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re aye willing to slight puir Cuddie; but an I had asked him to oblige me in a thing, though it had been to cost his hanging, he wadna hae stude twice about it." "D--n Cuddie!" retorted the dragoon, "he'll be hanged in good earnest, I hope. I saw him today at Milnwood with his old puritanical b--of a mother, and if I had thought I was to have had him cast in my dish, I would have brought him up at my horse's tail--we had law enough to bear us out." "Very weel, very weel--See if Cuddie winna hae a lang shot at you ane o' thae days, if ye gar him tak the muir wi' sae mony honest folk. He can hit a mark brawly; he was third at the popinjay; and he's as true of his promise as of ee and hand, though he disna mak sic a phrase about it as some acquaintance o' yours--But it's a' ane to me--Come, cousin, we'll awa'." "Stay, Jenny; d--n me, if I hang fire more than another when I have said a thing," said the soldier, in a hesitating tone. "Where is the sergeant?" "Drinking and driving ower," quoth Jenny, "wi' the Steward and John Gudyill." "So, so--he's safe enough--and where are my comrades?" asked Halliday. "Birling the brown bowl wi' the fowler and the falconer, and some o' the serving folk." "Have they plenty of ale?" "Sax gallons, as gude as e'er was masked," said the maid. "Well, then, my pretty Jenny," said the relenting sentinel, "they are fast till the hour of relieving guard, and perhaps something later; and so, if you will promise to come alone the next time"--"Maybe I will, and maybe I winna," said Jenny; "but if ye get the dollar, ye'll like that just as weel." "I'll be d--n'd if I do," said Halliday, taking the money, howeve; "but it's always something for my risk; for, if Claverhouse hears what I have done, he will build me a horse as high as the Tower of Tillietudlem. But every one in the regiment takes what they can come by; I am sure Bothwell and his blood-royal shows us a good example. And if I were trusting to you, you little jilting devil, I should lose both pains and powder; whereas this fellow," looking at the piece, "will be good as far as he goes. So, come, there is the door open for you; do not stay groaning and praying with the young whig now, but be ready, when I call at the door, to start, as if they were sounding 'Horse and away.'" So speaking, Halliday unlocked the door of the closet, admitted Jenny and her pretended kinswoman, locked it behind them, and hastily reassumed th
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