you will understand what I mean when I tell
you that I'm Baldy Hutchinson."

"Baldy Hutchinson!" echoed the king, wrinkling his brows, trying to
remember where he had heard that name before, then with sudden
enlightenment,--

"What, not the man who is to be hanged to-day at St. Ninians?"

"The very same, so you see that all the gold ever minted is of
little use to a man with a tightening rope round his neck." And
the comicality of the situation again overcoming Mr. Hutchinson,
his robust sides shook once more with laughter.

The king stopped in the middle of the road and stared at his companion
with amazement.

"Surely you are aware," he said at last, "that you are on the direct
road to St. Ninians?"

"Surely, surely," replied Baldy, "and you remind me, that we must not
stand yammering here, for there will be a great gathering there to see
the hanging. All my friends are there now, and if I say it, who
shouldn't, I've more friends than possibly any other man in this part
of Scotland."

"But, do you mean that you are going voluntarily to your own hanging?
Bless my soul, man, turn in your tracks and make for across the
Border."

Hutchinson shook his head.

"If I had intended to do that," he said, "I could have saved myself
many a long step yesterday and this morning, for I was a good deal
nearer the Border than I am at this moment. No, no, you see I have
passed my word. The sheriff gave me a week among my own friends to
settle my worldly affairs, and bid the wife and the bairns good-bye.
So I said to the sheriff, 'I'm your man whenever you are ready for
the hanging.' Now, the word of Baldy Hutchinson has never been broken
yet, and the sheriff knew it, although I must admit he swithered long
ere he trusted it on an occasion like this. But at last he said to me,
'Baldy,' says he, 'I'll take your plighted word. You've got a week
before you, and you must just go and come as quietly as you can, and
be here before the clock strikes twelve on Friday, for folk'll want to
see you hanged before they have their dinners.' And that's what way
I'm in such a hurry now, for I'm feared the farmers will be gathered,
and that it will be difficult for me to place myself in the hands of
the sheriff without somebody getting to jalouse what has happened."

"I've heard many a strange tale," said the king, "but this beats
anything in my experience."

"Oh there's a great deal to be picked up by tramping the roads,"
replied Hutchins