ned
at the Balmaghie to thole snash frae onybody."

At which I smiled, for well I knew Kate's reputation with her tongue.

"'This is Mardrochat's road, and by the King's command his business is
to question all comers. But it's not ill-gi'en words that he wad use wi'
twa sic bonny lassies!' says the loon in the cloak.

"'Dear sirs,' says I, 'fifty puddin's on a plate! Mardrochat maun be a
braw lad. Is he the King's hangman? It's an honourable and
well-considered office nowadays, they tell me.'

"'Satisfy me whar ye are gaun sae late,' says the ill-contriving chiel,
'an' maybes I'll convoy ye a bit o' the road. It shall never be said
that Mardrochat left twa weel-faured lassies them-lane in the howe o'
the nicht!'

"'Heighty-teighty,' I telled the man, 'oor coo's come hame, an' her
tail's ahint her! Stand oot o' the road an' let decent folk to their
beds!'

"'There's nae beds bena the heather that gate!' said the man. And faith,
there he was in the right of it. There were no beds except the
wanderers' beds in the moss-hags that road for twenty lang Scots miles.

"And all this time we were standing on the brig close to one another.

"'Let us gang by,' said I again.

"'Na,' said the long loon that had called himself Mardrochat, and wha I
kenned for an ill-set informer that made his siller by carrying tales to
Clavers and Lag, 'ye pass na this road. Ye maun e'en turn and come wi'
me!'

"And I think he would have come forward to put his hand upon us. But I
made to get past him at one side, crying to Maisie to try the other. For
I thought that the two of us were surely a match for any black thief of
the kind to be found in the Glenkens.

"But as I was running by, he grippit me with one hand and drew his
windlestrae of a sword wi' the other--drew it on a pair o' lassies, mind
ye. Then what think ye? Your bit lassie there, Missie Mim, she flew on
him like a wullcat and gripped the blade atween her fingers till she
drew it oot o' his hand. Then she took it across her knee and garred it
play _snap_ like a rotten branch. Syne ower it gaed intil the water. And
that was the way she got the cut on her hand, poor thing."

Then I gave a great shout and clasped Maisie in my arms, yet not
harshly, lest she should be weak. I was glad to hear this testimony to
her bravery.

"That is of a better fashion," said Kate, like one who has store of
experience. Then she went on with her story, for she had yet more to
tell. "But the