William withdrew backward a few paces, and kneeling a second time down on the sward with great decency and deliberation, “Shoot again,” said he; “try me aince mair; an’ O see to airch a wee better this time. I wad rather dee a hunder times, or I saw poor Jock lying a bloody corp.”
Clavers made a sign to one of his dragoons, who unbound William, and took the bandage from his eyes. Regardless of all else, he looked wildly around in search of his brother, and seeing his only companion lying flat on his face, he at first turned away, as if wishing to escape from a scene so dismal; but his helpless and forlorn situation staring him in the face, and the idea doubtless recurring that he was never to part with his brother, but forthwith to be slaughtered and carried to the grave with him, he returned, went slowly up to the body, kneeled down beside it, and pulling the napkin farther down over the face to keep the dead features from view, he clasped his arms about his brother’s neck, laid his cheek to his, and wept bitterly.
The narrator of this part of the tale was wont to say, that the scene which followed had something more touching in it than any tongue could describe, although Clavers and his troops only laughed at it. William had now quite relinquished all sensations of fear or danger, and gave full vent to a flood of passionate tenderness and despair. He clasped his brother’s neck closer and closer, steeped his cheek with his tears, and seemed to cling and grow to the body with a miserable fondness. While he was giving full scope in this manner to the affections of his young heart, his brother made a heave up with his head and shoulder, saying at the same time, like one wakening from a dream, “Little Will, is that you?—Haud aff—What ails ye?”
William raised up his head,—fixed his eyes on vacancy,—the tears dried on his cheek, and his ruby lips were wide open,—the thing was beyond his comprehension, and never was seen a more beautiful statue of amazement. He durst not turn his eyes towards his brother, but he uttered in words scarcely articulate, “Lord! I believe they hae missed Jock too!”
Clavers had given private orders to his dragoons to fire over the heads of the two boys, his intent being to intimidate them so much as to eradicate every principle of firmness and power of concealment from their tender minds; a scheme of his own fertile invention, and one which he often practised upon young people with too sure effect. When William found that his brother was really alive, and that both of them were to be spared on condition that he gave up the names and marks of all the people that had of late been at Chapelhope; he set himself with great earnestness to recount them, along with every mark by which he remembered them, determined that every hidden thing should be brought to light, rather than that poor Jock should be shot at again.
“Weel, ye see, first there was Geordie Skin–him–alive the flesher, him that took away the crocks and the paulies, and my brockit–lamb, and gae me a penny for setting him through atween the lochs. Then there was Hector Kennedy the tinkler, him that the bogles brought and laid down at the door i’ the night–time—he suppit twa bickerfu’s o’ paritch, an’ cleekit out a hantle o’ geds an’ perches wi’ his toum. Then there was Ned Huddersfield the woo–man, wi’ the leather bags and the skeenzie thread—him that kissed our bire–woman i’ the barn in spite o’ her teeth,—he had red cheeks and grit thees, and wasna unlike a glutton; he misca’d my father’s woo, an’ said aye, ‘Nay, it’s nane clean, howsomever,—it’s useless, that’s its warst fault.’ Then there was wee Willie the nout herd, him that had the gude knife an’ the duddy breeks; but the Brownie’s put him daft, an’ his mither had to come an’ tak him away upon a cuddy.”
In this manner went he on particularizing every one he remembered, till fairly cut short with a curse. John continued perfectly stupid, and when examined, answered only Yes, or No, as their way of asking the question dictated.
“Are there not great numbers of people who frequent your father’s house during the night?”
“Yes.”
“Do you see and hear them, after you go to bed?”