Waverley; Or 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Complete by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XLV

  AN INCIDENT GIVES RISE TO UNAVAILING REFLECTIONS

  When Waverley reached that part of the column which was filled by theclan of Mac-Ivor, they halted, formed, and received him with atriumphant flourish upon the bagpipes and a loud shout of the men, mostof whom knew him personally, and were delighted to see him in the dressof their country and of their sept. 'You shout,' said a Highlander of aneighbouring clan to Evan Dhu, 'as if the Chieftain were just come toyour head.'

  '_Mar e Bran is e a brathair_, If it be not Bran, it is Bran'sbrother,' was the proverbial reply of Maccombich. [Footnote: Bran, thewell-known dog of Fingal. is often the theme of Highland proverb aswell as song.]

  'O, then, it is the handsome Sassenach duinhe-wassel that is to bemarried to Lady Flora?'

  'That may be, or it may not be; and it is neither your matter nor mine,Gregor.'

  Fergus advanced to embrace the volunteer, and afford him a warm andhearty welcome; but he thought it necessary to apologize for thediminished numbers of his battalion (which did not exceed three hundredmen) by observing he had sent a good many out upon parties.

  The real fact, however, was, that the defection of Donald Bean Lean haddeprived him of at least thirty hardy fellows, whose services he hadfully reckoned upon, and that many of his occasional adherents had beenrecalled by their several chiefs to the standards to which they mostproperly owed their allegiance. The rival chief of the great northernbranch, also, of his own clan had mustered his people, although he hadnot yet declared either for the government or for the Chevalier, and byhis intrigues had in some degree diminished the force with which Fergustook the field. To make amends for these disappointments, it wasuniversally admitted that the followers of Vich Ian Vohr, in point ofappearance, equipment, arms, and dexterity in using them, equalled themost choice troops which followed the standard of Charles Edward. OldBallenkeiroch acted as his major; and, with the other officers who hadknown Waverley when at Glennaquoich, gave our hero a cordial reception,as the sharer of their future dangers and expected honours.

  The route pursued by the Highland army, after leaving the village ofDuddingston, was for some time the common post-road betwixt Edinburghand Haddington, until they crossed the Esk at Musselburgh, when,instead of keeping the low grounds towards the sea, they turned moreinland, and occupied the brow of the eminence called Carberry Hill, aplace already distinguished in Scottish history as the spot where thelovely Mary surrendered herself to her insurgent subjects. Thisdirection was chosen because the Chevalier had received notice that thearmy of the government, arriving by sea from Aberdeen, had landed atDunbar, and quartered the night before to the west of Haddington, withthe intention of falling down towards the sea-side, and approachingEdinburgh by the lower coast-road. By keeping the height, whichoverhung that road in many places, it was hoped the Highlanders mightfind an opportunity of attacking them to advantage. The army thereforehalted upon the ridge of Carberry Hill, both to refresh the soldiersand as a central situation from which their march could be directed toany point that the motions of the enemy might render most advisable.While they remained in this position a messenger arrived in haste todesire Mac-Ivor to come to the Prince, adding that their advanced posthad had a skirmish with some of the enemy's cavalry, and that the Baronof Bradwardine had sent in a few prisoners.

  Waverley walked forward out of the line to satisfy his curiosity, andsoon observed five or six of the troopers who, covered with dust, hadgalloped in to announce that the enemy were in full march westwardalong the coast. Passing still a little farther on, he was struck witha groan which issued from a hovel. He approached the spot, and heard avoice, in the provincial English of his native county, whichendeavoured, though frequently interrupted by pain, to repeat theLord's Prayer. The voice of distress always found a ready answer in ourhero's bosom. He entered the hovel, which seemed to be intended forwhat is called, in the pastoral counties of Scotland, a smearing-house;and in its obscurity Edward could only at first discern a sort of redbundle; for those who had stripped the wounded man of his arms and partof his clothes had left him the dragoon-cloak in which he was enveloped.

  'For the love of God,' said the wounded man, as he heard Waverley'sstep, 'give me a single drop of water!'

  'You shall have it,' answered Waverley, at the same time raising him inhis arms, bearing him to the door of the hut, and giving him some drinkfrom his flask.

  'I should know that voice,' said the man; but looking on Waverley'sdress with a bewildered look--'no, this is not the young squire!'

  This was the common phrase by which Edward was distinguished on theestate of Waverley-Honour, and the sound now thrilled to his heart withthe thousand recollections which the well-known accents of his nativecountry had already contributed to awaken. 'Houghton!' he said, gazingon the ghastly features which death was fast disfiguring, 'can this beyou?'

