Laurie
thought me mad, and held me by the cloak-lap till the cloth rave in
his hand; and so I banged in right before the king just as he mounted,
and crammed the Sifflication into his hand, and he opened it like in
amaze; and just as he saw the first line, I was minded to make a
reverence, and I had the ill luck to hit his jaud o' a beast on the
nose with my hat, and scaur the creature, and she swarved aside, and
the king, that sits na mickle better than a draff-pock on the saddle,
was like to have gotten a clean coup, and that might have cost my
craig a raxing-and he flung down the paper amang the beast's feet, and
cried, 'Away wi' the fause loon that brought it!' And they grippit me,
and cried treason; and I thought of the Ruthvens that were dirked in
their ain house, for, it may be, as small a forfeit. However, they
spak only of scourging me, and had me away to the porter's lodge to
try the tawse on my back, and I was crying mercy as loud as I could;
and the king, when he had righted himself on the saddle, and gathered
his breath, cried to do me nae harm; for, said he, he is ane of our
ain Norland stots, I ken by the rowt of him,--and they a' laughed and
rowted loud eneugh. And then he said, 'Gie him a copy of the
Proclamation, and let him go down to the North by the next light
collier, before waur come o't.' So they let me go, and rode out, a
sniggering, laughing, and rounding in ilk ither's lugs.
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