the black dwarf-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


man　stood　gazing　on　this　horrible　apparition；　until；　with　an　angry　countenance；　the　being　demanded　by　what　right　he　intruded　himself　on　those　hills；　and　destroyed　their　harmless　inhabitants。　　The　perplexed　stranger　endeavoured　to　propitiate　the　incensed　dwarf；　by　offering　to　surrender　his　game；　as　he　would　to　an　earthly　Lord　of　the　Manor。　　The　proposal　only　redoubled　the　offence　already　taken　by　the　dwarf；　who　alleged　that　he　was　the　lord　of　those　mountains；　and　the　protector　of　the　wild　creatures　who　found　a　retreat　in　their　solitary　recesses；　and　that　all　spoils　derived　from　their　death；　or　misery；　were　abhorrent　to　him。　　The　hunter　humbled　himself　before　the　angry　goblin；　and　by　protestations　of　his　ignorance；　and　of　his　resolution　to　abstain　from　such　intrusion　in　future；　at　last　succeeded　in　pacifying　him。　　The　gnome　now　became　more　communicative；　and　spoke　of　himself　as　belonging　to　a　species　of　beings　something　between　the　angelic　race　and　humanity。　　He　added；　moreover；　which　could　hardly　have　been　anticipated；　that　he　had　hopes　of　sharing　in　the　redemption　of　the　race　of　Adam。　　He　pressed　the　sportsman　to　visit　his　dwelling；　which　he　said　was　hard　by；　and　plighted　his　faith　for　his　safe　return。　　But　at　this　moment；　the　shout　of　the　sportsman's　companion　was　heard　calling　for　his　friend；　and　the　dwarf；　as　if　unwilling　that　more　than　one　person　should　be　cognisant　of　his　presence；　disappeared　as　the　young　man　emerged　from　the　dell　to　join　his　comrade。

It　was　the　universal　opinion　of　those　most　experienced　in　such　matters；　that　if　the　shooter　had　accompanied　the　spirit；　he　would；　notwithstanding　the　dwarf's　fair　pretences；　have　been　either　torn　to　pieces；　or　immured　for　years　in　the　recesses　of　some　fairy　hill。

Such　is　the　last　and　most　authentic　account　of　the　apparition　of　the　Black　Dwarf。＇



CHAPTER　II。

　Will　none　but　Hearne　the　Hunter　serve　your　turn？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MERRY　WIVES　OF　WINDSOR。

In　one　of　the　most　remote　districts　of　the　south　of　Scotland；　where　an　ideal　line；　drawn　along　the　tops　of　lofty　and　bleak　mountains；　separates　that　land　from　her　sister　kingdom；　a　young　man；　called　Halbert；　or　Hobbie　Elliot；　a　substantial　farmer；　who　boasted　his　descent　from　old　Martin　Elliot　of　the　Preakin…tower；　noted　in　Border　story　and　song；　was　on　his　return　from　deer…　stalking。　　The　deer；　once　so　numerous　among　these　solitary　wastes；　were　now　reduced　to　a　very　few　herds；　which；　sheltering　themselves　in　the　most　remote　and　inaccessible　recesses；　rendered　the　task　of　pursuing　them　equally　toilsome　and　precarious。　　There　were；　however；　found　many　youth　of　the　country　ardently　attached　to　this　sport；　with　all　its　dangers　and　fatigues。　　The　sword　had　been　sheathed　upon　the　Borders　for　more　than　a　hundred　years；　by　the　peaceful　union　of　the　crowns　in　the　reign　of　James　the　First　of　Great　Britain。　　Still　the　country　retained　traces　of　what　it　had　been　in　former　days；　the　inhabitants；　their　more　peaceful　avocations　having　been　repeatedly　interrupted　by　the　civil　wars　of　the　preceding　century；　were　scarce　yet　broken　in　to　the　habits　of　regular　industry；　sheep…farming　had　not　been　introduced　upon　any　considerable　scale；　and　the　feeding　of　black　cattle　was　the　chief　purpose　to　which　the　hills　and　valleys　were　applied。　　Near　to　the　farmer's　house；　the　tenant　usually　contrived　to　raise　such　a　crop　of　oats　or　barley；　as　afforded　meal　for　his　family；　and　the　whole　of　this　slovenly　and　imperfect　mode　of　cultivation　left　much　time　upon　his　own　hands；　and　those　of　his　domestics。　　This　was　usually　employed　by　the　young　men　in　hunting　and　fishing；　and　the　spirit　of　adventure；　which　formerly　led　to　raids　and　forays　in　the　same　districts；　was　still　to　be　discovered　in　the　eagerness　with　which　they　pursued　those　rural　sports。

