nd her new guardian, who pursued in silence, and with great speed,
the least-frequented path to the Heugh-foot, and ere evening closed, set
down the fatigued and terrified damsel within a quarter of a mile of the
dwelling of her friends. Many and sincere were the congratulations which
passed on all sides.

As these emotions subsided, less pleasing considerations began to
intrude themselves.

"This is a miserable place for ye a'," said Hobbie, looking around him;
"I can sleep weel eneugh mysell outby beside the naig, as I hae done
mony a lang night on the hills; but how ye are to put yoursells up, I
canna see! And what's waur, I canna mend it; and what's waur than a',
the morn may come, and the day after that, without your being a bit
better off."

"It was a cowardly cruel thing," said one of the sisters, looking round,
"to harry a puir family to the bare wa's this gate."

"And leave us neither stirk nor stot," said the youngest brother, who
now entered, "nor sheep nor lamb, nor aught that eats grass and corn."

"If they had ony quarrel wi' us," said Harry, the second brother, "were
we na ready to have fought it out? And that we should have been a' frae
hame, too,--ane and a' upon the hill--Odd, an we had been at hame, Will
Graeme's stamach shouldna hae wanted its morning; but it's biding him,
is it na, Hobbie?"

"Our neighbours hae taen a day at the Castleton to gree wi' him at the
sight o' men," said Hobbie, mournfully; "they behoved to have it a'
their ain gate, or there was nae help to be got at their hands."

"To gree wi' him!" exclaimed both his brothers at once, "after siccan an
act of stouthrife as hasna been heard o' in the country since the auld
riding days!"

"Very true, billies, and my blood was e'en boiling at it; but the sight
o' Grace Armstrong has settled it brawly."

"But the stocking, Hobbie'" said John Elliot; "we're utterly ruined.
Harry and I hae been to gather what was on the outby land, and there's
scarce a cloot left. I kenna how we're to carry on--We maun a' gang
to the wars, I think. Westburnflat hasna the means, e'en if he had the
will, to make up our loss; there's nae mends to be got out o' him, but
what ye take out o' his banes. He hasna a four-footed creature but the
vicious blood thing he rides on, and that's sair trash'd wi' his night
wark. We are ruined stoop and roop."

Hobbie cast a mournful glance on Grace Armstrong, who returned it with a
downcast look and a gentle sigh.