  'I never thought to hear an English voice again,' said the woundedman;'they left me to live or die here as I could, when they found Iwould say nothing about the strength of the regiment. But, O squire!how could you stay from us so long, and let us be tempted by that fiendof the pit, Rufinn? we should have followed you through flood and fire,to be sure.'

  'Rufin! I assure you, Houghton, you have been vilely imposed upon.'

  'I often thought so,' said Houghton,'though they showed us your veryseal; and so Tims was shot and I was reduced to the ranks.'

  'Do not exhaust your strength in speaking,' said Edward; 'I will getyou a surgeon presently.'

  He saw Mac-Ivor approaching, who was now returning from headquarters,where he had attended a council of war, and hastened to meet him.'Brave news!'shouted the Chief; 'we shall be at it in less than twohours. The Prince has put himself at the head of the advance, and, ashe drew his sword, called out, "My friends, I have thrown away thescabbard." Come, Waverley, we move instantly.'

  'A moment--a moment; this poor prisoner is dying; where shall I find asurgeon?'

  'Why, where should you? We have none, you know, but two or three Frenchfellows, who, I believe, are little better than _garqons apothecaires_.'

  'But the man will bleed to death.'

  'Poor fellow!' said Fergus, in a momentary fit of compassion; theninstantly added, 'But it will be a thousand men's fate before night; socome along.'

  'I cannot; I tell you he is a son of a tenant of my uncle's.'

  'O, if he's a follower of yours he must be looked to; I'll send Callumto you; but _diaoul! ceade millia mottigheart_,' continued theimpatient Chieftain, 'what made an old soldier like Bradwardine senddying men here to cumber us?'

  Callum came with his usual alertness; and, indeed, Waverley rathergained than lost in the opinion of the Highlanders by his anxiety aboutthe wounded man. They would not have understood the generalphilanthropy which rendered it almost impossible for Waverley to havepassed any person in such distress; but, as apprehending that thesufferer was one of his _following_ they unanimously allowed thatWaverley's conduct was thatof akind and considerate chieftain, whomerited the attachment of his people. In about a quarter of an hourpoor Humphrey breathed his last, praying his young master, when hereturned to Waverley-Honour, to be kind to old Job Houghton and hisdame, and conjuring him not to fight with these wild petticoat-menagainst old England.

  When his last breath was drawn, Waverley, who had beheld with sinceresorrow, and no slight tinge of remorse, the final agonies of mortality,now witnessed for the first time, commanded Callum to remove the bodyinto the hut. This the young Highlander performed, not withoutexamining the pockets of the defunct, which, however, he remarked hadbeen pretty well spunged. He took the cloak, however, and proceedingwith the provident caution of a spaniel hiding a bone, concealed itamong some furze and carefully marked the spot, observing that, if hechanced to return that way, it would be an excellent rokelay for hisauld mother Elspat.

  It was by a considerable exertion that they regained their place in themarching column, which was now moving rapidly forward to occupy thehigh g
rounds above the village of Tranent, between which and the sealay the purposed march of the opposite army.

  This melancholy interview with his late sergeant forced many unavailingand painful reflections upon Waverley's mind. It was clear from theconfession of the man that Colonel Gardiner's proceedings had beenstrictly warranted, and even rendered indispensable, by the steps takenin Edward's name to induce the soldiers of his troop to mutiny. Thecircumstance of the seal he now, for the first time, recollected, andthat he had lost it in the cavern of the robber, Bean Lean. That theartful villain had secured it, and used it as the means of carrying onan intrigue in the regiment for his own purposes, was sufficientlyevident; and Edward had now little doubt that in the packet placed inhis portmanteau by his daughter he should find farther light upon hisproceedings. In the meanwhile the repeated expostulation ofHoughton--'Ah, squire, why did you leave us?' rung like a knell in hisears.

  'Yes,' he said, 'I have indeed acted towards you with thoughtlesscruelty. I brought you from your paternal fields, and the protection ofa generous and kind landlord, and when I had subjected you to all therigour of military discipline, I shunned to bear my own share of theburden, and wandered from the duties I had undertaken, leaving alikethose whom it was my business to protect, and my own reputation, tosuffer under the artifices of villainy. O, indolence and indecision ofmind, if not in yourselves vices--to how much exquisite misery andmischief do you frequently prepare the way!'