ry of another child. When tears and entreaties could
not prevail, and Claverhouse had shot him dead, I am
credibly informed the widow said to him, 'Well, sir, you
must give an account of what you have done.' Claverhouse
answered, 'To men I can be answerable, and as for God, I'll
take him into my own hand.' I am well informed that
Claverhouse himself frequently acknowledged afterwards that
John Brown's prayer left such impressions upon his spirit
that he could never get altogether worn off, when he gave
himself liberty to think of it."[54]

Patrick Walker, the pedlar, writing a very few years after Wodrow (whom
he notices only to abuse for his inaccuracy and backsliding), and
professing to have got his version from the wife, tells a different
tale. "Claverhouse," he says, "ordered six soldiers to shoot him. The
most part of the bullets came upon his head, which scattered his brains
upon the ground." Of any refusal, or even disinclination, on the part of
the soldiers to obey their orders there is not a word. Then we have
Claverhouse's own report to Queensberry, written two days later from
Galston, a village between Kilmarnock and Ayr.

"On Friday last, amongst the hills betwixt Douglas and the
Ploughlands, we pursued two fellows a great way through the
mosses, and in end seized them. They had no arms about them,
and denied they had any. But being asked if they would take
the abjuration, the eldest of the two, called John Brown,
refused it; nor would he swear not to rise in arms against
the King, but said he knew no king. Upon which, and there
being found bullets and match in his house, and treasonable
papers, I caused shoot him dead; which he suffered very
unconcernedly. The other, a young fellow and his nephew,
called John Brownen, offered to take the oath, but would not
swear that he had not been at Newmills in arms, at rescuing
of the prisoners. So I did not know what to do with him. I
was convinced that he was guilty, but saw not how to proceed
against him. Wherefore, after he had said his prayers, and
carabines presented to shoot him, I offered to him that, if
he would make an ingenuous confession, and make a discovery
that might be of any importance for the King's service, I
should delay putting him to death, and plead for him. Upon
which he confessed that he was at that