e himself away, therefore,
from Meg's good fare and kind words, and mounted his nag, having first
examined his pistols, and tried by the ramrod whether the charge
remained in them.

He proceeded a mile or two, at a round trot, when, as the Waste
stretched black before him, apprehensions began to awaken in his mind,
partly arising out of Meg's unusual kindness, which he could not help
thinking had rather a suspicious appearance. He therefore resolved to
reload his pistols, lest the powder had become damp; but what was his
surprise, when he drew the charge, to find neither powder nor ball,
while each barrel had been carefully filled with _tow_, up to the space
which the loading had occupied! and, the priming of the weapons being
left untouched, nothing but actually drawing and examining the charge
could have discovered the inefficiency of his arms till the fatal minute
arrived when their services were required. Charlie reloaded his pistols
with care and accuracy, having now no doubt that he was to be waylaid
and assaulted. He was not far engaged in the Waste, which was then, and
is now, traversed only by such routes as are described in the text, when
two or three fellows, disguised and variously armed, started from a
moss-hag, while, by a glance behind him (for, marching, as the Spaniard
says, with his beard on his shoulder, he reconnoitred in every
direction), Charlie instantly saw retreat was impossible, as other two
stout men appeared behind him at some distance. The Borderer lost not a
moment in taking his resolution, and boldly trotted against his enemies
in front, who called loudly on him to stand and deliver. Charlie spurred
on, and presented his pistol. "A fig for your pistol!" said the foremost
robber, whom Charlie to his dying day protested he believed to have been
the landlord of Mumps's Hall--"A fig for your pistol! I care not a curse
for it."--"Ay, lad," said the deep voice of Fighting Charlie, "but the
_tow's out now_". He had no occasion to utter another word; the rogues,
surprised at finding a man of redoubted courage well armed, instead of
being defenceless, took to the moss in every direction, and he passed on
his way without further molestation.

SCOTT.

* * * * *

THE PORTEOUS MOB.

The magistrates, after vain attempts to make themselves heard and
obeyed, possessing no means of enforcing their author