Harrison completed the quota of men which fell to the
share of Lady Margaret Bellenden, as life-rentrix of the barony of
Tillietudlem and others. But when the steward, on the morning of the
eventful day, had mustered his _troupe dore_ before the iron gate of the
tower, the mother of Cuddie Headrigg the ploughman appeared, loaded with
the jackboots, buff coat, and other accoutrements which had been issued
forth for the service of the day, and laid them before the steward;
demurely assuring him, that "whether it were the colic, or a qualm of
conscience, she couldna tak upon her to decide, but sure it was, Cuddie
had been in sair straits a' night, and she couldna say he was muckle
better this morning. The finger of Heaven," she said, "was in it, and her
bairn should gang on nae sic errands." Pains, penalties, and threats of
dismission, were denounced in vain; the mother was obstinate, and Cuddie,
who underwent a domiciliary visitation for the purpose of verifying his
state of body, could, or would, answer only by deep groans. Mause, who
had been an ancient domestic in the family, was a sort of favourite with
Lady Margaret, and presumed accordingly. Lady Margaret had herself set
forth, and her authority could not be appealed to. In this dilemma, the
good genius of the old butler suggested an expedient.

"He had seen mony a braw callant, far less than Guse Gibbie, fight brawly
under Montrose. What for no tak Guse Gibbie?"

This was a half-witted lad, of very small stature, who had a kind of
charge of the poultry under the old henwife; for in a Scottish family of
that day there was a wonderful substitution of labour. This urchin being
sent for from the stubble-field, was hastily muffled in the buff coat,
and girded rather to than with the sword of a full-grown man, his little
legs plunged into jack-boots, and a steel cap put upon his head, which
seemed, from its size, as if it had been intended to extinguish him. Thus
accoutred, he was hoisted, at his own earnest request, upon the quietest
horse of the party; and, prompted and supported by old Gudyill the
butler, as his front file, he passed muster tolerably enough; the sheriff
not caring to examine too closely the recruits of so well-affected a
person as Lady Margaret Bellenden.

To the above cause it was owing that the personal retinue of Lady
Margaret, on this eventful day, amounted only to two lacqueys, with which
diminished train she would, on any other occasion, have b