I cried out upon my father to take me. And as his manner was, he told
me to inquire of my mother. But I desired rather that he should ask for
me himself. So I lingered about the doors till he should ride forth upon
his great black horse, that he might catch me up beside him on the
cantle and cry in at the door, "Mother, I am taking William," as was his
kindly wont. Never a man so brave and true and simple as my father.

While I bided there, Alexander my brother seeing me wait, called me to
come with him to the hill. But because my heart was set to ride to the
Duchrae with my father, I had no desire to go to the rabbit hunting. So
when he saw that I would not company with him, he mocked me and called
me "Lassie-boy!" Whereupon I smote him incontinent with a round pebble
between the shoulder-blades, and he pursued me to the hallan door within
which was my mother, looking to the maids and the ordering of the house.

From thence I mocked him, but under my breath, for fear that for
ill-doing my mother would not permit me to go to the Duchrae.

"Stable-boy!" I called him, for he loved to be ever among the lowns of
the wisp and currying comb, and as my mother said, grew like them even
in manners. "Faugh, keep wide from me, mixen-varlet!"

These were no more than our well-accustomed greetings.

"Wait till I catch you, little snipe, down by the water-side!" Sandy
cried, shaking his fist at me from the barn-end.

"And that will be a good day for your skin," answered I, "for I shall
make you wash your face thoroughly--ay, even behind your ears."

For Sandy, even when in after days he went a-courting, was noways
partial to having many comings and goings with a basin of cold water.

So he departed unsatisfied, because that in words I had the better of
him.

Then came my father, and as I expected, stooping from the saddle he
swung me up before him, supposing that I had already advised my mother.
But indeed I had not said so, and happily he asked me nothing.

"A good day and an easy mind, sweetheart," he cried up the stairs to my
mother, "I ride to the Duchrae for Conference. William goes with me for
company."

And my mother came down the steps to see us ride off. For my father and
she were like lad and lass after their years together, though not so as
to make a show before strangers.

"Watch warily for the dragoons as you come to the narrows of the Loch,"
she said, "and bide not at Kenmuir. For if there be mounted musket