The Cornhill Magazine (Volume 94) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1906. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... 266 ON WINDY HILL. BY HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE. CHAPTER IV. HOW THE LONG NIGHT ENDED. The hours passed. Captain Hurst, careful enough of his men, as a good officer should be, arranged the watches so that each of his troopers in turn snatched a two-hours sleep. For himself, he slept not at all, but waited doggedly in the draughty hall for the sound of the least footfall on stair or passage. And Donald shared his vigil. 'As ye'll ken, ' explained the old man, settling himself in a straight-backed chair that faced Hurst across the hearth--' as ye'll ken, we both have to guard the house.' 'You explained as much before, I think, ' said the other drily. Surprised as he was by Donald's tacit air of an authority equal with his own at Windy Hall, Hurst could not but be tickled, in a grim fashion, by the man's way of putting the matter. 'The dead master owned little, ' went on Donald; 'but what gear he had I'm pledged to watch over. And 'tis likelier work, come to think of it, than guarding a bird that's flown to the bounie hills by now.' 'If the bird lias flown.' Hurst, truth to tell, did not find company of any sort come amiss, for it served at least to aid him in keeping his eyes away from sleep. 'You are flattering, moreover, to doubt my honesty.' 'Doot your honesty?' Again there was the deep, inimitable air of Scots theology about the man. 'Why should I no doot all men's honesty? We're poor folk at the best, and at the worst we're fore-ordained to damnation, as ye well ken--or should do. Though, when I'm telling ye there's doot of all men's honesty, I'll beg ye to observe there are men who stand free o' all such doot.' 'Indeed?' 'Oh, ay. Sir Peter, while he was living, Prince Charlie, and maybe old Donald here, who's talking to ye o' matters ye'll never in this world k...