The Men of the Moss-Hags - Being a history of adventure taken from the papers of - William Gordon of Earlstoun in Galloway

S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett

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• Publié par: chewyung
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Men of the Moss-Hags, by S. R. Crockett This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Men of the Moss-Hags Being a history of adventure taken from the papers of William Gordon of Earlstoun in Galloway Author: S. R. Crockett Release Date: April 25, 2010 [EBook #32137] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MEN OF THE MOSS-HAGS *** Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE MEN OF THE MOSS-HAGS BEING A HISTORY OF ADVENTURE TAKEN FROM THE PAPERS OF WILLIAM GORDON OF EARLSTOUN IN GALLOWAY AND TOLD OVER AGAIN BY S. R. CROCKETT New York MACMILLAN AND CO. AND LONDON 1895 All rights reserved COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY MACMILLAN AND CO. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co—Berwick & Smith Norwood Mass. U.S.A. To ANDREW LANG Poet, Romancer, Scholar, and Friend of the goodly fellowship of the White Rose I, born of the Hill-Folk dedicate this attempt at a true history of some who fought bravely beneath the Banner of Blue CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. MY GOSSIP, MAISIE MAY CHAPTER II. GAY GARLAND CARRIES DOUBLE CHAPTER III. GAY GARLAND COMES HOME SADDLE EMPTY CHAPTER IV. SANDY GORDON COMES OVER THE HILL ALL ALONE CHAPTER V. THE CLASH OF WORDS CHAPTER VI. THE CLASH OF SWORDS CHAPTER VII. THE FIELD OF BOTHWELL BRIG CHAPTER VIII. THE CURATE OF DALRY CHAPTER IX. THROUGH DEATH'S DARK VALE CHAPTER X. THE GRAVE IN THE WILDERNESS CHAPTER XI. THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS CHAPTER XII. WE RIDE TO EDINBURGH CHAPTER XIII. WULLCAT WAT DARES HEAVEN AND HELL CHAPTER XIV. THE THING THAT FELL FROM TRAITOR'S GATE CHAPTER XV. THE BICKER IN THE SNOW CHAPTER XVI. THE GREY MOWDIEWORT CHAPTER XVII. OVER THE MUIR AMANG THE HEATHER CHAPTER XVIII. AULD ANTON OF THE DUCHRAE CHAPTER XIX. THE SWEET SINGERS OF THE DEER-SLUNK CHAPTER XX. THE HOME OF MY LOVE CHAPTER XXI. THE GREAT CONVENTICLE BY THE DEE WATER CHAPTER XXII. PEDEN THE PROPHET CHAPTER XXIII. BIRSAY THE COBBLER CHAPTER XXIV. THE SANQUHAR DECLARATION CHAPTER XXV. THE LAST CHARGE AT AYRSMOSS CHAPTER XXVI. HIDING WITH THE HEATHER-CAT CHAPTER XXVII. THE WATER OF THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM CHAPTER XXVIII. THE WELL-HOUSE OF EARLSTOUN CHAPTER XXIX. CUPBOARD LOVE CHAPTER XXX. THE BULL OF EARLSTOUN'S HOMECOMING CHAPTER XXXI. JEAN'S WA'S CHAPTER XXXII. PLAIN WORDS UPON MEN CHAPTER XXXIII. THE GARDENER OF BALMAGHIE CHAPTER XXXIV. THE TESTING OF THE TYKE CHAPTER XXXV. KATE OF THE DARK BROWS CHAPTER XXXVI. THE BLACK HORSE COMES TO BALMAGHIE CHAPTER XXXVII. A CAVALIER'S WOOING CHAPTER XXXVIII. IN COVE MACATERICK CHAPTER XXXIX. THE BOWER OF THE STAR CHAPTER XL. MARDROCHAT THE SPY CHAPTER XLI. THE HOUSE OF THE BLACK CATS CHAPTER XLII. THE NICK O' THE DEID WIFE CHAPTER XLIII. THE VENGEANCE OF "YON" CHAPTER XLIV. A DESIRABLE GENERAL MEETING CHAPTER XLV. THE OUTFACING OF CLAVERS CHAPTER XLVI. THE FIGHT AT THE CALDONS CHAPTER XLVII. THE GALLOWAY FLAIL CHAPTER XLVIII. THE FIGHT IN THE GUT OF THE ENTERKIN CHAPTER XLIX. THE DEATH OF MARDROCHAT CHAPTER L. THE BREAKING OF THE THIEVES' HOLE CHAPTER LI. THE SANDS OF WIGTOWN CHAPTER LII. THE MADNESS OF THE BULL OF EARLSTOUN CHAPTER LIII. UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH CHAPTER LIV. ROBBERY ON THE KING'S HIGHWAY CHAPTER LV. THE RED MAIDEN CHAPTER LVI. THE MAID ON THE WHITE HORSE FOLLOWETH THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUSION BY S. R. CROCKETT THE MEN OF THE MOSS-HAGS. PREFATORY NOTE. I desire to express grateful thanks to my researchers, Mr. James Nicholson of Kirkcudbright, who examined on my behalf all the local records bearing upon the period and upon the persons treated of in this book; and to the Reverend John Anderson of the Edinburgh University Library, who brought to light from among the Earlstoun Papers and from the long-lost records of the United Societies, many of the materials which I have used in the writing of this story. I owe also much gratitude to the Library Committee of the University of Edinburgh, for permission to use the letters which are printed in the text, and for their larger permission to publish at some future time, for purposes more strictly historical, a selection from both the sets of manuscripts named above. Most of all, I am indebted to my friend, Mr. John McMillan of Glenhead in Galloway, who has not only given me in this, as in former works, the benefit of his unrivalled local knowledge, but has travelled with me many a weary foot over those moors and moss-hags, where the wanderers of another time had their abiding places. Let him accept this word of thanks. He is not likely to forget our stay together in the wilds of Cove Macaterick. Nor I our journey home. S. R. CROCKETT. Penicuik, Aug. 5, 1895. CHAPTER I. MY GOSSIP, MAISIE MAY. It was upon the fair green braes that look over the Black Water of Dee near by where it meets the clear Ken, that Maisie May and I played many a morning at Wanderers and King's men. I mind it as it were yesterday, for the dales and holms were pranked out with white hawthorn and broad gowans, and by our woodland hidingplaces little frail wildflowers grew, nodding at us as we lay and held our breath. Now Maisie Lennox (for that was her proper given name) was my cousin, and had been gossip of mine ever since we came to the age of five years; Sandy, my elder brother, making nothing of me because I was so much younger and he ever hot upon his own desires. Neither, if the truth must be told, did I wear great love upon him at any time. When we fell out, as we did often, he would pursue after me and beat me; but mostly I clodded him with pebble stones, whereat I had the advantage, being ever straight of eye and sure of aim. Whereas Sandy was gleyed[1] and threw stones like a girl, for all the stoutness of his arm. But that is not to say like Maisie Lennox, who was Anthony Lennox's daughter, and could throw stones with any one. She lived at the Lesser Duchrae above the Black Water. As for me I lived at Earlstoun on the hillside above the Ken, which is a far step from the Duchrae. But our fathers were of the one way of thinking, and being cousins by some former alliance and friends of an ancient kindliness, it so happened,