked him if he had ' ony banes broken.' " ■'* No,' said the man in a surly tone, ' but : if. Ijhad a-grip o' the fellow that threw nae, there 'ill maybe be some broken bones. r Na, na, ma man, ye maunna crack that way. Yon chiel could wallop sax like you an' me, an' then he has a' Clan Ogilvie at his back— -sac lat that flee stick tae the wa'.' '* But what will" I say to the Lord j Abbot about ma horse V c Hoots, man, the young laird's nae thief > he'll be back belyve wi' the run-a-way? Jleddies ah' yer horse. Come awa', , see the fo.uks a' gain' up the street again.' Ahdr so they were, and again the trumpets brayed, and the bagpipes shrieked, and the people shouted, and in a short time Mary of Guise and her retinue passed through the gates of the Abbey, and the crowd gradually dispersed. When the Abbey gates were shut, Tarn, being a stranger, was rather at a loss what, to do, until he recollected that his master had spoken of taking lodging at- the 'Three Angels,' a noted hostelry situated at that time near the head of the present Lordburn. Hither,- by the aid of a gude Scots tongue, Tarn bent his way ; and, indeed, the outside was as worthy of remark as anything inside could be. It was a one-storey house of great length and breadth, the stones of which had evidently come from the Ness Quarry ; the roof was covered with an enormous thickness of straw thatch, with holes here and there for the purpose of lighting the garrets. The door was ornamented with a porch, on the top of which was a sign that was intended to be a wonder of decorative art. It represented three angels holding a conversation with an . old gentleman with an immense long beard, who held a shepherd's crook in his hand, and seemed to have been painted by some individual in the last stage of inebriety. The windows, which were all open, were fitted with frames on leather hinges, in which were fixed very thin pieces of horn. When Tarn made his way into this splendid and commodious hostelry he was deafened by the uproar inside. It had been a declared holiday by all the servitors of the Abbey, and now that the pageant was past, and Queen and nobles housed in that building, the retainers had all been set at liberty, and they ,were evidently resolved to mnke up in the evening for the restraint they had been under during the day. Pushing his way through the assembled groups who were seated in the kitchen, ' he came to a small room, where the landlord, landlady, and servants were busy arranging refreshments for the ; guests. The landlord, a stout, burly man, well up in years, seeing Tarn anxious-like to speak, came forward, saying-- * Weel, friend, what's yer will V 1 Gude day, friend. Div ye ken that the young Laird o' Inneiquharity is gaen to pit up wi' ye the nicht ?' ' The Laird himsel' sent ower word in the mornin', sac I jalused as muekle.' * Weel, ye see lam his foster-brother an' servant ; an' I a kind o' lost him in the crood, but he'll be here belyve. Man, I'm unco hungr} r an ? drouthy; cud ye gie me a bit chack o' meat an' drink till his Honour comes V 1 Aye, aye, just find a seat for yoursel', an' I'lr send ye something tasty.' Tarn* found his way to a seat, and in a short time a girl brought him a huge plate of cold beef, a platter of Oatcakes, and a bicker of ale. Until he got his appetite satisfied, Tarn paid no attention to the company or the conversation, but when he had ate and drank to satiety he laid himself back in his seat and scanned the scene him. :..'•■■ The company seem ed divided into groups, each one of which appeared only interested in itself One group was evidently composed of servants of the Abbey, and they were congratulating themselves, on tbe successful way in which; the day had passed, Anothergroup seemed retainers of some of the gentlemen - who' had come at the Abbot's bidding ; to do honour' to the Queen Regent. A third; appeared to be country people^ and among them, from the cowed look and bated breath, there was more; '-. than. a. -.iispicion of heresy. In a group at the far end of the kitchen, Tarn discovered the -Reformer that had attempted to. disturb.the procession, and whom his master had upset. in the kennel, and he determined; to keep a watch on him and 7 his fiends. 7 They., seemed to be talking^ very? seriousl} 7 ! together,and to be 76bliyious^tp all around, them. ,: As he i '.'was! proceeding . to the other; side of the ■kitchen -His self-imposed task,' twdWeV'dreW-.d'itf of fishermen hurriedly entered and: calledforborne-: ,they ,. had quenched thirSf,Ve6ne.^6f''''tßen), 7 turning to the group next him. said— .

