continued the captive agriculturist, relieving his heart by
talking, though he well knew it was to little purpose,--"to be sure, for
my part, I hae nae right to be here ava', for I never did nor said a word
against either king or curate; but my mither, puir body, couldna haud the
auld tongue o' her, and we maun baith pay for't, it's like."

"Your mother is their prisoner likewise?" said Morton, hardly knowing
what he said.

"In troth is she, riding ahint ye there like a bride, wi' that auld carle
o' a minister that they ca' Gabriel Kettledrummle--Deil that he had been
in the inside of a drum or a kettle either, for my share o' him! Ye see,
we were nae sooner chased out o' the doors o' Milnwood, and your uncle
and the housekeeper banging them to and barring them ahint us, as if we
had had the plague on our bodies, that I says to my mother, What are we
to do neist? for every hole and bore in the country will be steekit
against us, now that ye hae affronted my auld leddy, and gar't the
troopers tak up young Milnwood. Sae she says to me, Binna cast doun, but
gird yoursell up to the great task o' the day, and gie your testimony
like a man upon the mount o' the Covenant."

"And so I suppose you went to a conventicle?" said Morton.

"Ye sall hear," continued Cuddie.--"Aweel, I kendna muckle better what to
do, sae I e'en gaed wi' her to an auld daft carline like hersell, and we
got some water-broo and bannocks; and mony a weary grace they said, and
mony a psalm they sang, or they wad let me win to, for I was amaist
famished wi' vexation. Aweel, they had me up in the grey o' the morning,
and I behoved to whig awa wi' them, reason or nane, to a great gathering
o' their folk at the Miry-sikes; and there this chield, Gabriel
Kettledrummle, was blasting awa to them on the hill-side, about lifting
up their testimony, nae doubt, and ganging down to the battle of Roman
Gilead, or some sic place. Eh, Mr Henry! but the carle gae them a screed
o' doctrine! Ye might hae heard him a mile down the wind--He routed like
a cow in a fremd loaning.--Weel, thinks I, there's nae place in this
country they ca' Roman Gilead--it will be some gate in the west
muirlands; and or we win there I'll see to slip awa wi' this mither o'
mine, for I winna rin my neck into a tether for ony Kettledrummle in the
country side--Aweel," continued Cuddie, relieving himself by detailing
his misfortunes, without being scrupulous concerning the degree of
attention whi