Old habitation, and filling the air with their doleful howls. "Now,
Killbuck," said Hobbie, "try thy skill this day," and then, as if a
light had suddenly broke on him,--"that ill-faur'd goblin spak something
o' this! He may ken mair o't, either by villains on earth, or devils
below--I'll hae it frae him, if I should cut it out o' his mis-shapen
bouk wi' my whinger." He then hastily gave directions to his comrades:
"Four o' ye, wi' Simon, haud right forward to Graeme's-gap. If they're
English, they'll be for being back that way. The rest disperse by
twasome and threesome through the waste, and meet me at the
Trysting-pool. Tell my brothers, when they come up, to follow and meet
us there. Poor lads, they will hae hearts weelnigh as sair as mine;
little think they what a sorrowful house they are bringing their venison
to! I'll ride ower Mucklestane-Moor mysell." "And if I were you," said
Dick of the Dingle, "I would speak to Canny Elshie. He can tell you
whatever betides in this land, if he's sae minded." "He SHALL tell me,"
said Hobbie, who was busy putting his arms in order, "what he kens o'
this night's job, or I shall right weel ken wherefore he does not." "Ay,
but speak him fair, my bonny man--speak him fair Hobbie; the like o' him
will no bear thrawing. They converse sae muckle wi' thae fractious
ghaists and evil spirits, that it clean spoils their temper." "Let me
alane to guide him," answered Hobbie; "there's that in my breast this
day, that would ower-maister a' the warlocks on earth, and a' the devils
in hell." And being now fully equipped, he threw himself on his horse,
and spurred him at a rapid pace against the steep ascent. Elliot
speedily surmounted the hill, rode down the other side at the same rate,
crossed a wood, and traversed a long glen, ere he at length regained
Mucklestane-Moor. As he was obliged, in the course of his journey, to
relax his speed in consideration of the labour which his horse might
still have to undergo, he had time to consider maturely in what manner
he should address the Dwarf, in order to extract from him the knowledge
which he supposed him to be in possession of concerning the authors of
his misfortunes. Hobbie, though blunt, plain of speech, and hot of
disposition, like most of his countrymen, was by no means deficient in
the shrewdness which is also their characteristic. He
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