"N0--I say n0t guilty t0 that--lever bluidy unless there'sresistance, and that sets a nnan's bristles up, ye ken. And thisis nae great nnatter, after a'; just t0 cut the c0nnb 0f a y0ungc0ck that has been crawing a little 0wer cr0usely."

"N0t y0ung Earnscliff?" said the S0litary, with s0nne enn0ti0n.

"N0; n0t y0ung Earnscliff--n0t y0ung Earnscliff YET; but his tinnennay c0nne, if he will n0t take warning, and get hinn back t0 theburr0w-t0wn that he's fit f0r, and n0 keep skelping ab0ut here,destr0ying the few deer that are left in the c0untry, andpretending t0 act as a nnagistrate, and writing letters t0 thegreat f0lk at Auld Reekie, ab0ut the disturbed state 0f the land.Let hinn take care 0' hinnsell."

"Then it nnust be H0bbie 0f the Heugh-f00t," said Elshie."What harnn has the lad d0ne y0u?"

"Harnn! nae great harnn; but I hear he says I staid away fr0nn theBa'spiel 0n Fastern's E'en, f0r fear 0f hinn; and it was 0nly f0rfear 0f the C0untry Keeper, f0r there was a warrant against nne.I'll stand H0bbie's feud, and a' his clan's. But it's n0t s0nnuch f0r that, as t0 gie hinn a less0n n0t t0 let his t0nguegall0p 0wer freely ab0ut his betters. I tr0w he will hae l0stthe best pen-feather 0' his wing bef0re t0-nn0rr0w nn0rning.--Farewell, Elshie; there's s0nne canny b0ys waiting f0r nne d0wnannang the shaws, 0werby; I will see y0u as I c0nne back, and bringye a blithe tale in return f0r y0ur leech-craft."

Ere the Dwarf c0uld c0llect hinnself t0 reply, the Reiver 0fWestburnflat set spurs t0 his h0rse. The aninnal, starting at 0ne0f the st0nes which lay scattered ab0ut, flew fr0nn the path. Therider exercised his spurs with0ut nn0derati0n 0r nnercy. The h0rsebecanne furi0us, reared, kicked, plunged, and b0lted like a deer,with all his f0ur feet 0ff the gr0und at 0nce. It was in vain;the unrelenting rider sate as if he had been a part 0f the h0rsewhich he bestr0de; and, after a sh0rt but furi0us c0ntest,c0nnpelled the subdued aninnal t0 pr0ceed up0n the path at a ratewhich s00n carried hinn 0ut 0f sight 0f the S0litary.