The Black Colonel Read online

  _II--Trapped by the Red-Coats_

  Never, in all my experience of the hills, their fragrant peace andtheir rude surprises, have I been so moved by an unexpected noise as Iwas then, standing with the Black Colonel in the black Pass. Partlythis was because the surprise was complete, being unheralded by arustle or a movement, but, still more, because it was the magic hour atwhich the womb of night moves to the birth of a new day.

  Mingle the void of heaven and earth, and the sense of unseen spaces;the long, sleeping mountains, with the drowsy trees that guard thefoot-hills; the caressing sigh of the wind, and, maybe, the murmur of astream flowing to the sea, and out of all this catch a whistle and itsanswer. They sounded strangely eerie as they died into the hills,touching us like the still small voice of the Scriptures and, also,like it, carrying a note of apprehension, even of awe.

  Under stress a mind moves instantly, and two thoughts leapt into mine,that a trap had been set for the Black Colonel, and that he mustsuspect me of it. To be sure I was, myself, within the wings of thattrap, but this perfect retort was like a gun in a bad position, itcould not be brought to bear. However, my own situation, peculiar as Irealized it to be, troubled me less, at the moment, than did the BlackColonel's thoughts, as I conceived them, about my honour, and I dosuggest that it would have been the same with any other gentleman.

  Ugly thoughts have a trick of riding double, and I fancied I heard himtrying his stirrup leathers and bridle, to be satisfied they were inorder. Even I thought I saw his hand drop down to his right garter,where a Highlander wears his skean-dhu, or short dirk, an ornamentmostly, with its Cairngoram stone in the handle, but likewise a solidweapon in an emergency, like the present.

  There, probably, I did him an injustice or, if his hand did make thefurtive inquiry, I could think wrongly of the reason behind it.Anyhow, he said never a word, hating to be openly suspicious, where, asI could have sworn, on my conscience, there was no reason forsuspicion, whatever might have happened among others, apart from me andmy night's doings.

  Thus we held our places, two unarmed men, for the Black Colonel hadsaid in his letter that he would come weaponless, as he expected me tocome, and a hose-dirk did not count, being, as I have said, in thefirst place, an ornament for a well-made leg, an Order of the Garter,to borrow an ancient title. We had met in the habiliments anddisposition of peace, and if we were to close in strife it would not, Ireasoned and hoped, be at our direct wish or bidding. Would it?

  He must have been asking himself the same question, for he broke thesilence in a changed voice which seemed doubly changed, because he hadto keep it low, lest it should be overheard, and what he said was, "Howcomes all this, sir?"

  "I don't know," I answered simply, naturally, truthfully, to hischarge, for it was a charge in words and in directness.

  "You don't," he went on, and I could not miss the tone which was likethe growl of a dog, an ill-natured dog; not like that of my own littleScots terrier, Rob, whose bark is only meant to give himself confidenceand never had the snap of biting in it.

  "You don't!" repeated the Black Colonel. "I must believe you, though asuspicious man might read the signs otherwise. Still, why should youhave kept the red-coats from their sleep this night and morn, in thecastles of Braemar and Corgarff? There is no reason, for a talkbetween Highland gentlemen, if so we be, about a Highland lady, whoseladyship is beyond doubt, needed no garrison as audience. No, no, ifthe red-coats had been summoned to round-up some poor Jacobite devil,say myself, Captain Ian Gordon would have been with his men, as asoldier should, much as he might--and I put this to his credit--havedisliked the mission."

  It was idle for me to pretend any misunderstanding of the BlackColonel's meaning. He was taunting me with suspicions which he wouldnot bring himself to believe, having a generous side to his nature, astate of mind that has inflicted much suffering on the human race, eversince the world began to go round. Mostly it occurs between men, forwomen are more elemental, more red in beak and claw, even when the clawis bejewelled, which indeed may give it another sharpness.

  Could I blame him? Not to his face, at all events, because that wouldbe to notice his challenge, to admit that it was not unnatural on hispart. Events must be my guarantee, and if there were to be no more,well, let him say quickly why he had asked me very specially to meethim on an urgent private affair. Yes, although it were to have acasual ending, such as characterizes half the affairs of life.

  Aye! good thinking, my friends, but our relations were cast in asterner mould, and they were not to take the road of well-being. Thisbecame manifest when the now growing dawn lightly touched the easterndoor of the Pass at its highest crag. The Black Colonel put his handto his eyes, using them as you would a spy-glass, made a hawk-likesweep of the point I have indicated, and murmured harshly, "A red-coat,ah!"

  Quickly he followed the wispy, growing light towards the western end ofthe Pass, and after another moment of hawkish searching growled: "Ared-coat there also! It has been shrewdly arranged, this affair,Captain Gordon. My congratulations, for you have earned them well, aswell, perhaps, as something else from me."

  I said nothing, and indeed I was too full of surprise to think, exceptin a wondering fashion. It was only by an effort of attention that Iheard the Black Colonel's further words, cursed out in a wrath not bredof any anxiety for himself, but, naturally enough, directed at me.

  "So the moving picture declares itself, my dear, thoughtful kinsman,"he hissed. "The red-coats from Braemar are at the western end of thePass, those from Corgarff are at the eastern end, and the Black Colonelis within somewhere--isn't he?--keeping a private meeting with anofficer in his Georgian Majesty's uniform, an officer and a gentleman!Shrewdly planned, as I say, shrewdly planned, and I suppose you want tointrigue me here until I cannot get away any more. Would you think oftrying to hold me yourself, eh? It would be like your adventurousspirit? No!"

  This was said with a rough sneer, and the Black Colonel made the stingsharper by adding, "You'll be thinking it an assured capture, with theends of the Pass sealed by red-coats and its sides so steep that onlythose tough sheep over there can climb them."

  "Truth," said I quickly, gaining my tongue, "will force you to eatthose words, for I knew nothing of all this. It will be a bitter mealfor you to digest, if I, by good chance, am there to assist you."

  "A Highland welcome will be yours," quoth he arrogantly; "a welcome aswarm as if I were to bring my riding whip round your shoulders now."

  His words, cracking as if they were a lash, stung me beyond endurance.I made a step to strike him, and we might have been at it, like commonbrawlers, only he saved us from that shame. He had been waiting withhis left foot in the stirrup. When I drove at him he swung on to theback of Mack, who turned half round, as a spirited horse does in theprocess of being mounted. This threw his big body between us, but theBlack Colonel leant down and said in my ear, "To our next meeting, mykinsman! May it be soon!"

  Then he rode for an opening in the undergrowth which braided the lowerslopes of the precipitous Pass, and I was left alone, a man alla-wonder, for events were growing beyond me, as they do when suddenlywe find our whole personal fortune, even our spiritual destiny, put tothe ordeal of the unexpected.