d then ye
would quarrel with these gipsies too! I expect every day to hear the
barnyard's in a low.'

'I tell you once more, my dear, you don't understand these things--and
there's Frank Kennedy coming galloping up the avenue.'

'Aweel! aweel! Ellangowan,' said the lady, raising her voice as the Laird
left the room, 'I wish ye may understand them yoursell, that's a'!'

From this nuptial dialogue the Laird joyfully escaped to meet his
faithful friend, Mr. Kennedy, who arrived in high spirits. 'For the love
of life, Ellangowan,' he said, 'get up to the castle! you'll see that old
fox Dirk Hatteraick, and his Majesty's hounds in full cry after him.' So
saying, he flung his horse's bridle to a boy, and ran up the ascent to
the old castle, followed by the Laird, and indeed by several others of
the family, alarmed by the sound of guns from the sea, now distinctly
heard.

On gaining that part of the ruins which commanded the most extensive
outlook, they saw a lugger, with all her canvass crowded, standing across
the bay, closely pursued by a sloop of war, that kept firing upon the
chase from her bows, which the lugger returned with her stern-chasers.
'They're but at long bowls yet,' cried Kennedy, in great exultation, 'but
they will be closer by and by. D--n him, he's starting his cargo! I see
the good Nantz pitching overboard, keg after keg! That's a d--d ungenteel
thing of Mr. Hatteraick, as I shall let him know by and by. Now, now!
they've got the wind of him! that's it, that's it! Hark to him! hark to
him! Now, my dogs! now, my dogs! Hark to Ranger, hark!'

'I think,' said the old gardener to one of the maids, 'the ganger's fie,'
by which word the common people express those violent spirits which they
think a presage of death.

Meantime the chase continued. The lugger, being piloted with great
ability, and using every nautical shift to make her escape, had now
reached, and was about to double, the headland which formed the extreme
point of land on the left side of the bay, when a ball having hit the
yard in the slings, the mainsail fell upon the deck. The consequence of
this accident appeared inevitable, but could not be seen by the
spectators; for the vessel, which had just doubled the headland, lost
steerage, and fell out of their sight behind the promontory. The sloop of
war crowded all sail to pursue, but she had stood too close upon the
cape, so that they were obliged to wear the vessel for fear of going
ashore