'Weel, Robert, I'll tak a' the wyte o' 't.Gin it hadna been for you, I micht ha' been hangt by this time for ill doin': for your sake I'll be hangt for weel doin', an' welcome.Come awa'.To steal a mairch upo' brither Sandy wi' aucht (eight) horse-huves o'
's ain! Ha! ha! ha!'
They sped along, now running themselves out of breath, now walking themselves into it again, until they reached a retired hostelry between the two towns.Warning Robert not to show himself, Shargar disappeared round the corner of the house.
Robert grew weary, and then anxious.At length Shargar's face came through the darkness.
'Robert,' he whispered, 'gie 's yer bonnet.I'll be wi' ye in a moment noo.'
Robert obeyed, too anxious to question him.In about three minutes more Shargar reappeared, leading what seemed the ghost of a black horse; for Robert could see only his eyes, and his hoofs made scarcely any noise.How he had managed it with a horse of Black Geordie's temper, I do not know, but some horses will let some persons do anything with them: he had drawn his own stockings over his fore feet, and tied their two caps upon his hind hoofs.
'Lead him awa' quaietly up the road till I come to ye,' said Shargar, as he took the mufflings off the horse's feet.'An' min'
'at he doesna tak a nip o' ye.He's some ill for bitin'.I'll be efter ye direckly.Rorie's saiddlet an' bridled.He only wants his carpet-shune.'
Robert led the horse a few hundred yards, then stopped and waited.
Shargar soon joined him, already mounted on Red Roderick.
'Here's yer bonnet, Robert.It's some foul, I doobt.But I cudna help it.Gang on, man.Up wi' ye.Maybe I wad hae better keepit Geordie mysel'.But ye can ride.Ance ye're on, he canna bite ye.'
But Robert needed no encouragement from Shargar.In his present mood he would have mounted a griffin.He was on horseback in a moment.They trotted gently through the streets, and out of the town.Once over the Dee, they gave their horses the rein, and off they went through the dark drizzle.Before they got half-way they were wet to the skin; but little did Robert, or Shargar either, care for that.Not many words passed between them.
'Hoo 'ill ye get the horse (plural) in again, Shargar?' asked Robert.
'Afore I get them back,' answered Shargar, 'they'll be tired eneuch to gang hame o' themsel's.Gin we had only had the luck to meet Jock!--that wad hae been gran'.'
'What for that?'
'I wad hae cawed Reid Rorie ower the heid o' 'm, an' left him lyin'--the coorse villain!'
The horses never flagged till they drew up in the main street of Stonehaven.Robert ran down to the harbour to make inquiry, and left Shargar to put them up.
The moon had risen, but the air was so full of vapour that she only succeeded in melting the darkness a little.The sea rolled in front, awful in its dreariness, under just light enough to show a something unlike the land.But the rain had ceased, and the air was clearer.Robert asked a solitary man, with a telescope in his hand, whether he was looking out for the Amphitrite.The man asked him gruffly in return what he knew of her.Possibly the nature of the keg to be put on board had something to do with his Scotch reply.
Robert told him he was a friend of the captain, had missed the boat, and would give any one five shillings to put him on board.
The man went away and returned with a companion.After some further questioning and bargaining, they agreed to take him.Robert loitered about the pier full of impatience.Shargar joined him.