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Catriona-Part17_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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bound me hand and foot with some strong line, and cast me on a tussock



of bent. There they sat about their captive in a part of a circle and

gazed upon him silently like something dangerous, perhaps a lion or a



tiger on the spring. Presently this attention was relaxed. They drew

nearer together, fell to speech in the Gaelic, and very cynically



divided my property before my eyes. It was my diversion in this time

that I could watch from my place the progress of my friend's escape. I



saw the boat come to the brig and be hoisted in, the sails fill, and

the ship pass out seaward behind the isles and by North Berwick.



In the course of two hours or so, more and more ragged Highlandmen kept

collecting. Neil among the first, until the party must have numbered



near a score. With each new arrival there was a fresh bout of talk,

that sounded like complaints and explanations; but I observed one



thing, none of those who came late had any share in the division of my

spoils. The last discussion was very violent and eager, so that once I



thought they would have quarrelled; on the heels of which their company

parted, the bulk of them returning westward in a troop, and only three,



Neil and two others, remaining sentries on the prisoner.

"I could name one who would be very ill pleased with your day's work,



Neil Duncanson," said I, when the rest had moved away.

He assured me in answer I should be tenderly used, for he knew he was



"acquent wi' the leddy."

This was all our talk, nor did any other son of man appear upon that



portion of the coast until the sun had gone down among the Highland

mountains, and the gloaming was beginning to grow dark. At which hour



I was aware of a long, lean, bony-like Lothian man of a very swarthy

countenance, that came towards us among the bents on a farm horse.



"Lads," cried he, "has ye a paper like this?" and held up one in his

hand. Neil produced a second, which the newcomerstudied through a



pair of horn spectacles, and saying all was right and we were the folk

he was seeking, immediately dismounted. I was then set in his place,



my feet tied under the horse's belly, and we set forth under the

guidance of the Lowlander. His path must have been very well chosen,



for we met but one pair - a pair of lovers - the whole way, and these,

perhaps taking us to be free-traders, fled on our approach. We were at



one time close at the foot of Berwick Law on the south side; at

another, as we passed over some open hills, I spied the lights of a



clachan and the old tower of a church among some trees not far off, but

too far to cry for help, if I had dreamed of it. At last we came again



within sound of the sea. There was moonlight, though not much; and by

this I could see the three huge towers and broken battlements of



Tantallon, that old chief place of the Red Douglases. The horse was

picketed in the bottom of the ditch to graze, and I was led within, and



forth into the court, and thence into the tumble-down stone hall. Here

my conductors built a brisk fire in the midst of the pavement, for



there was a chill in the night. My hands were loosed, I was set by the

wall in the inner end, and (the Lowlander having produced provisions) I



was given oatmeal bread and a pitcher of French brandy. This done, I

was left once more alone with my three Highlandmen. They sat close by



the fire drinking and talking; the wind blew in by the breaches, cast

about the smoke and flames, and sang in the tops of the towers; I could



hear the sea under the cliffs, and, my mind being reassured as to my

life, and my body and spirits wearied with the day's employment, I



turned upon one side and slumbered.

I had no means of guessing at what hour I was wakened, only the moon



was down and the fire was low. My feet were now loosed, and I was

carried through the ruins and down the cliff-side by a precipitous path



to where I found a fisher's boat in a haven of the rocks. This I was

had on board of, and we began to put forth from the shore in a fine



starlight

CHAPTER XIV - THE BASS



I HAD no thought where they were taking me; only looked here and there

for the appearance of a ship; and there ran the while in my head a word



of Ransome's - the TWENTY-POUNDERS. If I were to be exposed a second

time to that same former danger of the plantations, I judged it must



turn ill with me; there was no second Alan; and no second shipwreck and

spare yard to be expected now; and I saw myself hoe tobacco under the



whip's lash. The thought chilled me; the air was sharp upon the water,

the stretchers of the boat drenched with a cold dew: and I shivered in



my place beside the steersman. This was the dark man whom I have

called hitherto the Lowlander; his name was Dale, ordinarily called



Black Andie. Feeling the thrill of my shiver, he very kindly handed me

a rough jacket full of fish-scales, with which I was glad to cover



myself.

"I thank you for this kindness," said I, "and will make so free as to






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