memories and portraits-第13章

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no　cares　beyond　the　dulness　of　his　dogs　and　the　inroads　of　

pedestrians　from　town。　　But　for　a　man　of　his　propensity　to　wrath　

these　were　enough；　he　knew　neither　rest　nor　peace；　except　by　

snatches；　in　the　gray　of　the　summer　morning；　and　already　from　far　

up　the　hill；　he　would　wake　the　〃toun〃　with　the　sound　of　his　

shoutings；　and　in　the　lambing　time；　his　cries　were　not　yet　silenced　

late　at　night。　　This　wrathful　voice　of　a　man　unseen　might　be　said　

to　haunt　that　quarter　of　the　Pentlands；　an　audible　bogie；　and　no　

doubt　it　added　to　the　fear　in　which　men　stood　of　John　a　touch　of　

something　legendary。　　For　my　own　part；　he　was　at　first　my　enemy；　

and　I；　in　my　character　of　a　rambling　boy；　his　natural　abhorrence。　　

It　was　long　before　I　saw　him　near　at　hand；　knowing　him　only　by　some　

sudden　blast　of　bellowing　from　far　above；　bidding　me　〃c'way　oot　

amang　the　sheep。〃　　The　quietest　recesses　of　the　hill　harboured　this　

ogre；　I　skulked　in　my　favourite　wilderness　like　a　Cameronian　of　the　

Killing　Time；　and　John　Todd　was　my　Claverhouse；　and　his　dogs　my　

questing　dragoons。　　Little　by　little　we　dropped　into　civilities；　

his　hail　at　sight　of　me　began　to　have　less　of　the　ring　of　a　war…

slogan；　soon；　we　never　met　but　he　produced　his　snuff…box；　which　was　

with　him；　like　the　calumet　with　the　Red　Indian；　a　part　of　the　

heraldry　of　peace；　and　at　length；　in　the　ripeness　of　time；　we　grew　

to　be　a　pair　of　friends；　and　when　I　lived　alone　in　these　parts　in　

the　winter；　it　was　a　settled　thing　for　John　to　〃give　me　a　cry〃　over　

the　garden　wall　as　he　set　forth　upon　his　evening　round；　and　for　me　

to　overtake　and　bear　him　company。



That　dread　voice　of　his　that　shook　the　hills　when　he　was　angry；　

fell　in　ordinary　talk　very　pleasantly　upon　the　ear；　with　a　kind　of　

honied；　friendly　whine；　not　far　off　singing；　that　was　eminently　

Scottish。　　He　laughed　not　very　often；　and　when　he　did；　with　a　

sudden；　loud　haw…haw；　hearty　but　somehow　joyless；　like　an　echo　from　

a　rock。　　His　face　was　permanently　set　and　coloured；　ruddy　and　stiff　

with　weathering；　more　like　a　picture　than　a　face；　yet　with　a　

certain　strain　and　a　threat　of　latent　anger　in　the　expression；　like　

that　of　a　man　trained　too　fine　and　harassed　with　perpetual　

vigilance。　　He　spoke　in　the　richest　dialect　of　Scotch　I　ever　heard；　

the　words　in　themselves　were　a　pleasure　and　often　a　surprise　to　me；　

so　that　I　often　came　back　from　one　of　our　patrols　with　new　

acquisitions；　and　this　vocabulary　he　would　handle　like　a　master；　

stalking　a　little　before　me；　〃beard　on　shoulder；〃　the　plaid　hanging　

loosely　about　him；　the　yellow　staff　clapped　under　his　arm；　and　

guiding　me　uphill　by　that　devious；　tactical　ascent　which　seems　

peculiar　to　men　of　his　trade。　　I　might　count　him　with　the　best　

talkers；　only　that　talking　Scotch　and　talking　English　seem　

incomparable　acts。　　He　touched　on　nothing　at　least；　but　he　adorned　

it；　when　he　narrated；　the　scene　was　before　you；　when　he　spoke　（as　

he　did　mostly）　of　his　own　antique　business；　the　thing　took　on　a　

colour　of　romance　and　curiosity　that　was　surprising。　　The　clans　of　

sheep　with　their　particular　territories　on　the　hill；　and　how；　in　

the　yearly　killings　and　purchases；　each　must　be　proportionally　

thinned　and　strengthened；　the　midnight　busyness　of　animals；　the　

signs　of　the　weather；　the　cares　of　the　snowy　season；　the　exquisite　

stupidity　of　sheep；　the　exquisite　cunning　of　dogs：　all　these　he　

could　present　so　humanly；　and　with　so　much　old　experience　and　

living　gusto；　that　weariness　was　excluded。　　And　in　the　midst　he　

would　suddenly　straighten　his　bowed　back；　the　stick　would　fly　

abroad　in　demonstration；　and　the　sharp　thunder　of　his　voice　roll　

out　a　long　itinerary　for　the　dogs；　so　that　you　saw　at　last　the　use　

of　that　great　wealth　of　names　for　every　knowe　and　howe　upon　the　

hillside；　and　the　dogs；　having　hearkened　with　lowered　tails　and　

raised　faces；　would　run　up　their　flags　again　to　the　masthead　and　

