" All right , " he said .sx " If it saves your honour , you go as my prisoner , but a prisoner on parole ; and I tell you , to be a prisoner on parole with John Gwyn is a position princes might envy .sx " He gave a jolly laugh , and in the best of good humour turned into the road , as if careless whether I followed or not , so sure was he of me .sx And , indeed , Gwyn was never anything but sure .sx As we made our way east-wards by a road which runs about two miles from the sea , he talked to me as if he and I had been companions for years .sx The letter from Sir Robert had been Greek to me , and I did not hesitate to ask him if the treasure was money from the King for Montrose .sx " Money from His Majesty !sx " he replied , with a laugh .sx " You haven't been with him , or you would know he has none to send .sx And if he had , how could he pass it through the cut-throats who swarm on both sides the Border , or even send it by sea , seeing they hold the harbours on the east coast ?sx Yet His Majesty knew Montrose's war-chest was empty , and that it must be filled before his men melted away like snow .sx He and the Marquis must join forces , and the treasure , in the care of Jack Gwyn , alone will make the meeting possible and save the crown .sx Lad , the treasure never saw England .sx It is the proceeds of the sale of the last of the Queen's jewels in France .sx It was sent to Dunkirk , and it has been ferried across by good Jens Gunnersen , with Jack Gwyn playing supercargo .sx The original idea was that it should be put in charge of old Traquair ; but I was to get final instructions from Sir Robert Spottiswoode , and that is why I have been risking my skin in that plague-stricken town , passing as a greasy old vendor of stockfish , I who have trained the princes of England to the use of arms from their infancy , I might say .sx " Gwyn , I was afterwards to learn , was speaking the sober truth in asserting that he had trained the royal children .sx " This , and much more , I would do for His Majesty , " he went on ; " but conceive you how I long to see these bright boys of my coffers safe in the paymaster's hand , to quit these duds and to be once more the soldier .sx Why , comrade , till I bought this hanger at the Luckenbooths yesterday , I had nought but a Plymouth cloak to defend my purse against padders in your closes , or mine honour against the gentry who tried to give me a fall to-night .sx Even this afternoon I was glad of the poor tool in my little journey in this direction .sx " " Yes , " I said , " I heard from the landlady that you had gone by the Figgate Whins to the Pans .sx " " Ah , that was but dust in her eyes , " he rejoined .sx " I took the road we now take , never looked at the Whins , and never tried to reach the Pans of Preston .sx The Haven is a snug little place with few about to take notice .sx I had my conference with the Norwegian there .sx He is to have all in readiness , and I am in hopes that he will put us on the road forthwith .sx " Well , here was I not only in up to my ankles , through bearing a letter for my country's enemies , but in to the chin in helping them to convoy the treasure on which , .sx apparently , the success of their effort hung .sx I must be honest , and confess that the thought brought me no twinge of compunction such as I had felt at Duddingston Loch .sx It may have been Gwyn's infectious enjoyment in the adventure ; it may have been just the young blood in me , which leapt up as it used to do when Dairsie and I played a game in which one outvied the other in some mad cantrip , and risked our neck , crying , " I dare your deed .sx " Certain it is , as we turned into the coast road beyond Musselburgh , and saw the lights of the little villages by the Forth twinkle , it was with a warmth round my heart that I moved on to discover what Dame Fortune and her present master of mysteries , the mighty Gwyn , had in store for me .sx Not a soul did we meet , even when we came to where the hamlet of the Haven is tucked into the side of the hill .sx The tiny harbour itself , with its toy pier of great stones and berthing room for two or three small ships at the most , shewed only the black bulk of some fishing boats , but a dim lantern was burning on the forestay of a larger vessel which lay alongside the quay .sx " That's the sloop , " said Gwyn ; " and now to rouse up Jens .sx " We put the horses into a shed , where I noticed a farm beast had already been given an extemporized stable , and sought the sloop .sx It was then near midnight .sx Even Gwyn did not bellow .sx He found his way familiarly , between kegs and waterbutts , to a little green scuttle , and hoisted his bulk carefully in .sx But , if this caution was out of regard for his friend's slumbers , it was misspent .sx A tiny lamp revealed Gunnersen sitting at a table , apparently ready for bed , for he was undressed to his small-clothes ; but a square bottle of Schnapps and a rummer showed that the nightcap stage only had been reached .sx " Ah , you here again , and so late , my friend ?sx " he began in that excellent English which Norwegians always seem to command .sx " And with a companion !sx Then it's up stick and away , and no rest yet awhile for poor Jens .sx " " Sorry , Jens , " responded Gwyn .sx " But you're right .sx We must get the merry boys on the cart .sx There's need for us to be miles away before the gossips are astir .sx We can manage without rousing your men even , if you will bear a hand .sx " " Gladly , " answered this imperturbable person , as he drew on his