Page images
PDF
EPUB

a

9

[ocr errors]

soon soon shall he be levelled with it to be borne ! so the mob proceeded in at ony rate! The dog! the parricide! a body up to Wineholm-Place, to take first to betray my child, and then to out their poor deluded lady, and burn put down myself. But he shall not the Doctor and his basely acquired haescape! he shall not escape ! cried he bitation to ashes. It was not till the with such a hellish growl, that I fainta multitude had surrounded the house ed and heard no more.”

that the ministers and two or three “ Weel, that beats the world !” other gentlemen could stay them, quoth the smith;“ I wad hae thought which they only did by assuring the the mare wad hae luppen ower yird mob chat they would bring out the and stane, or fa'en down dead wi' Doctor before their eyes, and deliver fright.”

him up to justice. This pacified the « Na, na,” said John, “ in place o' throng ; but on inquiry at the hall, that, whenever she heard him fa'a- it was found that the Doctor had gone swearing, she was sae glad that she off early that morning, so that nothing fell a-nickering."

further could be done for the present. “ Na, but that beats the hale world But the coffin, filled with gravel, was a'thegither!" quoth the smith. “Then laid up in the aisle and kept open for it has been nae ghaist ava, ye may de inspection. pend on that.”

Nothing could now exceed the con “ I little wat what it was,” said sternation of the simple villagers of John, “but it was a being in nae good Wineholm at these dark and mysterior happy state o' mind, and is a warn- ous events. Business, labour, and eming to us a' how muckle reason we hae ployment of every sort, were at a stand, to be thankfu' that we are as we and the people hurried about to one are."

another's houses, and mingled together The Doctor pretended to laugh at in one heterogeneous mass of theoretithe absurdity of John's narrative, but calspeculation. Thesmith put his hand it was with a ghastly and doubtful ex- to the bellows, but forgot to blow till pression of countenance, as though he the fire went out; the weaver leaned on thought the story far too ridiculous his beam, and listened to the legends for any clodpole to have contrived out of the ghastly tailor. The team stood of his own head; and forthwith he in the mid furrow, and the thresher dismissed the two dealers in the mar- agaping over his fail ; and even the vellous, with very little ceremony, the Dominie was heard to declare that the one protesting that the thing beat the geometrical series of events was inworld, and the other that they had creasing by no common measure, and both reason to be thankfu' that they therefore ought to be calculated rather were as they were.

arithmetically than by logarithms ; The next morning the villagers, and John Broadcast saw more and small and great, were assembled at an more reason for being thankful that early hour to witness the lifting of the he was as he was, and neither a stock body of their late laird, and headed by nor a stone, nor a brute beast. the established and dissenting clergy- Everything that happened was more men, and two surgeons, they proceed- extraordinary than the last; and the ed to the tomb, and soon extracted the most puzzling of all was the circumsplendid coffin, which they opened with stance of the late laird's mare, saddle, all due caution and ceremony. But bridle and all, being off before day the instead of the murdered body of their next morning ; so that Dr Davington late benefactor, which they expected was obliged to have recourse to his in good earnest to find, there was no- own, on which he was seen posting thing in the coffin but a layer of gra- away on the road towards Edinburgh. vel, of about the weight of a corpulent It was thus but too obvious that the man!

ghost of the late laird had ridden off The clamour against the new laird on his favourite mare, the Lord only then rose all at once into a tumult knew whither ! for as to that point that it was impossible to check, every none of the sages of Wineholm could one declaring aloud that he had not divine. But their souls grew chill as only murdered their benefactor, but, an iceberg, and their very frames rigid for fear of the discovery, had raised at the thoughts of a spirit riding away the body, and given, or rather sold it, on a brute beast to the place appointed to the dissectors. The thing was not for wicked men. And had not John Broadcast reason to be thankful that examined the wright who made the he was as he was ?

