st. ives-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　letters　and　the　investigations　of　science）；　it　gave　me　a　

singular　view　of　that　poor；　barren；　and　yet　illustrious　country　

through　which　I　travelled。　　Still　more；　perhaps；　did　it　commend　the　

wisdom　of　Miss　Gilchrist　in　sending　me　with　these　uncouth　

companions　and　by　this　unfrequented　path。



My　itinerary　is　by　no　means　clear　to　me；　the　names　and　distances　I　

never　clearly　knew；　and　have　now　wholly　forgotten；　and　this　is　the　

more　to　be　regretted　as　there　is　no　doubt　that；　in　the　course　of　

those　days；　I　must　have　passed　and　camped　among　sites　which　have　

been　rendered　illustrious　by　the　pen　of　Walter　Scott。　　Nay；　more；　I　

am　of　opinion　that　I　was　still　more　favoured　by　fortune；　and　have　

actually　met　and　spoken　with　that　inimitable　author。　　Our　encounter　

was　of　a　tall；　stoutish；　elderly　gentleman；　a　little　grizzled；　and　

of　a　rugged　but　cheerful　and　engaging　countenance。　　He　sat　on　a　

hill　pony；　wrapped　in　a　plaid　over　his　green　coat；　and　was　

accompanied　by　a　horse…woman；　his　daughter；　a　young　lady　of　the　

most　charming　appearance。　　They　overtook　us　on　a　stretch　of　heath；　

reined　up　as　they　came　alongside；　and　accompanied　us　for　perhaps　a　

quarter　of　an　hour　before　they　galloped　off　again　across　the　

hillsides　to　our　left。　　Great　was　my　amazement　to　find　the　

unconquerable　Mr。　Sim　thaw　immediately　on　the　accost　of　this　

strange　gentleman；　who　hailed　him　with　a　ready　familiarity；　

proceeded　at　once　to　discuss　with　him　the　trade　of　droving　and　the　

prices　of　cattle；　and　did　not　disdain　to　take　a　pinch　from　the　

inevitable　ram's　horn。　　Presently　I　was　aware　that　the　stranger's　

eye　was　directed　on　myself；　and　there　ensued　a　conversation；　some　

of　which　I　could　not　help　overhearing　at　the　time；　and　the　rest　

have　pieced　together　more　or　less　plausibly　from　the　report　of　Sim。



'Surely　that　must　be　an　AMATEUR　DROVER　ye　have　gotten　there？'　the　

gentleman　seems　to　have　asked。



Sim　replied；　I　was　a　young　gentleman　that　had　a　reason　of　his　own　

to　travel　privately。



'Well；　well；　ye　must　tell　me　nothing　of　that。　　I　am　in　the　law；　you　

know；　and　TACE　is　the　Latin　for　a　candle；'　answered　the　gentleman。　　

'But　I　hope　it's　nothing　bad。'



Sim　told　him　it　was　no　more　than　debt。



'Oh；　Lord；　if　that　be　all！'　cried　the　gentleman；　and　turning　to　

myself；　'Well；　sir；'　he　added；　'I　understand　you　are　taking　a　tramp　

through　our　forest　here　for　the　pleasure　of　the　thing？'



'Why；　yes；　sir；'　said　I；　'and　I　must　say　I　am　very　well　

entertained。'



