the black dwarf-第4节

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ls。　　He　was　mounted　on　a　large　strong　brown　mare；　rough　in　coat；　but　well　in　condition；　with　a　saddle　of　the　yeomanry　cut；　and　a　double…　bitted　military　bridle。　　The　man　who　accompanied　him　was　apparently　his　servant；　he　rode　a　shaggy　little　grey　pony；　had　a　blue　bonnet　on　his　head；　and　a　large　check　napkin　folded　about　his　neck；　wore　a　pair　of　long　blue　worsted　hose　instead　of　boots；　had　his　gloveless　hands　much　stained　with　tar；　and　observed　an　air　of　deference　and　respect　towards　his　companion；　but　without　any　of　those　indications　of　precedence　and　punctilio　which　are　preserved　between　the　gentry　and　their　domestics。　　On　the　contrary；　the　two　travellers　entered　the　court…yard　abreast；　and　the　concluding　sentence　of　the　conversation　which　had　been　carrying　on　betwixt　them　was　a　joint　ejaculation；　〃Lord　guide　us；　an　this　weather　last；　what　will　come　o'　the　lambs！〃　　The　hint　was　sufficient　for　my　Landlord；　who；　advancing　to　take　the　horse　of　the　principal　person；　and　holding　him　by　the　reins　as　he　dismounted；　while　his　ostler　rendered　the　same　service　to　the　attendant；　welcomed　the　stranger　to　Gandercleugh；　and；　in　the　same　breath；　enquired；　〃What　news　from　the　south　hielands？〃

〃News？〃　　said　the　farmer；　〃bad　eneugh　news；　I　think；an　we　can　carry　through　the　yowes；　it　will　be　a'　we　can　do；　we　maun　e'en　leave　the　lambs　to　the　Black　Dwarfs　care。〃

〃Ay；　ay；〃　subjoined　the　old　shepherd　（for　such　he　was）；　shaking　his　head；　〃he'll　be　unco　busy　amang　the　morts　this　season。〃

〃The　Black　Dwarf！〃　　said　MY　LEARNED　FRIEND　AND　PATRON；　Mr。　Jedediah　Cleishbotham；　〃and　what　sort　of　a　personage　may　he　be？〃

＇We　have；　in　this　and　other　instances；　printed　in　italics　（CAPITALS　in　this　etext）　some　few　words　which　the　worthy　editor；　Mr。　Jedediah　Cleishbotham；　seems　to　have　interpolated　upon　the　text　of　his　deceased　friend；　Mr。　Pattieson。　　We　must　observe；　once　for　all；　that　such　liberties　seem　only　to　have　been　taken　by　the　learned　gentleman　where　his　own　character　and　conduct　are　concerned；　and　surely　he　must　be　the　best　judge　of　the　style　in　which　his　own　character　and　conduct　should　be　treated　of。＇

〃Hout　awa；　man；〃　answered　the　farmer；　〃ye'll　hae　heard　o'　Canny　Elshie　the　Black　Dwarf；　or　I　am　muckle　mistaenA'　the　warld　tells　tales　about　him；　but　it's　but　daft　nonsense　after　a'I　dinna　believe　a　word　o't　frae　beginning　to　end。〃

〃Your　father　believed　it　unco　stievely；　though；〃　said　the　old　man；　to　whom　the　scepticism　of　his　master　gave　obvious　displeasure。

〃Ay；　very　true；　Bauldie；　but　that　was　in　the　time　o'　the　blackfacesthey　believed　a　hantle　queer　things　in　thae　days；　that　naebody　heeds　since　the　lang　sheep　cam　in。〃

〃The　mair's　the　pity；　the　mair's　the　pity；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Your　father；　and　sae　I　have　aften　tell'd　ye；　maister；　wad　hae　been　sair　vexed　to　hae　seen　the　auld　peel…house　wa's　pu'd　down　to　make　park　dykes；　and　the　bonny　broomy　knowe；　where　he　liked　sae　weel　to　sit　at　e'en；　wi'　his　plaid　about　him；　and　look　at　the　kye　as　they　cam　down　the　loaning；　ill　wad　he　hae　liked　to　hae　seen　that　braw　sunny　knowe　a'　riven　out　wi'　the　pleugh　in　the　fashion　it　is　at　this　day。〃

