the villain a guinea, instead of the broken head he deserved. He desired me to "bide a wee, and he would fetch me the siller in a moment." I guessed the space of time his moment was likely to occupy, and therefore he had no sooner turned his back than I rode off. Owing either to the hurry I was in, or that my memory at that point failed me, I entered upon the Glasgow road, instead of pursuing the one which leads to Selkirk and Edinburgh; and had proceeded some miles before I discovered my mistake. I was determined not to retrace my steps a yard, and turned down a lane which led in the direction of the road I sought; and I hoped that a couple of hours would bring me upon it just where it enters the deep bosom of Eskdale.

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The lane was about a mile long, and terminated at a farm-house, round which when I had ridden, I found myself in a large field. Here my distresses began; darkness came apace; I could scarcely distinguish the hedges about me, and my horse snorted and shyed as he passed the black cattle which lay on the ground quietly resting for the night. It was difficult and dangerous to leap or scramble over the fences, whose dark outline I could only just perceive; but greater dangers pressed me from behind, and I knew not where to find the difficulties less. Sometimes I was delayed many minutes in a field, unable to find a break in the fence through which I could push my horse; sometimes we got into a bog, and had great difficulty in regaining the firm ground; and sometimes a wide brook with high precipitous banks would make us wander far out of the direction I wished to pursue. How I wished that the moon would arise, as we stumbled on in the dark and bitterly cursed an existence that was dark, and devious, and bateful, as the trackless scenes I now traversed. My horse grew sensibly tired with his difficult and irregular progress; but generously laboured on, struggling to preserve the life of him who had slain his master. At last the moon arose, shedding her mild light over the savage scenery amid which I now rode, and disclosed a path, which I blessed her for shewing. The good horse trotted briskly forward; and at length we descended a steep and wooded hill, one of the sides of a deep vals;

I saw at once that I was only in Liddesdale, though I had expected to have emerged much further north; and now we arrived at a narrow bridge which crossed the Liddel, where I paused, and dismounted, and slackened the girths of my steed, and allowed him a few moments' respite.

I stood upon the ancient bridge; the moon just looked over the lofty hills, and down upon the bed of the river, which far reflected her image, and danced and sparkled in her rays. I looked around; on either side of the bridge, but at some distance from it, the winding of the stream causes the opposite banks to unite in appearance, giving to the spot the likeness of a little lake, whose sides are clothed down to the water's edge with graceful woods, through which at intervals starts the naked rock, like the head of the bald eagle rising from amid his plumage. It is a beautiful spot, and I had known it well in other days; but now its undisturbed solitude, and the cold rays of the unsympathising moon struck a chill to my heart, and made me keenly feel the loneliness and helplessness of my condition. The imminency of danger seemed to be still nigher, and I began to droop beneath the heaviness of despair. The foreboding was just, -for now the solemn stillness of night was broken by the deep baying of a hound. I started, and listened with breathless attention. After a time it came on the ear again, nearer and louder; and I fancied I could distinguish the faint hollo of men. The frightful idea rushed to my mind-they are hunting me with a bloodhound, as they would track a hare with beagles! I sprung to the saddle, struck my spurless heels into the sides of my horse, and made him gallop along the road. On we went; Johnnie Armstrong's tower was soon left behind; and as we passed it I could not help thinking that many a man had heretofore, like myself, been hunted up Liddesdale. But they had strongholds to flee to, friends and vassals to succour and avenge; I had neither friend nor resting-place, nor hope of sympathy or aid. I knew not whither to turn my steps, and my steed was weary with travel, and myself faint for want of sustenance. The moon seemed to eye me coldly, and shed her effulgence upon

of the night. And now we approached the grave of the famous freebooter; it is just at the edge of a wood, where there might formerly have been a chapel or kirk; but nothing now remains save a few tombstones to mark the burial-place of the wilderness. Opposite this spot I thought I remembered a path which led over the wilds to the town of Hermitage, where I hoped I might meet with a stage-coach, or hit upon some other expedient to baffle my pursuers; I therefore dashed from the high road, breasted the rapid Liddel, and made for an opening in the hills. The ascent was awfully steep and difficult, and my horse floundered and laboured so much in the thick heather, that I got off, and led him. There was no path that I could find, and we toiled long to reach the brow of the hill, which seemed only more distant as I approached it; twice I sank to the earth in despair, resolved to abide my destiny; but hope returned with the momentary cessation of fatigue, and the instinct of life impelled me to another effort. On we struggled, and at length gained the summit: here I again sank down, gasping with weariness, whilst my good steed, with expanded nostrils, and the sweat dropping from every hair, drooped his head beside me.

It was at the entrance to Eskdale. I lay some minutes, when I was aroused by the deep bay of the hound, which the echoing hills tossed from side to side. I started to my elbow, and listened with such intense eagerness that I could hear distinctly every pulsation of my heart; and the perspiration broke on my forehead in cold drops. With ear and mouth open, and every sense alive, I listened : again the hollow sound rose on the air, and I fancied the animal stood on the brink of the river at the spot where I had crossed; I became sure that I was the object of his pursuit. It was then a long continuous howl, as though he were at fault, and disappointed of his prey; soon it sank to a low, broken murmur, as if he were choking; but I knew he was only swimming the stream. There was a moment's pause, but again a short, sharp, eager bark, followed by the continual roll, yo! yo! yo! of his accursed voice, told me that my thirsty enemy had recovered the