spread　themselves　upon　the　indicated　circuit。　　It　used　to　fill　me　

with　wonder　how　they　could　follow　and　retain　so　long　a　story。　　But　

John　denied　these　creatures　all　intelligence；　they　were　the　

constant　butt　of　his　passion　and　contempt；　it　was　just　possible　to　

work　with　the　like　of　them；　he　said；　…　not　more　than　possible。　　And　

then　he　would　expand　upon　the　subject　of　the　really　good　dogs　that　

he　had　known；　and　the　one　really　good　dog　that　he　had　himself　

possessed。　　He　had　been　offered　forty　pounds　for　it；　but　a　good　

collie　was　worth　more　than　that；　more　than　anything；　to　a　〃herd；〃　

he　did　the　herd's　work　for　him。　　〃As　for　the　like　of　them！〃　he　

would　cry；　and　scornfully　indicate　the　scouring　tails　of　his　

assistants。



Once　…　I　translate　John's　Lallan；　for　I　cannot　do　it　justice；　being　

born　BRITANNIS　IN　MONTIBUS；　indeed；　but　alas！　INERUDITO　SAECULO　…　

once；　in　the　days　of　his　good　dog；　he　had　bought　some　sheep　in　

Edinburgh；　and　on　the　way　out；　the　road　being　crowded；　two　were　

lost。　　This　was　a　reproach　to　John；　and　a　slur　upon　the　dog；　and　

both　were　alive　to　their　misfortune。　　Word　came；　after　some　days；　

that　a　farmer　about　Braid　had　found　a　pair　of　sheep；　and　thither　

went　John　and　the　dog　to　ask　for　restitution。　　But　the　farmer　was　a　

hard　man　and　stood　upon　his　rights。　　〃How　were　they　marked？〃　he　

asked；　and　since　John　had　bought　right　and　left　from　many　sellers　

and　had　no　notion　of　the　marks　…　〃Very　well；〃　said　the　farmer；　

〃then　it's　only　right　that　I　should　keep　them。〃　…　〃Well；〃　said　

John；　〃it's　a　fact　that　I　cannae　tell　the　sheep；　but　if　my　dog　can；　

will　ye　let　me　have　them？〃　　The　farmer　was　honest　as　well　as　hard；　

and　besides　I　daresay　he　had　little　fear　of　the　ordeal；　so　he　had　

all　the　sheep　upon　his　farm　into　one　large　park；　and　turned　John's　

dog　into　their　midst。　　That　hairy　man　of　business　knew　his　errand　

well；　he　knew　that　John　and　he　had　bought　two　sheep　and　（to　their　

shame）　lost　them　about　Boroughmuirhead；　he　knew　besides　（the　lord　

knows　how；　unless　by　listening）　that　they　were　come　to　Braid　for　

their　recovery；　and　without　pause　or　blunder　singled　out；　first　one　

and　then　another；　the　two　waifs。　　It　was　that　afternoon　the　forty　

pounds　were　offered　and　refused。　　And　the　shepherd　and　his　dog　…　

what　do　I　say？　the　true　shepherd　and　his　man　…　set　off　together　by　

Fairmilehead　in　jocund　humour；　and　〃smiled　to　ither〃　all　the　way　

home；　with　the　two　recovered　ones　before　them。　　So　far；　so　good；　

but　intelligence　may　be　abused。　　The　dog；　as　he　is　by　little　man's　

inferior　in　mind；　is　only　by　little　his　superior　in　virtue；　and　

John　had　another　collie　tale　of　quite　a　different　complexion。　　At　

the　foot　of　the　moss　behind　Kirk　Yetton　（Caer　Ketton；　wise　men　say）　

there　is　a　scrog　of　low　wood　and　a　pool　with　a　dam　for　washing　

sheep。　　John　was　one　day　lying　under　a　bush　in　the　scrog；　when　he　

was　aware　of　a　collie　on　the　far　hillside　skulking　down　through　the　

deepest　of　the　heather　with　obtrusive　stealth。　　He　knew　the　dog；　

knew　him　for　a　clever；　rising　practitioner　from　quite　a　distant　

farm；　one　whom　perhaps　he　had　coveted　as　he　saw　him　masterfully　

steering　flocks　to　market。　　But　what　did　the　practitioner　so　far　

from　home？　and　why　this　guilty　and　secret　manoeuvring　towards　the　

pool？　…　for　it　was　towards　the　pool　that　he　was　heading。　　John　lay　

the　closer　under　his　bush；　and　presently　saw　the　dog　come　forth　

upon　the　margin；　look　all　about　him　to　see　if　he　were　anywhere　

observed；　plunge　in　and　repeatedly　wash　himself　over　head　and　ears；　

and　then　（but　now　openly　and　with　tail　in　air）　strike　homeward　over　

the　hills。　　That　same　night　word　was　sent　his　master；　and　the　

rising　practitioner；　shaken　up　from　where　he　lay；　all　innocence；　

before　the　fire；　was　had　out　to　a　dykeside　and　promptly　shot；　for　

alas！　he　was　that　foulest　of　criminals　under　trust；　a　sheep…eater；　

and　it　was　from　the　maculation　of　sheep's　blood　that　he　had　come　so　

far　to　cleanse　himself　in　the　pool　behind　Kirk　Yetton。



A　trade　th