elf between them. 'What extravagant folly is
this?' he said. 'Put up your weapon, captain. Is this a time to indulge
in drunken brawls, or is such a miserable object as that a fitting
antagonist for a man of courage?'

'I beg pardon,' said the captain, sheathing his weapon--'I was a little
bit out of the way, to be sure; but to know the provocation, a man must
read my heart, and that I hardly dare to do myself. But the wretch is
safe from me. Heaven has done its own vengeance on us both.'

While he spoke in this manner, Peter Peebles, who had at first crept
behind Redgauntlet in bodily fear, began now to reassume his spirits.
Pulling his protector by the sleeve, 'Mr. Herries--Mr. Herries,' he
whispered, eagerly, 'ye have done me mair than ae gude turn, and if ye
will but do me anither at this dead pinch, I'll forgie the girded keg of
brandy that you and Captain Sir Harry Redgimlet drank out yon time. Ye
sall hae an ample discharge and renunciation, and, though I should see
you walking at the Cross of Edinburgh, or standing at the bar of the
Court of Justiciary, no the very thumbikins themselves should bring to
my memory that ever I saw you in arms yon day.'

He accompanied this promise by pulling so hard at Redgauntlet's cloak,
that he at last turned round. 'Idiot! speak in a word what you want.'

'Aweel, aweel. In a word, then,' said Peter Peebles, 'I have a warrant
on me to apprehend that man that stands there, Alan Fairford by name,
and advocate by calling. I bought it from Maister Justice Foxley's
clerk, Maister Nicholas Faggot, wi' the guinea that you gied me.

'Ha!' said Redgauntlet, 'hast thou really such a warrant? let me see it.
Look sharp that no one escape, Cristal Nixon.'

Peter produced a huge, greasy, leathern pocketbook, too dirty to
permit its original colour to be visible, filled with scrolls of notes,
memorials to counsel, and Heaven knows what besides. From amongst this
precious mass he culled forth a paper, and placed it in the hands of
Redgauntlet, or Herries, as he continued to call him, saying, at the
same time, 'It's a formal and binding warrant, proceeding on my affidavy
made, that the said Alan Fairford, being lawfully engaged in my service,
had slipped the tether and fled over the Border, and was now lurking
there and thereabouts, to elude and evite the discharge of his bounden
duty to me; and therefore granting warrant to constables and others,
to seek for, take, and apprehend him, that