The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

.208 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
now beyond my power to part them; and, finding that, I e'en grippit at the
first thing I could make a fend wi'. I trow my fighting days is done, though
I like ill to take the scorn, for a' that.-But where's the honest lad that tuik
my quarrel on himsell sae frankly?-I'se bestow a gill o' aquavitm on him,
an I suld never ca' for anither."
The champion for whom he looked around was, however, no longer to be
seen. He had escaped unobserved by the Bailie, immediately when the
brawl was ended, yet not before I had recognised, in his wild features, and
shaggy red hair, our acquaintance Dougal, the fugitive turnkey of the Glasgow jail. I communicated this observation in a whisper to the Bailie, who
answered in the same tone, " Weel, weel, — I see that him that ye ken o'
said very right; there is some glimmering o' common sense about that
creature Dougal; I maun see and think o' something will do him some
gude."
Thus saying, he sat down, and fetching one or two deep aspirations, by
way of recovering his breath, called to tke landlady-" I think, iLuekie, now
that I find that there's nae hole in my wame, whilk I had muckle reason to
doubt frae the doings o' your house, I wad be the better o' something to
pit intill't."
The dame, who was all officiousness so soon as the storm had blown over,
immediately undertook to broil something comfortable for our supper. Indeed, nothing surprised me more, in the course of the whole matter, than
the extreme calmness with which she and her household seemed to regard
the martial tumult that had taken place. The good woman was only heard
to call to some of her assistants -" Steek the door! steek the door! kill or
be killed, let naebody pass out till they hae paid the lawin." And as for
the slumberers in those lairs by the wall, which served the family for beds,
they only raised their shirtless bodies to look at the fray, ejaculated, " Oigh!
oigh! " in the tone suitable to their respective sex and ages, and were, I
believe, fast asleep again, ere our swords were well returned to their scabbards.
Our landlady, however, now made a great bustle to get some victuals
ready, and, to my surprise, very soon began to prepare for us in the fryingpan a savoury mess of venison collops, which she dressed in a manner that
might well satisfy hungry men, if not epicures. In the meantime the brandy
was placed on the table, to which the Highlanders, however partial to their
native strong waters, showed no objection, but much the contrary; and the
Lowland gentleman, after the first cup had passed round, became desirous
to know our profession, and the object of our journey.
" We are bits o' Glasgow bodies, if it please your honour," said the Bailie,
with an affectation of great humility, " travelling to Stirling to get in some
siller that is awing us."
I was so silly as to feel a little disconcerted at the unassuming account
which he chose to give of us; but I recollected my promise to be silent, and
allow the Bailie to manage the matter his own way. And really, when I
recollected, Will, that I had not only brought the honest man a long journey
from home, which even in itself had been some inconvenience (if I were
to judge from the obvious pain and reluctance with which he took his seat,
or arose from it), but had also put him within a hair's-breadth of the loss
of his life, I could hardly refuse him such a compliment. The spokesman
of the other party, snuffing up his breath through his nose, repeated the
words with a sort of sneer;- "You Glasgow tradesfolks hae naething to do
but to gang frae the tae end o' the west o' Scotland to the ither, to plague
honest folks that may chance to,be awee ahint the hand, like me."
"If our debtors were a' sic honest gentlemen as I believe you to be, Gar-.
schattachin," replied the Bailie, "conscience! we might save ourselves a
labour, for they wad come to seek us."
"Eh! what! how!" exclaimed the person whom he had addressel, —