coffin, and also placed the body in it? However the outcry of the commu- The thing had not been thought of ; nity became so outrageous, of murder, but he was found in court, and ina and foul playin so many ways, that the stantly put into the witness's box and officers of justice were compelled to take examined on oath. His name was note of it; and accordingly the Sheriff- James Sanderson, a stout-made, little, substitute, the Sheriff-clerk, the Fiscal, shrewd-looking man, with a very peand two assistants, came in two chaises culiar squint. He was examined thus to Wineholm to take a precognition, by the Procurator-fiscal. and there a court was held which last- Were you long acquainted with ed the whole day, at which, Mrs Da- the late laird of Wineholm, James?" vington, the late laird's only daughter, “ Yes, ever since I left my appren« all the servants, and a great number ticeship; for I suppose about nineteen of the villagers, were examined on years." oath. It appeared from the evidence “Was he very much given to drinke that Dr Davington had come to the ing of late ?" village and set up as a surgeon-that « I could not say. He took his glass he had used every endeavour to be gayen heartily." employed in the laird's family in vain, “ Did you ever drink with him ?” as the latter detested him. That he, “ O yes, mony a time.” however, found means of seducing his “ You must have seen him very only daughter to elope with him, which drunk then? Did you ever see him put the laird quite beside himself, and so drunk that he could not rise, for from thenceforward he became drown- instance ?” ed in dissipation. That such, how. “O never ! for, lang afore that, I ever, was his affection for his daugh- could not have kend whether he was ter, that he caused her to live with sitting or standing." him, but would never suffer the Doc- Were you present at the corpse for to enter his door-that it was ne- chesting?" vertheless quite customary for the Doce “ Yes, I was.” tor to be sent for to his lady's chamber, “ And were you certain the body particularly when her father was in was then deposited in the coffin ?" his cups ; and that on a certain night, " Yes ; quite certain.". when the laird had had company, and “ Did you screw down the coffin-lid was so overcome that he could not rise firmly then, as you do others of the from his chair, he had died suddenly same make?” of apoplexy; and that no other skill “ No, I did not.” was sent for, or near him, but this his “What were your reasons for that?" detested son-in-law, whom he had by “ They were no reasons of mine will disinherited, though the legal term I did what I was ordered. There were for rendering that will competent had private reasons, which I then wist not not expired. The body was coffined of. But, gentlemen, there are some the second day after death, and locked things connected with this affair, which up in a low room in one of the wings I am bound in honour not to reveal of the building; and nothing farther I hope you will not compel me to die could be elicited. The Doctor was vulge them at present.” missing, and it was whispered that he că You are bound by a solemn oath, had absconded; indeed it was evi- James, which is the highest of all oba dent, and the Sheriff acknowledged, ligations; and for the sake of justice, that from the evidence taken collectives you must tell everything you know; ly, the matter had a very suspicious as- and it would be better if you would pect, although there was no direct just tell your tale straight forward, proof against

the Doctor. It was pro- without the interruption of question ved that he had attempted to bleed and answer.” the patient, but had not succeeded, Well, then, since it must be so: and that at that time the laird was That day, at the chesting, the Doctor black in the face.

took me aside, and says to me, James When it began to wear nigh night, Sanderson, it will be necessary that and nothing farther could be learned, something be put into the coffin to the Sheriff-clerk, a quiet considerate prevent any unpleasant flavour before gentleman, asked why they had not the funeral ; for, owing to the corpus

[ocr errors]

12

lence, and inflamed state of the body by apoplexy, there will be great danger of this. Very well, sir,' says I

[ocr errors]

what shall I bring?' "You had better only screw down the lids lightly at present, then,' said he, and if you could bring a bucketfull of quicklime, a little while hence, and pour it over the body, especially over the face, it is a very good thing, an excellent thing for preventing any deleterious effluvia from escaping.'

6

"Very well, sir,' says I ; and so I followed his directions. I procured the lime; and as I was to come privately in the evening to deposit it in the coffin, in company with the Doctor alone, I was putting off the time in my workshop, polishing some trifle, and thinking to myself that I could not find in my heart to choke up my old friend with quicklime, even after he was dead, when, to my unspeakable horror, who should enter my workshop but the identical laird himself, dressed in his dead-clothes in the very same manner in which I had seen him laid in the coffin, but apparently all streaming in blood to the feet. I fell back over against a cart-wheel, and was going to call out, but could not; and as he stood straight in the door, there was no means of escape. At length the apparition spoke to me in a hoarse trembling voice, enough to have frightened a whole conclave of bishops out of their senses; and it says to me, Jamie Sanderson! O, Jamie Sanderson! I have been forced to appear to you in These were a d-d frightful guise.' the very first words it spoke; and they were far frae being a lie, but I hafflins thought to mysell, that a being in such circumstances might have spoke with a little more caution and decency. I could make no answer, for my tongue refused all attempts at articulation, and my lips would not come together; and all that I could do, was to lie back against my new cart-wheel, and hold up my hands as a kind of defence. The ghastly and blood-stained apparition, advancing a step or two, held up both its hands flying with dead ruffles, and cried to me in a still more frightful voice, 'O, my faithful old friend! I have been murdered! I am a murdered man, Jamie Sanderson! and if you do not assist me in bringing the wretch to a due retribution, you will be d-d to hell, sir.'