〃Hout；　Bauldie；〃　replied　the　principal；　〃tak　ye　that　dram　the　landlord's　offering　ye；　and　never　fash　your　head　about　the　changes　o'　the　warld；　sae　lang　as　ye're　blithe　and　bien　yoursell。〃

〃Wussing　your　health；　sirs；〃　said　the　shepherd；　and　having　taken　off　his　glass；　and　observed　the　whisky　was　the　right　thing；　he　continued；　〃It's　no　for　the　like　o'　us　to　be　judging；　to　be　sure；　but　it　was　a　bonny　knowe　that　broomy　knowe；　and　an　unco　braw　shelter　for　the　lambs　in　a　severe　morning　like　this。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　his　patron；　〃but　ye　ken　we　maun　hae　turnips　for　the　lang　sheep；　billie；　and　muckle　hard　wark　to　get　them；　baith　wi'　the　pleugh　and　the　howe；　and　that　wad　sort　ill　wi'　sitting　on　the　broomy　knowe；　and　cracking　about　Black　Dwarfs；　and　siccan　clavers；　as　was　the　gate　lang　syne；　when　the　short　sheep　were　in　the　fashion。〃

〃Aweel；　aweel；　maister；〃　said　the　attendant；　〃short　sheep　had　short　rents；　I'm　thinking。〃

Here　my　WORTHY　AND　LEARNED　patron　again　interposed；　and　observed；　〃that　he　could　never　perceive　any　material　difference；　in　point　of　longitude；　between　one　sheep　and　another。〃

This　occasioned　a　loud　hoarse　laugh　on　the　part　of　the　farmer；　and　an　astonished　stare　on　the　part　of　the　shepherd。

〃It's　the　woo'；　man；it's　the　woo'；　and　no　the　beasts　themsells；　that　makes　them　be　ca'd　lang　or　short。　　I　believe　if　ye　were　to　measure　their　backs；　the　short　sheep　wad　be　rather　the　langer…　bodied　o'　the　twa；　but　it's　the　woo'　that　pays　the　rent　in　thae　days；　and　it　had　muckle　need。〃

〃Odd；　Bauldie　says　very　true；short　sheep　did　make　short　rents　my　father　paid　for　our　steading　just　threescore　punds；　and　it　stands　me　in　three　hundred；　plack　and　bawbee。And　that's　very　trueI　hae　nae　time　to　be　standing　here　claveringLandlord；　get　us　our　breakfast；　and　see　an'　get　the　yauds　fedI　am　for　doun　to　Christy　Wilson's；　to　see　if　him　and　me　can　gree　about　the　luckpenny　I　am　to　gie　him　for　his　year…aulds。　　We　had　drank　sax　mutchkins　to　the　making　the　bargain　at　St。　Boswell's　fair；　and　some　gate　we　canna　gree　upon　the　particulars　preceesely；　for　as　muckle　time　as　we　took　about　itI　doubt　we　draw　to　a　pleaBut　hear　ye；　neighbour；〃　addressing　my　WORTHY　AND　LEARNED　patron；　〃if　ye　want　to　hear　onything　about　lang　or　short　sheep；　I　will　be　back　here　to　my　kail　against　ane　o'clock；　or；　if　ye　want　ony　auld…warld　stories　about　the　Black　Dwarf；　and　sic…like；　if　ye'll　ware　a　half　mutchkin　upon　Bauldie　there；　he'll　crack　t'ye　like　a　pen…gun。　　And　I'se　gie　ye　a　mutchkin　mysell；　man；　if　I　can　settle　weel　wi'　Christy　Wilson。〃

