upon a chair, for his weakness prevented him from standing, beheld
Morton in the act of what he accounted apostasy.

"He hath summed his defection by owning the carnal power of the tyrant!"
he exclaimed, with a deep groan--"A fallen star!--a fallen star!"

"Hold your peace, sir," said the Duke, "and keep your ain breath to cool
your ain porridge--ye'll find them scalding hot, I promise you.--Call in
the other fellow, who has some common sense. One sheep will leap the
ditch when another goes first."

Cuddie was introduced unbound, but under the guard of two halberdiers,
and placed beside Macbriar at the foot of the table. The poor fellow cast
a piteous look around him, in which were mingled awe for the great men in
whose presence he stood, and compassion for his fellow-sufferers, with no
small fear of the personal consequences which impended over himself. He
made his clownish obeisances with a double portion of reverence, and then
awaited the opening of the awful scene.

"Were you at the battle of Bothwell Brigg?" was the first question which
was thundered in his ears.

Cuddie meditated a denial, but had sense enough, upon reflection, to
discover that the truth would be too strong for him; so he replied, with
true Caledonian indirectness of response, "I'll no say but it may be
possible that I might hae been there."

"Answer directly, you knave--yes, or no?--You know you were there."

"It's no for me to contradict your Lordship's Grace's honour," said
Cuddie.

"Once more, sir, were you there?--yes, or no?" said the Duke,
impatiently.

"Dear stir," again replied Cuddie, "how can ane mind preceesely where
they hae been a' the days o' their life?"

"Speak out, you scoundrel," said General Dalzell, "or I'll dash your
teeth out with my dudgeonhaft!--Do you think we can stand here all day to
be turning and dodging with you, like greyhounds after a hare?" [Note:
The General is said to have struck one of the captive whigs, when under
examination, with the hilt of his sabre, so that the blood gushed out.
The provocation for this unmanly violence was, that the prisoner had
called the fierce veteran "a Muscovy beast, who used to roast men."
Dalzell had been long in the Russian service, which in those days was no
school of humanity.]

"Aweel, then," said Cuddie, "since naething else will please ye, write
down that I cannot deny but I was there."

"Well, sir," said the Duke, "and do you think that the rising upon that