; 'Has ony o' ye heard o' this "awfu,; wark that oor lads fand oot the day j near the Bell Rock ?■ - * No,' said a" person near him, as several turned, and listened. > * What was it V 1 A boat's crew oot fishin' the day ■ near the Bell liock saw a ship drifiin' I as if.there wis naebody on board. They gaed and boarded her, and they fund , the crew a' murdered, and everything 1 carried aff that wad carry, an' a'thing , broken, an' smashed, an' destroyed ; and they towed her in, an' she was at the quay whin we can.' awaY ' An' wha' cud hae dune sic an' awfu' thing as that ?' said Tarn Glen, with his mouth agape. 1 This is the third in sax months, whaever did it. Some says it's the heretics, an' some the Englishers ; but I'm thinkin', there's fouk atween the Steeple Hock an' the Hedhead that cud tell wha did it. But I'm sure if the Lord Abbot an' the lairds dinna mind it,.puir fouk like me needna fash.' Here a strange-looking man, with long matted hair and wild glittering eyes, started up from the table where Tarn had noticed the Reformer sitting, and said— ' Wha daur say that ony member o' the pure an' Reformed Kirk, a Kirk that is purged frae a' idolatry an' Papistry, wad be guilty o' crimes like thae ? We tak' the Bible for oor.guide, an' no' the frail o' mere men, wha are nae better than they sud be ; and it's mair likely tae he some o' their am dupes, blind ignorant men, wha did it, an' yell see that yer braw Lord Abbot 'ill pay nae attention tae it.' ' An' wha may ye be, frien', that's sac ready tae. tak' the names o' yer betters in vain 1 Aftei* the way that ye spe-.k o' the Lord Abbot an' a' true believers, I wadna be muekle surprised if ye blamed Clan Ogilvie itsel' for killin' the sailors,' said Tarn" stoutly. Here some of the Abbey servants, on ; whom the North Port whisky was beginning to tell, started to their feet, ; while one, who seemed to have some authority, declared that — 4lt was a disgrace for Christian fouk i tae hae tae sit an' listen tae sic awfu' like cracks ; an' for his pairt, he thocht i that the suner a' heretics war in the ; Abbey dungeons the better.' ' It's no worth while,' cried Tarn, < * tae tak' sac muekle trouble wi' g*ouks j like thae; but if they hinna sense tae ; haud their tongues, we'll gie them a < thrashin', and pit them oot.' « '0 ! blinded and preverse men, wha \ staned the prophets, an' wha winna J hear the truth, though it be cried frae the house-taps, will naethirjg convince j ye '! Bit truth is strong, an' will prevail ; an' Popery an' Priests will be ] driven frae dear auld Scotland. Only j the toun o' Leith is left in their grasp, an' the time comes sune whan not only j it, bit a 1 the houfs o' thae Jozy drones } the monks, wha toil not, neither do they ] spin, will be destroyed, an' their herit- r age given to another. Babylon is < fallen, and the saints will reign.' { Here the speaker, who was evidently ( a fanatic, and something more, sank t into his seat, while his features wrought, j and his mouth foamed, and his hands f and feet twisted as if he had been in an f epileptic fit ; and the previous speakers, •<■ from being angry at, the awful sight, f changed their mood, and stood astoni- c shed and, it may be, frightened. f His companion, who had been tumbled t in the kennel, and whose name was . Henderson, took advantage of the lull ( to try and make peace. . 'He houpit that they wadna mind t ony thing that Maister Leslie had said; ( an', for his pairt, he didna think that < ony decent fouk, be they Papists or Re- , formers, wad commit murder eather on 1 sea or land.' ( This seemed to pacify the Papal party, for they took their seats, and ■ Tarn, on whom the story of the mur- j d*-red sailors had produced a great effect, proceeded to inquire still farther | at the fisherman. ' An' hae ye nae try at a' o' thae vil- ( lams ? Whaur div ye think they can come frae ?' * Weel, it's no easy sayin',' said Jock Smith, the fisherman ; ' there's sac mony coves aboot the heugh, an' when we're oot at sea we see strange boats hoverin' aboot, but I think gin Dickman's Den an' the Mason's Cove an' the Lady's Cove were weel lookit, I think we wad find dot something. It wadna be the first time that robbers had been catch't there.' 4 An' what's the Lord Abbot an' the lairds aboot that they dinna catch them V said Tarn. ' Whin the Hielant caterans cum doon the hills an' drive oor nowt, we sune gie them their kail through, the reek. I wad match Clan. : Ogilvie again' ten thousand o' the limmers.' 