href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@32137@[email protected]#CHAPTER_XXXVII" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">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 hiding-places 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, as I say, that Maisie Lennox and I played much together. Also my mother had great tenderness of heart for the bit lass that had no mother, and a father as often on the moors with the wildfowl, as at home with his one little maid.

For the times were very evil. How evil and contrary they were, we that had been born since 1660 and knew nothing else, could but dimly understand. For though fear and unrest abode in our homes as constant indwellers, with the fear of the troopers and plunderers, yet because it had always been so, it seemed not very hard to us.