"This is sheer raying, James," said

the Sheriff, interrupting him. “These
words can be nothing but the ravings
of a disturbed and heated imagination.
I entreat you to recollect, that you
have appealed to the great Judge of
heaven and earth for the truth of what
you assert here, and to answer accord-
ingly."

66

I know what I am saying, my Lord Sheriff," said Sanderson; " and am telling naething but the plain truth, as nearly as my state of mind at the time permits me to recollect. The appalling figure approached still nearer and nearer to me, breathing threatenings if I would not rise and fly to its assistance, and swearing like a sergeant of dragoons at both the Doctor and myself. At length it came so close on me, that I had no other shift but to hold up both feet and hands to shield me, as I had seen herons do when knocked down by a goshawk, and I cried out; but even my voice failed me, so that I only cried like one through his sleep.

"What the devil are you lying gaping and braying at there?' said he, seizing me by the wrists, and dragging me after him. Do you not see the plight I am in, and why won't you fly to succour me?'

"I now felt to my great relief, that this terrific apparition was a being of flesh, bones, and blood, like myself; that, in short, it was indeed my kind old friend the laird popped out of his open coffin, and come over to pay me an evening visit, but certainly in such a guise as earthly visit was never paid. I soon gathered up my scattered senses, took my kind old friend into my room, bathed him all over, and washed him well in lukewarm water; then put him into a warm bed, gave him a glass or two of warm punch, and he came round amazingly. He caused me to survey his neck a hundred times I am sure; and I had no doubt that he had been strangled, for there was a purple ring round it, which in some places was black, and a little swollen; his voice creaked like a door-hinge, and his features were still distorted. He swore terribly at both the Doctor and myself; but nothing put him half so mad as the idea of the quicklime being poured over him, and particularly over his face. I am mistaken if that experiment does not serve him for a theme of execration as long as he lives."

2

“ So he is then alive, you say?" I deposited that in the coffin, screwed asked the Fiscal.

down the lid, and left it, and the fu« O yes, sir ! alive and tolerably well, neral followed in due course, the whole considering. We two have had several of which the laird viewed from my bottles together in my quiet room; for window, and gave the Doctor a hearty I have still kept him concealed, to see day's cursing for daring to support his what the Docior would do next. He head and lay it in the grave. And this, is in terror for him somehow, until gentlemen, is the substance of what I sixty days be over from some date that know concerning this enormous deed, he talks of, and seems assured that which is I think quite sufficient. The that dog will have his life by hook or laird bound me to secrecy until such crook, unless he can bring him to the time as he could bring matters to a gállows betimes, and he is absent on proper bearing for securing of the Doc that business to-day. One night late tor; but as you have forced it from ly, when fully half-seas over, he set me, you must stand my surety, and off to the schoolhouse, and frightened answer the charges against me. the Dominie ; and last night he went The laird arrived that night with up to the stable, and gave old Broad proper authority, and a number of čast a hearing for not keeping his mare officers, to have the Doctor, his sonwell enough.

