“Hout, man, the sun’s been lang up, and the dew is aff the grund—­the scent will never lie.”

Hobbie instantly whistled on his hounds, which were roving about the ruins of their 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 reflected, that from what he had observed on the memorable night when the Dwarf was first seen, and from the conduct of that mysterious being ever since, he was likely to be rendered even more obstinate in his sullenness by threats and violence.

“I’ll speak him fair,” he said, “as auld Dickon advised me.  Though folk say he has a league wi’ Satan, he canna be sic an incarnate devil as no to take some pity in a case like mine; and folk threep he’ll whiles do good, charitable sort o’ things.  I’ll keep my heart doun as weel as I can, and stroke him wi’ the hair; and if the warst come to the warst, it’s but wringing the head o’ him about at last.”