exposed to spulzie and
depredation from common thieves and sorners, while we are not allowed to
keep half a score of muskets, whether for defence or rescue.'

Bailie Macwheeble entered immediately afterwards, and by his report of
arms and ammunition confirmed this statement, informing the Baron, in a
melancholy voice, that though the people would certainly obey his
honour's orders, yet there was no chance of their following the gear to
ony guid purpose, in respect there were only his honour's body servants
who had swords and pistols, and the depredators were twelve Highlanders,
completely armed after the manner of their country. Having delivered this
doleful annunciation, he assumed a posture of silent dejection, shaking
his head slowly with the motion of a pendulum when it is ceasing to
vibrate, and then remained stationary, his body stooping at a more acute
angle than usual, and the latter part of his person projecting in
proportion.

The Baron, meanwhile, paced the room in silent indignation, and at length
fixing his eye upon an old portrait, whose person was clad in armour, and
whose features glared grimly out of a huge bush of hair, part of which
descended from his head to his shoulders, and part from his chin and
upper-lip to his breast-plate,--'That gentleman, Captain Waverley, my
grandsire,' he said, 'with two hundred horse,--whom he levied within his
own bounds, discomfited and put to the rout more than five hundred of
these Highland reivers, who have been ever lapis offensionis et petra
scandali, a stumbling-block and a rock of offence, to the Lowland
vicinage--he discomfited them, I say, when they had the temerity to
descend to harry this country, in the time of the civil dissensions, in
the year of grace sixteen hundred forty and two. And now, sir, I, his
grandson, am thus used at such unworthy hands.'

Here there was an awful pause; after which all the company, as is usual
in cases of difficulty, began to give separate and inconsistent counsel.
Alexander ab Alexandro proposed they should send some one to compound
with the Caterans, who would readily, he said, give up their prey for a
dollar a head. The Bailie opined that this transaction would amount to
theft-boot, or composition of felony; and he recommended that some canny
hand should be sent up to the glens to make the best bargain he could, as
it were for himself, so that the Laird might not be seen in such a
transaction. Edward proposed to send off