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I tell you we were glad to hear the thud of their hoofs, for we knew that that must stop the cannon for a minute and give us a chance of hitting back. And we hit back pretty hard too that time, for we were cold and vicious and savage, and I for one felt that I cared no more for the horsemen than if they had been so many sheep on Corriemuir.
On a shiny day I can see the glint of the brass work as it takes the curve near Corriemuir; and then, as I look out to sea, there is the same beast again, or a dozen of them maybe, leaving a trail of black in the air and of white in the water, and swimming in the face of the wind as easily as a salmon up the Tweed.
But now, of course, all these old keeps were warped and crumbling, and made fine nesting places for the wild birds. Many a good egg have I had for my collection out of the Corriemuir Peel Tower. One day I had been a very long walk, away over to leave a message at the Laidlaw Armstrongs, who live two miles on this side of Ayton.
"We'll do all we can to make you happy at West Inch," said I, playing with the whip. "I'm sure it's very kind of you to take a poor lonely girl in," said she. "It's very kind of you to come, Cousin Edie," I stammered. "You'll find it very dull, I fear." "I suppose it is a little quiet, Jack, eh? Not many men about, as I remember it." "There is Major Elliott, up at Corriemuir.
I came back to Corriemuir after I had bought my discharge, and there, when my father died, I took over the sheep-farm, and married Lucy Deane, of Berwick, and have brought up seven children, who are all taller than their father, and take mighty good care that he shall not forget it.
I was angry and hurt and sore, and I went out into the open without a word to my father, and climbed up on to the moors to cool my flushed face. When I got up to Corriemuir I caught my last glimpse of Cousin Edie. The little cutter still lay where she had anchored, but a rowboat was pulling out to her from the shore. In the stern I saw a flutter of red, and I knew that it came from her shawl.
From the top of Corriemuir hill you may see all the country round; so, catching up my stick, I swung off in that direction. It was bright, but cold, and the surf, I remember, was booming loudly, though there had been no wind in our parts for days.
And then I thought of how I caught an eel in the Corriemuir burn and chivied her about with it, until she ran screaming under my mother's apron half mad with fright, and my father gave me one on the ear-hole with the porridge stick which knocked me and my eel under the kitchen dresser. And these were the things that she missed!
"Guid sakes!" said the old man. "He'll make a fine practice for himsel', if breaking banes will do it." Cousin Edie laughed at all this, and I laughed because she did; but I was not so sure that it was funny. On the third day afterwards, I was going up Corriemuir by the sheep-track, when who should I see striding down but Jim himself.
His face was very grave, and behind him stood two sergeants, with long slips of paper and pencils in their hands. "Wake up, laddie," said the Major, quite in his old easy fashion, as if we were back on Corriemuir again. "Yes, Major?" I stammered. "I want you to come with me. I feel that I owe something to you two lads, for it was I that took you from your homes. Jim Horscroft is missing."
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