in-law, taken into custody ; but the “ It appeared that some shaking bird had flown ; and from that day motion in the coffining of him had forth he was never seen, so as to be brought him to himself, after bleed recognised in Scotland. The laird ing abundantly both at mouth and lived many years after that ; and nose; that he was on his feet ere ever though the thoughts of the quicklime he knew how he had been disposed of, made him drink a great deal, yet from and was quite shocked at seeing the that time he never suffered himself to open coffin on the bed, and himself get quite drunk, lest some one might dressed in his grave-clothes, and all in have taken it into his head to hang one bath of blood. He flew to the door, him, and he not know anything about but it was locked outside; she rap- it. The Dominie acknowledged that ped furiously for something to drink; it was as impracticable to calculate but the room was far removed from what might happen in human afany inbabited part of the house, and fairs as to square the circle, which none regarded." So he had nothing for could only be effected by knowing the it but to open the window, and come ratio of the circumference to the radithrough the garden and the back loan- us. For shoeing horses, vending news, ing to my workshop. And as I had and awarding proper punishments, got orders to bring a bucket-full of the smith to this day just beats the quicklime, I went over in the fore- world. And old John Broadcast is as night with a bucket-full of heavy gra- thankful to Heaven as ever that things vel, as much as I could carry, and a are as they are. little white lime sprinkled on the top Mount-Benger, May 15. of it; and being let in by the Doctor,

K

VOL. XXII.

A SUBALTERN IN AMERICA.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE progress of our shooting excursion having brought us into contact with a greater number of trees than were supposed to adorn this desolate spot of earth, an early hour on the morning of the 19th saw several working parties sally forth, bill-hook in hand, to fell them. The expedition was not undertaken in vain. In less than a couple of hours the whole of the south side of the island was rendered as bare and bleak as the side on which we had landed, whilst the bivouac presented the appearance of a timber-merchant's yard, so numerous were the trees, bushes, and shrubs which were dragged into it. It is probably needless to add, that of the fuel thus procured, the greatest possible care was taken. Like the food and liquor, it was put under the charge of constituted authorities; and logs and branches were regularly served out to every mess, proportionate in quantity to the numbers of the men who composed it.

I know not whether the Commissary General considered himself indebted to our spirit of adventure for this very, valuable accession to the resources of the army, but he either gave, or appeared to give, to my friend and myself, a larger portion of fire-wood, than, strictly speaking, ought to have come to our share. Among the pieces issued out, there were, I recollect, some six or eight long pine stakes, not unlike the poles with which the Kentish farmers support their hops, and the Spanish vine-dressers their grapes. In the true spirit of veterans, we determined not to throw these away by burning them. On the contrary, we set our servants to work, drove the stakes into the ground, in bee-hive fashion, with the upper extremity inclining towards one another: and filling up the interstices with reeds brought from the swamp, we contrived to erect a hut, capable of affording shelter not only from the cold winds which occasionally blew, but from the rain. Of this we prepared to take possession towards sunset; but Dr Baxter, the chief medical officer, happening to be an acquaintance of ours, very

kindly offered us a corner in his hospital tent, and the offer was a great deal too valuable to be rejected. We resigned our own habitation to certain of our less fortunate comrades, and gladly followed our host.

Let me give here some description of the domicile into which we were introduced. It was a large marquee, constructed of spars, oars, and sails of boats. The interior might measure about thirty or forty feet in length; in breadth perhaps half that extent; and in height something less than twelve feet. Being composed of double folds of canvass, it was extremely warm, and perfectly proof against the weather. Its furniture consisted of casks, pack-saddles, sacks filled with stores of different kinds, canteens, linen-chests, and cases of surgical instruments. There was no table, nor any boards which might be substituted for a table; but a quantity of dry reeds overspread the ground, and af forded a very comfortable sofa for its inhabitants. As yet there were neither sick nor wounded to occupy it. On the contrary, as night closed in, numbers of hale and healthy persons, all of them claiming acquaintance with the Doctor, presented themselves at the door, and our hospitable friend made no scruple about receiving them all. Lamps being lighted, a cask of excellent brandy was broached, and with the aid of pipes and cigars, and an ample flow of good-humour, we passed several hours after a fashion which reminded us precisely of the many agreeable evenings which we had spent in winter-quarters upon the Douro and the Nivelle.

Such was our condition from the evening of the 16th to the morning of the 21st of December. On the 20th, indeed, the whole army was reviewed, and a new disposition of the troops so far effected, that, instead of three, it was divided into two brigades, and what was termed the permanent advance. On the 21st, there came in to the camp four or five American offcers, who had deserted from General Jackson's army, and proposed to follow our fortunes, whilst a few war

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »