n 17,000 persons had
suffered for attending field meetings, either by fine, imprisonment, or
death.

Such was the state of matters when the party of dragoons under command
of Sergeant Glendinning rode towards the Mitchells' cottage, which was
not far from Black's farm. The body of soldiers being too small to
venture to interrupt the communion on Skeoch Hill, Glendinning had been
told to wait in the neighbourhood and gather information while his
officer, Captain Houston, went off in search of reinforcements.

"There's the auld sinner himsel'," cried the Sergeant as the party came
in sight of an old, whitehaired man seated on a knoll by the side of the
road. "Hallo! Jock Mitchell, is that you? Come doon here directly, I
want to speak t'ye."

The old man, being stone deaf, and having his back to the road, was not
aware of the presence of the dragoons, and of course took no notice of
the summons.

"D'ye hear!" shouted the Sergeant savagely, for he was ignorant of the
old man's condition.

Still Mitchell did not move. Glendinning, whose disposition seemed to
have been rendered more brutal since his encounter with Wallace, drew a
pistol from his holster and presented it at Mitchell.

"Answer me," he shouted again, "or ye're a deed man."

Mitchell did not move... There was a loud report, and next moment the
poor old man fell dead upon the ground.

It chanced that Ramblin' Peter heard the report, though he did not
witness the terrible result, for he was returning home from the
Mitchells' cottage at the time, after escorting Jean Black and Aggie
Wilson thither. The two girls, having been forbidden to attend the
gathering on Skeoch Hill, had resolved to visit the Mitchells and spend
the Sabbath with them. Peter had accompanied them and spent the greater
part of the day with them, but, feeling the responsibility of his
position as the representative of Andrew Black during his absence, had
at last started for home.

A glance over a rising ground sufficed to make the boy turn sharp round
and take to his heels. He was remarkably swift of foot. A few minutes
brought him to the cottage door, which he burst open.

"The sodgers is comin', grannie!" (He so styled the old woman, though
she was no relation.)

"Did ye see my auld man?"

"No."

"Away wi' ye, bairns," said Mrs. Mitchell quickly but quietly. "Oot by
the back door an' doon the burnside; they'll niver see ye for the
busses."

"But, grannie, we cann