The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825 | Page 9

man without shadow of law
or justice, and I demand his being set at liberty.'
'Quite an authority in law!' sneered the Sheriff.
'Yes, I have been three times before the court of session and won each
time. I knew your father, who was a decent shoemaker in Cupar, and
when he sent you to learn to be a lawyer he little thought he was
making a tool for those he despised. Pick a man from the plow, clap on
his back a black coat, send him to college, and in five years he is a
Conservative, and puckers his mouth at anything so vulgar as a
Reformer, booing and clawing to the gentry and nobility. Dod, set a
beggar on horseback and he will ride over his own father, and your
father was no lick-the-ladle like you, but a Liberal who stood up for his
rights.' The bitterness and force with which the stranger spoke cowed
his hearers.
'These insults are too much,' stammered the Bailie.
The stranger at once turned upon him. 'O, this is you McSweem, to
whom I have sold many a box of soap and tea when you wore an apron
and kept a grocer's shop. Set you up and push you forward, indeed. You
have got a bit of an estate with your wife's money and call yourself a
laird! The grand folk having taken you under their wing, you forget that
you once sat, cheek-by-jowl, with Joseph Gerrald, and now you sit in
judgment on a better man than a dozen like you.'
'Mr Sheriff,' shouted his lordship. 'Remove this man to the cells.'
'I dare you to put a finger on me,' and he grasped a chair ready to knock
down the officer who advanced to obey the order. 'I am within my
lawful rights. Dod, wee Henderson would ask nothing better than to
prosecute you before the lords of session were you to keep me in jail
even for an hour. Release this innocent man Kerr, and let us go.'
'You are a vulgar bully,' exclaimed his lordship haughtily.
The stranger dropped his bitter tone, and asked smoothly, 'May I ask
your lordship a question? Will you condescend to say how many of
your lordship's relatives are in government offices, and is it true your
wife's mother draws a pension, all of them living out of taxes paid by

the commonalty whom you despise?'
His lordship affected not to hear him, and beckoning the Sheriff to
draw near, he conferred with the magistrates in whispers. I overheard
Bailie McSweem say, 'I know him, he's a perfect devil to fight; better
have nothing to do with him,' and the Sheriff's remark, 'He has got a
legal catch to work on.' When the Sheriff went back to his seat, h is
lordship said curtly, 'The accused is discharged,' and he and McSweem
hurriedly left. The stranger gripped Kerr by the shoulder and pushed
him before him until we reached the street. 'Now, I must leave you, for
I must see what my customers are out of.'
'Tell me your name?' asked Kerr, 'that I may know who has done me
such service.'
'Never mind; you are under no obligation to me. A wee bird told me
you were in trouble and I am glad to have been in time to serve you.'
'You do not know all the service you have done; you have saved more
than myself from jail, and an innocent wife and children from poverty.
Do let me know your name that I may remember it as long as I live.'
'Daniel M'farlane, and my advice is to quit Scotland right off, for these
devils are mad angry at your giving them the slip. They will get the
papers they need from Greenock and have you in jail if you are here
tomorrow.' A grip of the hand, and the stranger was gone. The whole
scene was such a surprise, so novel to me, that every part of it fastened
on my memory.
On reaching the brig we found the sailors stowing away casks of water.
Kerr and myself had been given the same berth, and Allan and Robbie
had the next one. Saying he was dead-tired, for he had been on his feet
since leaving Greenock, Kerr turned in though the sun had not set. An
hour or so after, a number of men came to the wharf to see him. I found
him asleep. They asked if I was the lad the officer took along with him
to be a witness. Gathering in a quiet corner they had me repeat all that
took place. They said they were Liberals and glad to hear the black
nebs had won.
The noise overhead of washing the deck awoke me, and I