Both Sides the Border | Page 9

petition that he would never have made, had not his mother dilated to
him, on several occasions, upon the great advantage of learning.
No thought of repeating the request had ever entered his mind. His
father had thought more of it, and had several times expressed grave
regret, to his wife, over such an extraordinary wish having occurred to
their son.
"The boy has nothing of a milksop about him," he said; "and is, for his
age, full of spirit and courage. How so strange an idea could have
occurred to him is more than I can imagine. I should as soon expect to
see an owlet, in a sparrow hawk's nest, as a monk hatched in Yardhope
Hold."
His wife discreetly kept silence as to the fact that she, herself, had first
put the idea in the boy's head; for although Mary Forster was mistress
inside of the hold, in all other matters John was masterful, and would
brook no meddling, even by her. The subject, therefore, of Oswald's
learning to read and write, was never renewed.
Chapter 2
: Across The Border.
A most vigilant watch was kept up, for the next week, at Yardhope
Hold. At night, three or four of the troopers were posted four or five
miles from the hold, on the roads by which an enemy was likely to

come; having under them the fleetest horses on the moor. When a week
passed there was some slight relaxation in the watch, for it was evident
that the Bairds intended to bide their time for a stroke, knowing well
that they would not be likely to be able to effect a surprise, at present.
The outlying posts were, therefore, no longer maintained; but the dogs
of the hold, fully a dozen in number, were chained nightly in a circle
three or four hundred yards outside it; and their barking would, at once,
apprise the watchers in the turrets on the walls of the approach of any
body of armed men.
Two days later, Oswald started for his promised visit to the Armstrongs.
It was not considered necessary that he should be accompanied by any
of the troopers, for Hiniltie lay but a few miles across the frontier. In
high spirits he galloped away and, riding through Yardhope, was soon
at Alwinton; and thence took the track through Kidland Lee, passed
round the head of the Usmay brook, along the foot of Maiden Cross
Hill, and crossed the frontier at Windy Guile. Here he stood on the crest
of the Cheviots and, descending, passed along at the foot of Windburgh
Hill; and by noon entered the tiny hamlet of Hiniltie, above which,
perched on one of the spurs of the hill, stood the Armstrongs' hold. It
was smaller than that of Yardhope, and had no surrounding wall; but,
like it, was built for defence against a sudden attack.
Adam Armstrong was on good terms with his neighbours across the
border. Although other members of his family were frequently engaged
in forays, it was seldom, indeed, that he buckled on armour, and only
when there was a general call to arms. He was, however, on bad terms
with the Bairds, partly because his wife was a sister of Forster's, partly
because of frays that had arisen between his herdsmen and those of the
Bairds, for his cattle wandered far and wide on the mountain slopes to
the south, and sometimes passed the ill-defined line, beyond which the
Bairds regarded the country as their own. Jedburgh was but ten miles
away, Hawick but six or seven, and any stay after the sun rose would
speedily have brought strong bodies of men from these towns, as well
as from his still nearer neighbours, at Chester, Abbotrule, and Hobkirk.
Oswald's approach was seen, and two of his cousins--Allan, who was a

lad of about the same age, and Janet, a year younger--ran out from the
house to meet him.
"We have been expecting you for the last ten days," the former
exclaimed, "and had well nigh given you up."
"I hold you to be a laggard," the girl added, "and unless you can duly
excuse yourself, shall have naught to say to you."
"My excuse is a good one, Janet. My father made a foray, a fortnight
since, into the Bairds' country, to rescue some of the cattle they had
driven off from our neighbours, some days before. There was a sharp
fight, and Allan Baird was killed; and since then we have been
expecting a return visit from them, and have been sleeping with our
arms beside us. Doubtless they will come someday, but as it is evident
they don't mean to come at present, my father let me leave."
"In that case we must forgive you," the girl said. "Some