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Chapter 18
“Hoot!”saidAlan,“theman’saWhig,naedoubt;butIwouldneverdenyhewasagoodchieftaintohisclan.AndwhatwouldtheclanthinkiftherewasaCampbellshot,andnaebodyhanged,andtheirownchieftheJusticeGeneral?ButIhaveoftenobserved,”saysAlan,“thatyouLow-countrybodieshavenoclearideaofwhat’srightandwrong.”
AtthisIdidatlastlaughoutaloud,whentomysurprise,Alanjoinedin,andlaughedasmerrilyasmyself.
“Na,na,”saidhe,“we’reintheHielands,David;andwhenItellyetorun,takemywordandrun.Naedoubtit’sahardthingtoskulkandstarveintheHeather,butit’sharderyettolieshackledinared-coatprison.”
Iaskedhimwhitherweshouldflee;andashetoldme“totheLowlands,”Iwasalittlebetterinclinedtogowithhim;for,indeed,Iwasgrowingimpatienttogetbackandhavetheupper-handofmyuncle.Besides,Alanmadesosuretherewouldbenoquestionofjusticeinthematter,thatIbegantobeafraidhemightberight.Ofalldeaths,Iwouldtrulylikeleasttodiebythegallows;andthepictureofthatuncannyinstrumentcameintomyheadwithextraordinaryclearness(asIhadonceseenitengravedatthetopofapedlar’sballad)andtookawaymyappetiteforcourtsofjustice.
“I’llchanceit,Alan,”saidI.“I’llgowithyou.”
“Butmindyou,”saidAlan,“it’snosmallthing.Yemaunliebareandhard,andbrookmanyanemptybelly.
