se Logan's executors, to
whom Heddilstane, but not Rentoun, was in debt. Sprot's words are
important. 'He omitted nothing that was in the original' (Logan's
memorandum on business matters), 'but _eikit_' (added) 'two articles to
his copy, the one concerning Ninian Chirnside' (as to a dangerous
plot-letter lost by Bower), 'the other, where the Laird ordered Bower to
tear his missive letters. _He grants that he wrote another copy with his
course hand_, _copied from his copy_, and gave it to the goodman of
Rentoun,' while the copy given to Heddilstane 'was of his counterfeited
writing,' an imitation of Logan's hand.

[Picture: Handwriting of Logan (January 1585-6)]

Perhaps Sprot had two methods and scales of blackmail. For one, he
invented damning facts, and wrote them out in imitation of Logan's
writing. The other species was cheaper: a copy in his 'course hand' of
his more elaborate forgeries in Logan's hand. Now the two copies of
Letters I and IV, which, at the end of his life, as we shall see, Sprot
attested by signed endorsements, were in his 'course hand.' He had them
ready for customers, when he was arrested in April 1608, and they were
doubtless found in his 'kist' on the day before his death, with the
alleged original of Letter IV. Up to August 11, at a certain hour,
Government had neither the alleged original, nor Sprot's 'course hand
copy' of Letter IV, otherwise he would not have needed to quote IV from
memory, as he did on that occasion.

Among these minor forgeries, to be used in blackmailing operations, was a
letter nominally from Logan to one Ninian or Ringan Chirnside. This man
was a member of the family of Chirnside of Easter Chirnside; his own
estate was Whitsumlaws. All these Chirnsides and Humes of Berwickshire
were a turbulent and lawless gang, true borderers. Ninian is addressed,
by Logan, as 'brother;' they were most intimate friends. It was Ninian
who (as the endorsement shows) produced our Letter V, on April 19; he had
purchased it, for the usual ends, from Sprot, being a great debtor (as
Logan's will proves) to his estate.

To track these men through the background of history is to have a notion
of the Day of Judgment. Old forgotten iniquities and adventures leap to
light. Chirnside, like Logan and the Douglases of Whittingham, and John
Colville, and the Laird of Spot, had followed the fortunes of wild Frank
Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, and nephew of the Bothwell of Q