y up the
hill, where I was struck to the ground by the baker, after having been
foiled in an attempt which I had made to fling a handful of earth into
his eyes. All now appeared lost, the Auld Toon was in full retreat. I
myself lay at the baker's feet, who had just raised his spoke, probably
to give me the _coup de grace_,--it was an awful moment. Just then I
heard a shout and a rushing sound; a wild-looking figure is descending
the hill with terrible bounds; it is a lad of some fifteen years; he is
bare-headed, and his red uncombed hair stands on end like hedgehogs'
bristles: his frame is lithy, like that of an antelope, but he has
prodigious breadth of chest; he wears a military undress, that of the
regiment, even of a drummer, for it is wild Davy, whom a month before I
had seen enlisted on Leith Links to serve King George with drum and
drumstick as long as his services might be required, and who, ere a week
had elapsed, had smitten with his fist Drum-Major Elzigood, who, incensed
at his inaptitude, had threatened him with his cane; he has been in
confinement for weeks, this is the first day of his liberation, and he is
now descending the hill with horrid bounds and shoutings; he is now about
five yards distant, and the baker, who apprehends that something
dangerous is at hand, prepares himself for the encounter; but what avails
the strength of a baker, even full grown?--what avails the defence of a
wicker shield?--what avails the wheel-spoke, should there be an
opportunity of using it, against the impetus of an avalanche or a
cannon-ball?--for to either of these might that wild figure be compared,
which, at the distance of five yards, sprang at once with head, hands,
feet and body, all together, upon the champion of the New Town, tumbling
him to the earth amain. And now it was the turn of the Old Town to
triumph. Our late discomfited host, returning on its steps, overwhelmed
the fallen champion with blows of every kind, and then, led on by his
vanquisher, who had assumed his arms, namely, the wheel-spoke and wicker
shield, fairly cleared the brae of their adversaries, whom they drove
down headlong into the morass.

CHAPTER EIGHT

EXPERT CLIMBERS--THE CRAGS--SOMETHING RED--THE HORRIBLE EDGE--DAVID
HAGGART--FINE MATERIALS--VICTORY--EXTRAORDINARY ROBBER--RULING PASSION

Meanwhile I had become a daring cragsman, a character to which an English
lad has seldom opportunities of aspiring; for in England there