1 The Lord Abbot an' the brethren ' are sac muekle ta'en up wi' their religious duties- that thej' hinria time nor inclination tae middle wi'.sic worldly matters,' said the Abbey ser.yant who spoke before ; ' but his honour the , Laird .o' Auchmithie, wha has charge o' the coast for the Abbey, sud look after them. better. But he aye says there's naebody tae catch.' , ; ---- *' The wicked flee when ho man pursueth,' cried the Reformer Leslie; again . starting to his feet,. 'and Popery, will.be: ■expelled from oor am dear country? The; time. cometh. when. '-true religion;-, .•pure -ah' undefiled, will.. .fill the Jp/i, Woe unto the followers b the scarlet woman,? for. the v!' shall" see' sbrVovv.' , 'Noo, frien',' said Tarn, 'just stap

? yer gab, or we'll hae tae pit ye oot. j Ye're no fear't tae blether sac, under the shaddow o' the Abbey itsel'/ ii dinna think that yell pit Maister Leslie oot/ said* Henderson. ' I aih?np very sure, Abbey cr no Abbey, bit the Reformed Kirk has as naony frien' s here as the Papist's has.' Tarn made no reply to this, but stepping over to a shelf on which stood a jarge wooden dish of cold kail or broth, he lifted it, and walking up to the table where the Reformers were, seated, he deliberately threw it in. Henderson's face ; then, reversing the dish, he stuck it on Leslie's head like a hat, and returned .to^ Kis seat amidst the- guffaws of his own party. Henderson and Leslie, astounded at the cool insolence of TanV, sat for a moment in amazement, then rising to their feet, they drew _their swords, and. seconded by some men behind them, advanced as if to attack Tarn Glen and t the Papal 'party, who now began to group themselves arpunaV him. ■■„. At tliis critical moment, the landlord, who had evidently been- watching the progress of affairs, advanced, into the riiiddle of the kitchen floor with a heavy" oak stick in his hand, and, signing to the Reformers to return 1 to their' seats, he said — ! ' Deevil tak' me, bit /.I'll brain the first man that strikes a blow in this house. It's an awfu'- like thing that fouk canna -forge ther an' tak' a dram in peace and quietness. Noo, mind,' said he, brandishing, his stick, ' the first ane that strikes has me for an enemy.' 'An' div you think, Tarn Anderson' o' the Three Angels, that we are to sit here an' henr the heretics blaspheme baith holy Kirk an' btate f or will we hae to tell the Lord Abbot that ye hae turned heretic tae V said the Abdey sei*r vant. 'Ye needna fash, ; tellin' the Lord j Abbot ony sic story, for he wadna believe ye. I served the Abbey' afore ye were born, an' I am no .likely to change in my auld age ; sac yell better a' keep the peace, the hale o' ye,' said the landlord, as he left tha kitchen and retired to his own little apartment. The Reformers had moved back to their own table, but they remained standing in a very dissatisfied attitude, with their hands upon their swords. Grown cooler with the few minutes of inactivity imposed by the landlord, Henderson was busy calculating the chances of a struggle, when Tarn Glen seizing a bottle that stood handy, sent it flying within a few inches of his head. 4 Noo, lads, batter them weel, an' syne pit them oot,' cried Tarn, rushing forward and aiming a furious blow at Leslie's head who happened to be the nearest. ' Help, for kirk an' covenant,' cried Henderson, parrying* Tarn's blow with his sword, and in a few minutes the kitchen was the scene ofa general melee. Tables and chairs were overthrown, dishes were smashed, blows crashed, and the wounded yelled, and still it was doubtful which side would win the victory. Tar- and the Abbey servant fought with fierce energy, but they were as stoutly opposed by Leslie and Henderson, and they were in the midst of a tough tuzzle when the landlord again appeared with his oaken stick, and dealt out blows to both sides without fear or favour. The Reformers at last saw ; that they were in danger of being overmatched, and then they made for the door, followed by Tarn and all the Papal party, who gave three lusty cheers as they saw their opponents bounding down the sti*eet with the speed of deer. On returning to the house they found the landlord, landlady, and servants trying to put things in order, while two of their own party were trying to lift Jock Smith, the fisherman, who had been put hors de combat by .an ugly blow from tlie thick oak stick. They got him on a seat, and were engaged examining his hurts "when the door opened, .and Malcolm and the ycung Laird of Northesk entered, and the former calling on Tarn, they were shown into a private room by the landlord.