The　more　high…spirited　among　the　youth　were；　about　the　time　that　our　narrative　begins；　expecting；　rather　with　hope　than　apprehension；　an　opportunity　of　emulating　their　fathers　in　their　military　achievements；　the　recital　of　which　formed　the　chief　part　of　their　amusement　within　doors。　　The　passing　of　the　Scottish　act　of　security　had　given　the　alarm　of　England；　as　it　seemed　to　point　at　a　separation　of　the　two　British　kingdoms；　after　the　decease　of　Queen　Anne；　the　reigning　sovereign。　　Godolphin；　then　at　the　head　of　the　English　administration；　foresaw　that　there　was　no　other　mode　of　avoiding　the　probable　extremity　of　a　civil　war；　but　by　carrying　through　an　incorporating　union。　　How　that　treaty　was　managed；　and　how　little　it　seemed　for　some　time　to　promise　the　beneficial　results　which　have　since　taken　place　to　such　extent；　may　be　learned　from　the　history　of　the　period。　　It　is　enough　for　our　purpose　to　say；　that　all　Scotland　was　indignant　at　the　terms　on　which　their　legislature　had　surrendered　their　national　independence。　　The　general　resentment　led　to　the　strangest　leagues　and　to　the　wildest　plans。　　The　Cameronians　were　about　to　take　arms　for　the　restoration　of　the　house　of　Stewart；　whom　they　regarded；　with　justice；　as　their　oppressors；　and　the　intrigues　of　the　period　presented　the　strange　picture　of　papists；　prelatists；　and　presbyterians；　caballing　among　themselves　against　the　English　government；　out　of　a　common　feeling　that　their　country　had　been　treated　with　injustice。　　The　fermentation　was　universal；　and；　as　the　population　of　Scotland　had　been　generally　trained　to　arms；　under　the　act　of　security；　they　were　not　indifferently　prepared　for　war；　and　waited　but　the　declaration　of　some　of　the　nobility　to　break　out　into　open　hostility。　　It　was　at　this　period　of　public　confusion　that　our　story　opens。

The　cleugh；　or　wild　ravine；　into　which　Hobbie　Elliot　had　followed　the　game；　was　already　far　behind　him；　and　he　was　considerably　advanced　on　his　return　homeward；　when　the　night　began　to　close　upon　him。　　This　would　have　been　a　circumstance　of　great　indifference　to　the　experienced　sportsman；　who　could　have　walked　blindfold　over　every　inch　of　his　native　heaths；　had　it　not　happened　near　a　spot；　which；　according　to　the　traditions　of　the　country；　was　in　extremely　bad　fame；　as　haunted　by　supernatural　appearances。　　To　tales　of　this　kind　Hobbie　had；　from　his　childhood；　lent　an　attentive　ear；　and　as　no　part　of　the　country　afforded　such　a　variety　of　legends；　so　no　man　was　more　deeply　read　in　their　fearful　lore　than　Hobbie　of　the　Heugh…foot；　for　so　our　gallant　was　called；　to　distinguish　him　from　a　round　dozen　of　Elliots　who　bore　the　same　Christian　name。　　It　cost　him　no　efforts；　therefore；　to　call　to　memory　the　terrific　incidents　connected　with　the　extensive　waste　upon　which　he　was　now　entering。　　In　fact；　they　presented　themselves　with　a　readiness　which　he　felt　to　be　somewhat　dismaying。

This　dreary　common　was　called　Mucklestane…Moor；　from　a　huge　column　of　unhewn　granite；　which　raised　its　massy　head　on　a　knell　near　the　centre　of　the　heath；　perhaps　to　tell　of　the　mighty　dead　who　slept　beneath；　or　to　preserve　the　memory　of　some　bloody　skirmish。　　The　real　cause　of　its　existence　had；　however；　passed　away；　and　tradition；　which　is　as　frequently　an　inventor　of　fiction　as　a　preserver　of　truth；　had　supplied　its　place　with　a　supplementary　legend　of　her　own；　which　now　came　full　upon　Hobbie's　memory。　　The　ground　about　the　pillar　was　strewed；　or　rather　encumbered；　with　many　large　fragments　of　stone　of　the　same　consistence　with　the　column；　which；　from　their　appearance　as　they　lay　scattered　on　the　waste；　were　popularly　called　the　Grey　Geese　of　Mucklestane…Moor。　　The　legend　accounted　for　this　name　and　appearance　by　the　catastrophe　of　a　noted　and　most　formidable　witch　who　frequented　these　hills　in　former　days；　causing　the　ewes　to　KEB；　and　the　kine　to　cast　their　calves；　and　performing　all　the　feats　of　mischief　ascribed　to　these　evil　beings。　　On　this　moor　she　used　to　hold　her　revels　with　her　sister　hags；　and　rings　were　still　pointed　out　on　which　no　grass　nor　heath　ever　grew；　the　turf　being；　as　it　were；　calcined　by　the　scorching　hoofs　of　their　diabolical　partners。

Once　upon　a　time　this　old　hag　is　said　to　have　crossed　the　moor；　driving　before　her　a　flock　of　geese；　which　she　proposed　to　sell　to　advantage　at　a　neighbouring　fair；for　it　is　well　known　that　the　fiend；　however　liberal　in　imparting　his　powers　of　doing　mischief；　ungenerously　leaves　his　allies　under　the　necessity　of　performing　the　meanest　rustic　labours　for　subsistence。　　The　day　was　far　advanced；　and　her　chance　of　obtaining　a　good　price　depended　on　her　being　first　at　the　market。　　But　the　geese；　which　had　hitherto　preceded　her　in　a　pretty　orderly　manner；　when　they　came　to　this　wide　common；　interspersed　with　marshes　and　pools　of　water；　scattered　in　every　direction；　to　plunge　into　the　element　in　which　they　delighted。　　Incensed　at　the　obstinacy　with　which　they　defied　all　her　efforts　to　collect　them；　and　not　remembering　the　precise　terms　of　the　contract　by　which　the　fiend　was　bound　to　obey　her　commands　for　a　certain　space；　the　sorceress　exclaimed；　〃Deevil；　that　neither　I　nor　they　ever　stir　from　this　spot　more！〃　The　words　were　hardly　uttered；　when；　by　a　metamorphosis　as　sudden　as　any　in　Ovid；　the　hag　and　her　refractory　flock　were　converted　into　stone；　the　angel　whom　she　served；　being　a　strict　formalist；　grasping　eagerly　at　an　opportunity　of　completing　the　ruin　of　her　body　and　soul