The Pirate
apparel for sea and land; shirts, plain and with lace ruffles, a silver
compass, a silver-hilted sword, and other valuable articles, which the
pedlar well knew to be such as stir in the trade. He was half-disposed
to start up, draw the sword, which was a cut-and-thrust, and "darraign
battaile," as Spenser says, rather than quit his prize, or brook
interruption. Being, though short, a stout square-made personage, and
not much past the prime of life, having besides the better weapon, he
might have given Mordaunt more trouble than his benevolent
knight-errantry deserved.
Already, as with vehemence he repeated his injunctions that Bryce should
forbear his plunder, and come to the assistance of the dying man, the
pedlar retorted with a voice of defiance, "Dinna swear, sir; dinna
swear, sir--I will endure no swearing in my presence; and if you lay a
finger on me, that am taking the lawful spoil of the Egyptians, I will
give ye a lesson ye shall remember from this day to Yule!"
Mordaunt would speedily have put the pedlar's courage to the test, but a
voice behind him suddenly said, "Forbear!" It was the voice of Norna of
the Fitful-head, who, during the heat of their altercation, had
approached them unobserved. "Forbear!" she repeated; "and, Bryce, do
thou render Mordaunt the assistance he requires. It shall avail thee
more, and it is I who say the word, than all that you could earn to-day
besides."
"It is se'enteen hundred linen," said the pedlar, giving a tweak to one
of the shirts, in that knowing manner with which matrons and judges
ascertain the texture of the loom;--"it's se'enteen hundred linen, and
as strong as an it were dowlas. Nevertheless, mother, your bidding is to
be done; and I would have done Mr. Mordaunt's bidding too," he added,
relaxing from his note of defiance into the deferential whining tone
with which he cajoled his customers, "if he hadna made use of profane
oaths, which made my very flesh grew, and caused me, in some sort, to
forget myself." He then took a flask from his pocket, and approached
the shipwrecked man. "It's the best of brandy," he said; "and if that
doesna cure him, I ken nought that will." So saying, he took a
preliminary gulp himself, as if to show the quality of the liquor, and
was about to put it to the man's mouth, when, suddenly withholding his
hand, he looked at Norna--"You ensure me against all risk of evil from
him, if I am to render him my help?--Ye ken yoursell what folk say,
mother."
For all other answer, Norna took the bottle from the pedlar's hand, and
began to chafe the temples and throat of the shipwrecked man; directing
Mordaunt how to hold his head, so as to afford him the means of
disgorging the sea-water which he had swallowed during his immersion.
The pedlar looked on inactive for a moment, and then said, "To be sure,
there is not the same risk in helping him, now he is out of the water,
and lying high and dry on the beach; and, to be sure, the principal
danger is to those that first touch him; and, to be sure, it is a
world's pity to see how these rings are pinching the puir creature's
swalled fingers--they make his hand as blue as a partan's back before
boiling." So saying, he seized one of the man's cold hands, which had
just, by a tremulous motion, indicated the return of life, and began his
charitable work of removing the rings, which seemed to be of some value.
"As you love your life, forbear," said Norna, sternly, "or I will lay
that on you which shall spoil your travels through the isles."
"Now, for mercy's sake, mother, say nae mair about it," said the pedlar,
"and I'll e'en do your pleasure in your ain way! I _did_ feel a
rheumatize in my back-spauld yestreen; and it wad be a sair thing for
the like of me to be debarred my quiet walk round the country, in the
way of trade--making the honest penny, and helping myself with what
Providence sends on our coasts."
"Peace, then," said the woman--"Peace, as thou wouldst not rue it; and
take this man on thy broad shoulders. His life is of value, and you will
be rewarded."
"I had muckle need," said the pedlar, pensively looking at the lidless
chest, and the other matters which strewed the sand; "for he has come
between me and as muckle spreacherie as wad hae made a man of me for the
rest of my life; and now it maun lie here till the next tide sweep it a'
doun the Roost, after them that aught it yesterday morning."
"Fear not," said Norna, "it will come to man's use. See, there come
carrion-crows, of scent as keen as thine own."
She spoke truly; for several of the people from the hamlet of Jarlshof
were now hastening along the beach, to have their share in the spoil.
The pedlar beheld them approach with a deep groan. "Ay, ay," he said,
"the folk of Jarlshof, they will make clean wark; they are kend for that
far and wide; they winna leave the value of a rotten ratlin; and what's
waur, there isna ane o' them has mense or sense eneugh to give thanks
for the mercies when they have gotten them. There is the auld Ranzelman,
Neil Ronaldson, that canna walk a mile to hear the minister, but he will
hirple ten if he hears of a ship embayed."
Norna, however, seemed to possess over him so complete an ascendency,
that he no longer hesitated to take the man, who now gave strong
symptoms of reviving existence, upon his shoulders; and, assisted by
Mordaunt, trudged along the sea-beach with his burden, without farther
remonstrance. Ere he was borne off, the stranger pointed to the chest,
and attempted to mutter something, to which Norna replied, "Enough. It
shall be secured."