The　farmer　returned　at　the　hour　appointed；　and　with　him　came　Christy　Wilson；　their　difference　having　been　fortunately　settled　without　an　appeal　to　the　gentlemen　of　the　long　robe。　　My　LEARNED　AND　WORTHY　patron　failed　not　to　attend；　both　on　account　of　the　refreshment　promised　to　the　mind　and　to　the　body；　ALTHOUGH　HE　IS　KNOWN　TO　PARTAKE　OF　THE　LATTER　IN　A　VERY　MODERATE　DEGREE；　and　the　party；　with　which　my　Landlord　was　associated；　continued　to　sit　late　in　the　evening；　seasoning　their　liquor　with　many　choice　tales　and　songs。　　The　last　incident　which　I　recollect；　was　my　LEARNED　AND　WORTHY　patron　falling　from　his　chair；　just　as　he　concluded　a　long　lecture　upon　temperance；　by　reciting；　from　the　〃Gentle　Shepherd；〃　a　couplet；　which　he　RIGHT　HAPPILY　transferred　from　the　vice　of　avarice　to　that　of　ebriety：

　He　that　has　just　eneugh　may　soundly　sleep；　　The　owercome　only　fashes　folk　to　keep。

In　the　course　of　the　evening　the　Black　Dwarf　had　not　been　forgotten；　and　the　old　shepherd；　Bauldie；　told　so　many　stories　of　him；　that　they　excited　a　good　deal　of　interest。　　It　also　appeared；　though　not　till　the　third　punch…bowl　was　emptied；　that　much　of　the　farmer's　scepticism　on　the　subject　was　affected；　as　evincing　a　liberality　of　thinking；　and　a　freedom　from　ancient　prejudices；　becoming　a　man　who　paid　three　hundred　pounds　a…year　of　rent；　while；　in　fact；　he　had　a　lurking　belief　in　the　traditions　of　his　forefathers。　　After　my　usual　manner；　I　made　farther　enquiries　of　other　persons　connected　with　the　wild　and　pastoral　district　in　which　the　scene　of　the　following　narrative　is　placed；　and　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　recover　many　links　of　the　story；　not　generally　known；　and　which　account；　at　least　in　some　degree；　for　the　circumstances　of　exaggerated　marvel　with　which　superstition　has　attired　it　in　the　more　vulgar　traditions。

＇The　Black　Dwarf；　now　almost　forgotten；　was　once　held　a　formidable　personage　by　the　dalesmen　of　the　Border；　where　he　got　the　blame　of　whatever　mischief　befell　the　sheep　or　cattle。　　〃He　was；〃　says　Dr。　Leyden；　who　makes　considerable　use　of　him　in　the　ballad　called　the　Cowt　of　Keeldar；　〃a　fairy　of　the　most　malignant　orderthe　genuine　Northern　Duergar。〃　　The　best　and　most　authentic　account　of　this　dangerous　and　mysterious　being　occurs　in　a　tale　communicated　to　the　author　by　that　eminent　antiquary；　Richard　Surtees；　Esq。　of　Mainsforth；　author　of　the　HISTORY　OF　THE　BISHOPRIC　OF　DURHAM。

According　to　this　well…attested　legend；　two　young　Northumbrians　were　out　on　a　shooting　party；　and　had　plunged　deep　among　the　mountainous　moorlands　which　border　on　Cumberland。　　They　stopped　for　refreshment　in　a　little　secluded　dell　by　the　side　of　a　rivulet。　　There；　after　they　had　partaken　of　such　food　as　they　brought　with　them；　one　of　the　party　fell　asleep；　the　other；　unwilling　to　disturb　his　friend's　repose；　stole　silently　out　of　the　dell　with　the　purpose　of　looking　around　him；　when　he　was　astonished　to　find　himself　close　to　a　being　who　seemed　not　to　belong　to　this　world；　as　he　was　the　most　hideous　dwarf　that　the　sun　had　ever　shone　on。　　His　head　was　of　full　human　size；　forming　a　frightful　contrast　with　his　height；　which　was　considerably　under　four　feet。　　It　was　thatched　with　no　other　covering　than　long　matted　red　hair；　like　that　of　the　felt　of　a　badger　in　consistence；　and　in　colour　a　reddish　brown；　like　the　hue　of　the　heather…blossom。　　His　limbs　seemed　of　great　strength；　nor　was　he　otherwise　deformed　than　from　their　undue　proportion　in　thickness　to　his　diminutive　height。　　The　terrified　sportsman　stood　gazing　on　this　horrible　apparition；　until；　with　an　angry　countenance；　the　being　demanded　b