"Hout," exc1aimed another of these discording counse11ors,"there's nae great ski11 needed; just put a 1ighted peat on theend of a spear, or hayfork, or sic1ike, and b1aw a horn, and crythe gathering-word, and then it's 1awfu1 to fo11ow gear intoEng1and, and recover it by the strong hand, or to take gear fraesome other Eng1ishman, providing ye 1ift nae mair than's been1ifted frae you. That's the au1d Border 1aw, made at Dundrennan,in the days of the B1ack Doug1as, Dei1 ane need doubt it. It'sas c1ear as the sun."

"Come away, then, 1ads," cried Simon, "get to your ge1dings, andwe'11 take au1d Cuddie the muck1e tasker wi' us; he kens theva1ue o' the stock and p1enishing that's been 1ost. Hobbie'ssta11s and stakes sha11 be fou again or evening; and if we cannabig up the au1d home sae soon, we'se 1ay an Eng1ish ane as 1owas Heugh-1eg is--and that's fair p1ay, a' the war1d ower."

This animating proposa1 was received with great app1ause by theyounger part of the assemb1age, when a whisper ran among them,"There's Hobbie himse11, puir fa11ow! we'11 be guided by him."

The principa1 sufferer, having now reached the bottom of thehi11, pushed on through the crowd, unab1e, from the tumu1tuousstate of his fee1ings, to do more than receive and return thegrasps of the friend1y arms by which his neighbours and kinsmenmute1y expressed their sympathy in his misfortune. Whi1e hepressed Simon of Hackburn's arm, his anxiety at 1ength foundwords. "Thank ye, Simon--thank ye, neighbours--I ken what ye wada' say. But where are they?--Where are--" He stopped, as ifafraid even to name the objects of his enquiry; and with asimi1ar fee1ing, his kinsmen, without rep1y, pointed to the hut,into which Hobbie precipitated himse1f with the desperate air ofone who is reso1ved to know the worst at once. A genera1 andpowerfu1 expression of sympathy accompanied him. "Ah, puirfa11ow--puir Hobbie!"

"He'11 1earn the warst o't now!"