Advancing towards the passage called Erick's Steps, by which they were
to ascend the cliffs, they met the people from Jarlshof hastening in the
opposite direction. Man and woman, as they passed, reverently made room
for Norna, and saluted her--not without an expression of fear upon some
of their faces. She passed them a few paces, and then turning back,
called aloud to the Ranzelman, who (though the practice was more common
than legal) was attending the rest of the hamlet upon this plundering
expedition. "Neil Ronaldson," she said, "mark my words. There stands
yonder a chest, from which the lid has been just prized off. Look it be
brought down to your own house at Jarlshof, just as it now is. Beware of
moving or touching the slightest article. He were better in his grave
that so much as looks at the contents. I speak not for nought, nor in
aught will I be disobeyed."
"Your pleasure shall be done, mother," said Ronaldson. "I warrant we
will not break bulk, since sic is your bidding."
Far behind the rest of the villagers, followed an old woman, talking to
herself, and cursing her own decrepitude, which kept her the last of the
party, yet pressing forward with all her might to get her share of the
spoil.
When they met her, Mordaunt was astonished to recognise his father's old
housekeeper. "How now," he said, "Swertha, what make you so far from
home?"
"Just e'en daikering out to look after my auld master and your honour,"
replied Swertha, who felt like a criminal caught in the manner; for on
more occasions than one, Mr. Mertoun had intimated his high
disapprobation of such excursions as she was at present engaged in.
But Mordaunt was too much engaged with his own thoughts to take much
notice of her delinquency. "Have you seen my father?" he said.
"And that I have," replied Swertha--"The gude gentleman was ganging to
hirsel himsell doun Erick's Steps, whilk would have been the ending of
him, that is in no way a cragsman. Sae I e'en gat him wiled away
hame--and I was just seeking you that you may gang after him to the
hall-house, for to my thought he is far frae weel."
"My father unwell?" said Mordaunt, remembering the faintness he had
exhibited at the commencement of that morning's walk.
"Far frae weel--far frae weel," groaned out Swertha, with a piteous
shake of the head--"white o' the gills--white o' the gills--and him to
think of coming down the riva!"
"Return home, Mordaunt," said Norna, who was listening to what had
passed. "I will see all that is necessary done for this man's relief,
and you will find him at the Ranzelman's, when you list to enquire. You
cannot help him more than you already have done."
Mordaunt felt this was true, and, commanding Swertha to follow him
instantly, betook himself to the path homeward.
Swertha hobbled reluctantly after her young master in the same
direction, until she lost sight of him on his entering the cleft of the
rock; then instantly turned about, muttering to herself, "Haste home, in
good sooth?--haste home, and lose the best chance of getting a new
rokelay and owerlay that I have had these ten years? by my certie,
na--It's seldom sic rich godsends come on our shore--no since the Jenny
and James came ashore in King Charlie's time."
So saying, she mended her pace as well as she could, and, a willing mind
making amends for frail limbs, posted on with wonderful dispatch to put
in for her share of the spoil. She soon reached the beach, where the
Ranzelman, stuffing his own pouches all the while, was exhorting the
rest to part things fair, and be neighbourly, and to give to the auld
and helpless a share of what was going, which, he charitably remarked,
would bring a blessing on the shore, and send them "mair wrecks ere
winter."[32]
FOOTNOTES:
[30] Note III.--Sale of Winds.
[31] Note IV.--Reluctance to Save Drowning Men.
[32] Note V.--Mair Wrecks ere Winter.
CHAPTER VIII.
He was a lovely youth, I guess;
The panther in the wilderness
Was not so fair as he;
And when he chose to sport and play,
No dolphin ever was so gay,
Upon the tropic sea.
WORDSWORTH.
The light foot of Mordaunt Mertoun was not long of bearing him to
Jarlshof. He entered the house hastily, for what he himself had observed
that morning, corresponded in some degree with the ideas which Swertha's
tale was calculated to excite. He found his father, however, in the
inner apartment, reposing himself after his fatigue; and his first
question satisfied him that the good dame had practised a little
imposition to get rid of them both.
"Where is this dying man, whom you have so wisely ventured your own neck
to relieve?" said the elder Mertoun to the younger.
"Norna, sir," replied Mordaunt, "has taken him under her charge; she
understands such matters."
"And is quack as well as witch?" said the elder Mertoun. "With all my
heart--it is a trouble saved. But I hasted home, on Swertha's hint, to
look out for lint and bandages; for her speech was of broken bones."
Mordaunt kept silence, well knowing his father would not persevere in
his enquiries upon such a matter, and not willing either to prejudice
the old governante, or to excite his father to one of those excesses of
passion into which he was apt to burst, when, contrary to his wont, he
thought proper to correct the conduct of his domestic.
It was late in the day ere old Swertha returned from her expedition,
heartily fatigued, and bearing with her a bundle of some bulk,
containing, it would seem, her share of the spoil. Mordaunt instantly
sought her out, to charge her with the deceits she had practised on both
his father and himself; but the accused matron lacked not her reply.
"By her troth;" she said, "she thought it was time to bid Mr. Mertoun
gang hame and get bandages, when she had seen, with her ain twa een,
Mordaunt ganging down the cliff like a wild-cat--it was to be thought
broken bones would be the end, and lucky if bandages wad do any
good;--and, by her troth, she might weel tell Mordaunt his father was
puirly, and him looking sae white in the gills, (whilk, she wad die upon