'I　envy　you；'　said　he。　　'I　have　jogged　many　miles　of　it　myself　when　

I　was　younger。　　My　youth　lies　buried　about　here　under　every　

heather…bush；　like　the　soul　of　the　licentiate　Lucius。　　But　you　

should　have　a　guide。　　The　pleasure　of　this　country　is　much　in　the　

legends；　which　grow　as　plentiful　as　blackberries。'　　And　directing　

my　attention　to　a　little　fragment　of　a　broken　wall　no　greater　than　

a　tombstone；　he　told　me　for　an　example　a　story　of　its　earlier　

inhabitants。　　Years　after　it　chanced　that　I　was　one　day　diverting　

myself　with　a　Waverley　Novel；　when　what　should　I　come　upon　but　the　

identical　narrative　of　my　green…coated　gentleman　upon　the　moors！　　

In　a　moment　the　scene；　the　tones　of　his　voice；　his　northern　accent；　

and　the　very　aspect　of　the　earth　and　sky　and　temperature　of　the　

weather；　flashed　back　into　my　mind　with　the　reality　of　dreams。　　The　

unknown　in　the　green…coat　had　been　the　Great　Unknown！　　I　had　met　

Scott；　I　had　heard　a　story　from　his　lips；　I　should　have　been　able　

to　write；　to　claim　acquaintance；　to　tell　him　that　his　legend　still　

tingled　in　my　ears。　　But　the　discovery　came　too　late；　and　the　great　

man　had　already　succumbed　under　the　load　of　his　honours　and　

misfortunes。



Presently；　after　giving　us　a　cigar　apiece；　Scott　bade　us　farewell　

and　disappeared　with　his　daughter　over　the　hills。　　And　when　I　

applied　to　Sim　for　information；　his　answer　of　'The　Shirra；　man！　　

A'body　kens　the　Shirra！'　told　me；　unfortunately；　nothing。



A　more　considerable　adventure　falls　to　be　related。　　We　were　now　

near　the　border。　　We　had　travelled　for　long　upon　the　track　beaten　

and　browsed　by　a　million　herds；　our　predecessors；　and　had　seen　no　

vestige　of　that　traffic　which　had　created　it。　　It　was　early　in　the　

morning　when　we　at　last　perceived；　drawing　near　to　the　drove　road；　

but　still　at　a　distance　of　about　half　a　league；　a　second　caravan；　

similar　to　but　larger　than　our　own。　　The　liveliest　excitement　was　

at　once　exhibited　by　both　my　comrades。　　They　climbed　hillocks；　they　

studied　the　approaching　drove　from　under　their　hand；　they　consulted　

each　other　with　an　appearance　of　alarm　that　seemed　to　me　

extraordinary。　　I　had　learned　by　this　time　that　their　stand…oft　

manners　implied；　at　least；　no　active　enmity；　and　I　made　bold　to　ask　

them　what　was　wrong。



'Bad　yins；'　was　Sim's　emphatic　answer。



All　day　the　dogs　were　kept　unsparingly　on　the　alert；　and　the　drove　

pushed　forward　at　a　very　unusual　and　seemingly　unwelcome　speed。　　

All　day　Sim　and　Candlish；　with　a　more　than　ordinary　expenditure　

both　of　snuff　and　of　words；　continued　to　debate　the　position。　　It　

seems　that　they　had　recognised　two　of　our　neighbours　on　the　road　…　

one　Faa；　and　another　by　the　name　of　Gillies。　　Whether　there　was　an　

old　feud　between　them　still　unsettled　I　could　never　learn；　but　Sim　

and　Candlish　were　prepared　for　every　degree　of　fraud　or　violence　at　

their　hands。　　Candlish　repeatedly　congratulated　himself　on　having　

left　'the　watch　at　home　with　the　mistress'；　and　Sim　perpetually　

brandished　his　cudgel；　and　cursed　his　ill…fortune　that　it　should　be　

sprung。



'I　willna　care　a　damn　to　gie　the　daashed　scoon'rel　a　fair　clout　wi'　

it；'　he　said。　　'The　daashed　thing　micht　come　sindry　in　ma　hand。'



'Well；　gentlemen；'　said　I；　'suppose　they　do　come　on；　I　think　we　can　

give　a　very　good　account　of　them。'　　And　I　made　my　piece　of　holly；　

Ronald's　gift；　the　value　of　which　I　now　appreciated；　sing　about　my　

head。



'Ay；　man？　　Are　ye　stench？'　inquired　Sim；　with　a　gleam　of　approval　

in　his　wooden　countenance。



The　same　evening；　somewhat　wearied　with　our　day…long　expedition；　we　

encamped　on　a　little　verdant　mound；　from　the　midst　of　which　there　

welled　a　spring　of　clear　water　scarce　great　enough　to　wash　the　

hands　in。　　We　had　made　our　meal　and　lain　down；　but　were　not　yet　

asleep；　when　a　growl　from　one　of　the　collies　set　us　on　the　alert。　　

All　three　sat　up；　and　on　a　second　impulse　all　lay　down　again；　but　

now　with　our　cudgels　ready。　　A　man　must　be　an　alien　and　an　outlaw；　

an　old　soldier　and　a　young　man　in　the　bargain；　to　take　adventure　

easily。　　With　no　idea　as　to　the　rights　of　the　quarrel　or　the　

probable　consequences　of　the　encounter；　I　was　as　ready　to　take　part　

with　my　two　drovers；　as　ever　to　fall　in　line　on　the　morning　of　a　

battle。　　Presently　there　leaped　three　men　out　of　the　heather；　we　

had　scarce　time　to　get　to　our　feet　before　we　were　assailed；　and　in　

a　moment　each　one　of　us　was　engaged　with　an　adversary　whom　the　

deepening　twilight　scarce　permitted　him　to　see。　　How　the　battle　

sped　in　other　quarters　I　am　in　no　position　to　describe。　　The　rogue　

that　fell　to　my　share　was　exceedingly　agile　and　expert　with　his　

weapon；　had　and　held　me　at　a　disadvantage　from　the　first　assault；　

forced　me　to　give　ground　continually；　and　at　last；　in　mere　self…

defence；　to　let　him　have　the　point。　　It　struck　him　in　the　throat；　

and　he　went　down　like　a　ninepin　and　moved　no　more。



It　seemed　this　was　the　signal　for　the　engagement　to　be　

discontinued。　　The　other　combatants　separated　at　once；　our　foes　

were　suffered；　without　molestation；　to　lift　up　and　bear　away　their　

fallen　comrade；　so　that　I　perceived　this　sort　of　war　to　be　not　

wholly　without　laws　of　chivalry；　and　perhaps　rather　to　partake　of　

the　character　of　a　tournament　than　of　a　battle　A　OUTRANCE。　　There　

was　no　doubt；　at　least；　that　I　was　supposed　to　have　pushed　the　

affair　too　seriously。　　Our　friends　the　enemy　re