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broad, desolate waste, in what I considered to be the direction of Hermitage. Here and there a stunted and blasted tree, which served as a landmark for the shepherd, appeared upon the barren plain, and was the only object that met the eye. It was not long before another dell crossed my way, and down its steep and broken side I hurried, until I reached a swamp at the bottom, where I thought I was lost, and with difficulty contrived to reach the bed of the narrow rivulet which pervaded it. Along its course I held my way for about half a mile, and then scrambled through the morass on the other side, and toiled up the opposing hill; and then, pausing in the shade of a few birch-trees, gave my poor jaded horse a little rest. The moonbeams shone brightly over the waste, and I could see distinctly the long ridge on the other side of the valley, and watched it with eagerness. I had not been stationary many minutes before I again heard the baying of the hound, and soon after I fancied I could distinguish his form, as for an instant it appeared on my path, crossing the sharp line of the hill, and then vanished in the gloom of the hither side. The shadow was speedily followed by the figures of four men on horseback, whose gigantic forms, as they were seen for a few moments in strong relief on the crown of the hill, filled me with bitter forebodings, and urged me to hurry on my course.

My gallant horse, though sorely spent, continued to bear himself nobly. Över hill and dale, through bog and brook, for many a mile, he held his course with unabated speed; but his sinews, though strong, were not of iron; and at last, though his courage failed not, his strength was almost gone: he had battled long with fatigue, and now he reeled beneath his burden. I dismounted, and led him: despair had taken fast hold of my heart; but yet I struggled on instinctively, and would not give up until utterly unable to crawl a step further. I had no thought but of escaping; the sense of present danger swallowed up all the other thoughts which so long had been accustomed solely to prey upon my soul. I felt as though the hound already had his fangs in my haunches, and I pushed forward with redoubled energy, in a delirium of an

And now, nearer, and more distinct as it rose from a vale, and ascended to the level plain on which I was running, burst on my ear the infernal yo! yo! yo! of the accursed hell-hound. I sprung upon my horse, and, delirious with fear, kicked him with my heels, beat him with my hands, and cursed him in agony. I pulled handsful of hair from his sides; but he only answered with a groan, as he staggered forward in the last struggles of exertion. I am not a coward naturally; I have often sought danger, and courted death. But we look upon death at different times with different eyes,the very act of flight has such an effect upon the spirits that the most courageous becomes a coward whilst endeavouring to escape. Had I resolved to turn back upon my enemies, and meet them hand to hand, my courage would instantly have returned, and I should have fought and fallen like a man, scorning every offer of quarter. But I knew that the only shadow of a chance for escape lay in flight, and as long as I could flee I determined to hold on.

not to move.

Yo! yo! yo! The hound seemed close behind me. I gasped with terror; I leaned forward, reaching over my horse's head, and urging him on with frenzied exertions; but he seemed I flung myself from the saddle, and rushed along the plain almost mad with excess of fear; I had not time to turn my head to see how far the avenger was from me. I was unarmed and helpless, and I knew he would tear me in pieces as soon as he reached me. I felt as the hare may be supposed to feel when the dogs are gaining upon her. I strained every nerve, panting with toil; my heavy limbs seemed to have lost their energy, and though I fled along wondrously fast, I felt as though I made no progress, and strove to redouble my speed. I thought I heard the hell-dog panting behind me, and almost shrieked with agony. I felt his strong breath as he seemed to leap to my shoulder, about to pull me to the ground, and I bounded from beneath him. On, on I ran; dark grew my mind-a mist came over my eyes-I saw not, felt not, but only ran. At last I came suddenly upon the brow of a steep declivity; consciousness returned sufficiently to enable me to see it; down I leaped for some distance-caught hold of a bush, which saved me from going head

long to the bottom, and ran for several hundred yards along a narrow path which intersected it horizontally. The path, which was merely a sheep-track, wound round a steep projection; my foot slipped, down I rolled, over, and over, and over-bump, bump, bump-bruised, dizzy, senseless. At last I plumped upon a gorse-bush at the bottom of the hill, where I found myself lying when restored to my senses. It is extraordinary that all the bones in my body were not smashed; but I had escaped with only a score or two contusions. I managed to scramble to my legs, and discovered that I was close to a public road. The moon had sunk--morning appeared; I heard nothing of my pursuers, and supposed that the poor horse had arrested the career of the hound.

I crawled along the road, but had not proceeded a quarter of a mile before I heard the sound of wheels behind me; I stood still, and soon became aware that a coach was approaching. Hope was rekindled within me; a tumult of joy flooded my heart. I was so fearful lest the coachman should pass by without seeing me that, before he drew nigh, I began to shout, and order him to stop; and when he continued to drive on, and even passed me before he pulled up, I began to rave like a madman, uttered the most incoherent threats, at the top of my voice, and should certainly have fainted had not the vehicle stopped. After a short parley, and several curses for the noise I had made, I was desired to get inside, as there was no room out; and was not long in obeying.

I went by this coach to York; there I entered another, which took me safely to London, whence I was not long in making my escape to France.

Ten years have elapsed since the foregoing was written. I am become a changed being. Six years ago, whilst wandering in a remote corner of Switzerland, I became acquainted with a Protestant clergyman. An accident brought us together; he tended me during sickness, and when I recovered he insisted upon my remaining with him. He saw my sorrows, he poured balm into my wounds, he drew me forth from the pit of despair, and attracted to my path the averted beams of heaven, and lit my heart with the brightness of hope. Yes, he taught me