ad to
fear was a-wearin' out me 'osses afore we reached the Border. At two
o'clock we stopped and baited, and the young Captain he give me the tip.
He says, "Don't go _too_ fast," he ses; "they won't be arter us for an
hour or two yet, if they come at all. I've given 'em summut else to look
for fust," 'e ses, "and it'll take 'em all their time."

Weil, there ain't no need to make a long story out o' our run to
Scotland; we got there safe enough arter imaginin' as we was follered by
highwaymen, and goblins, and soldiers, and hall sorts o' other hevil
sperits, which were nothink but fancy arter all.

Why, bless yer, we 'adn't no real need to fear; the young Captain he
were one too many for 'em, he were, in more ways nor one. Afore he came
away he smashed a big hole in the ice, in the middle of the lake, and
put 'is 'at and Miss Dora's muff on the edge of the hole; and they were
a-breaking up the ice and dragging the lake all Chris'mas Day instead of
a-follerin' us.

Next thing came the weddin' in the blacksmith's shop, where the young
Captain took our darling Dora all to hisself, with ne'er a bridesmaid
but me to give 'er away and everythink else. Poor little Dora, she
fainted right off ag'in directly it were all over; and the young Captain
he flushed up regular, like one o' them hero chaps as they put in books.
I never see such a change in any one afore or since. 'E seemed as if 'e
could do anything now Miss Dora were hall 'is own. I tell yer, sir, you
can't fight nothing like 'arf so 'ard for yourself as yer can if you've
got some one else to fight for.

After the weddin', the Captain put up at the "Blacksmith's Arms," where
'e writes a long letter to ole Sir Markham, and one to your father,
Master 'Arry, which he give me to deliver, and with which I started 'ome
ag'in.

Ole Sir Markham never forgave the young Captain for a-runnin' off wi'
Miss Dora, and if it 'adn't 'a' bin for your father, Master 'Arry, I
shouldn't never 'a' come back to the 'All. Arter that they went abroad
to some foreign place as I never heerd of, and they lost track of 'em up
at the 'All too arter a bit; though I know as your father, Master 'Arry,
used to send 'em lots o' things without Sir Markham a-knowin' anythink
about it. And then came the letter with the black edge as said as our
Dora 'ad died o' one of them furren fevers as I didn't even know the
name of, and arter that we never heard no more. Poor ole Sir Markham
began to break up we