breeches and slipped into a sea-coat .sx He kindled a lantern and led us to the shed on the quay .sx The farm horse was harnessed and put into the shafts of one of those light narrow carts such as hawkers use .sx A piece of black oiled-cloth was lifted from a corner and revealed what seemed to be a pile of fish boxes .sx Fish boxes they were , and fish they contained , for I could see , as well as faintly sniff , the semi-cured haddock which we call speldings .sx But heavier fish were never handled than those in some of the boxes .sx " Yes , " said Gwyn , noting my interest , as I helped to lift the first .sx " They lie on sand , good golden sand .sx " There were four of these boxes , which it took all the wit of the three of us to slide into the cart on an inclined .sx plank .sx Then two others , which seemed to me to contain fish only , were placed on the top .sx " These are our real stock in trade , " cried Gwyn ; " and see me , serviteur in the royal household , as head of a worshipful company of fishmongers , and you , brave lad , my alderman-in-chief .sx But let it go at that .sx There's your quittance , friend Gunnersen , " he added , handing the Norwegian a slip of paper , " and with it go my poor thanks for a bit of work finely done .sx Yet there's one more favour to add to many .sx You see these horses .sx They were found grazing on the bents to-morrow morning by your ship-boy , you understand ?sx There's a crown if he leads them to Edinburgh .sx I have little doubt they will find owners for them there and no harm done , not so much at least as if their masters had themselves come seeking them .sx " Gunnersen listened to his instructions , and nodded with a comprehending smile .sx He shook us both by the hand , and wished us good speed .sx " As for your horse , " added Gwyn to me , " by the foot of Pharaoh , it must e'en go to pay my tavern score .sx " Gwyn had no hesitation as to his route .sx He led the horse along the road a little way and took the first turn inland .sx And so , in this monstrously plain fashion , our convoying of the treasure began .sx CHAPTER V .sx ON THE ROAD WITH GWYN .sx IN that night journey we held round by the east side of the town of Dalkeith , and morning found us beyond the village of Ford .sx Shortly after passing it , we turned sharp to the right and made for Gala Water by the hill road .sx By this time our beast was shewing signs of weariness , and we ourselves , who had trudged all night by his head , were as ready as he for a rest .sx A mile or two along the track we came on a solitary cottar's house .sx Here I play the part of fish merchant , and though the gudewife had no desire for our wares , she acceded readily to my request that the horse be turned for an hour or two into the byre while he got a good feed of bog hay .sx Desiring to get away before her man returned from the hill , I declared we must reach the Stow well before nightfall to make our sales .sx I remember that this shepherd's wife was offended when Gwyn offered her a crown in payment , and that it took me a good deal of talk to excuse him on the ground that he was a foreigner and strange to our ways .sx She gave us what she called a chack for the road , and .sx so we parted friends .sx By afternoon we crossed the ridge and dropped down .sx on the main road at Middleton Muir .sx This is the gate-way to the Borders from the northern side .sx The scene presents a fitting introduction to that south country .sx The wide valley , bordered on the right by grassy slopes .sx which had for their rim the distant Moorfoot Hills , could be seen ahead narrowing into those " dens " .sx which I was to know so well , and , under the September sunshine , gave me my first impression of that pensiveness which has made the natives term even the fairest .sx of their valleys " dowie .sx " If I desired a corrective to the mood of gentle .sx melancholy which I felt stealing over me , I had but to glance at my companion .sx Along that bare road he trudged at the horse's head , ever and anon singing the stave of a song .sx Of rounds and catches he had a great store .sx A verse of Drayton's seemed to be his favourite however , for he returned to it many times .sx It runs :sx " Whilst the birds billing , Each one with his dilling , The thickets still filling With amorous notes .sx " I saw no birds except some peesweeps , and thickets there certainly were none .sx In my matter-of-fact way I twitted him on the liveliness of his fancy .sx I drew on me a spate of words .sx " Fancy !sx 'Odso , and why not , comrade ?sx Will you tell me how a gentleman , stripped of all outward circumstance , is to bear up , unless he is to draw on the rich mine of fancy , which is just the other name for a quick sensibility , and a well-stored mind ?sx Take an instance .sx You see me , the second son of the House of Trelydan a most noble family of Wales which traces its descent direct from Brochwell of Athan , King of Powis masquerading as a scurvy vendor of fish !sx Would you , because of that , have me trim my spirit to that of a padder or an Abraham-man ?sx No , sirrah !sx The good Welsh blood in my veins will not suffer it .sx I see in these mean boxes the treasure that will save an army and perhaps a crown .sx Therefore I envisage success coming to reward this shabby turn which I have to play .sx " Why , when I trained to arms the young princes , there were croakers who used to declare that their sport fore-halsened that bitter strife in which the Prince of Wales now bears his part .sx A fig for them and their croakings !sx