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"What was that business about his brother?"

He snorted, a brief, humorless sound

"There were two o’ them--twins Wee Billy and Wee Bobby, we called them Alike as peas, and not only in looks"

He paused,memories He didn’t often speak of his time in Ardsmuir, and I could see the shadows of it pass across his face

"Ye’ll et hiht as well be wolves?"

"Bit hard on the wolves," I said, s "Think of Rollo But yes, I knohat you ether There’s no lack of such men in any ars in a mob, that they wouldna dream of on their own"

"And the Murchisons were never on their own?" I asked slowly

He gave ment

"Aye, that’s it There were the two of theht scruple at, the other would not And of course, when it ca which was to blaed panther He paused by the , looking out

"I--the prisoners--we ht complain of ill-treatment, but the officers couldna discipline both for the sins of one, and a round wi’ a boot in the ribs, or which it was that hung him from a hook by his fetters and left hiarrison"

His eyes were fixed on souarded He’d spoken of beasts; I could see that the ht fro

"Are both of the stare as because I wanted to know

It worked; he turned abruptly from the

"No," he said, shortly "This is Billy Wee Bobby died at Ardsainst the fabric of his kilt

It had occurred to , instead of changing to breeks; the cri to a bull, flaunted thus before an English soldier Now I knew

They’d taken it fro to take with it pride and manhood They had failed in that attempt, and he meant to underscore that failure, whether it was sense to do so or not Sense had little to do with the sort of stubborn pride that could survive years of such insult--and while he had more than his share of both, I could see that pride ell in the ascendancy at present

"Froeant’s reactions, I suppose we may assuhed and shrugged his shoulders slightly, easing theht coat

"They ain at twilight, o or three guards to each wagon One day, Wee Bobby Murchison was the sergeant in charge He ca--but he didna colanced once more at the"There was a verra deep pool at the bottom of the quarry"

Hisas the content of this bald account I felt a s heat

"Did you--" I began, but he put a finger to his lips, jerking his head toward the door A moment later, I heard the footsteps that his keener ears had picked up

It was the Sergeant, not his clerk He had been perspiring heavily; streaks of sweat ran down his face beneath his wig, and his whole countenance was the unhealthy color of fresh beef liver

He glanced at the vacant desk, and made a small, vicious noise in his throat I felt a qualeant shoved aside the clutter on the desk with a sweep of his ar onto the floor

He snatched a pewter inkwell and a sheet of foolscap froed them down on the desk

"Write it down," he ordered "Where you found her, what happened" He thrust a spattered goose-quill at Jan it, date it"

Jamie stared at him, eyes narrowed, butin ht forcibly to write with his right hand, and then had that right hand crippled Writing, for hies blotted, sweat-stained, and crumpled, and the writer himself in no better case There was no power on earth that would eant

"Write It Down" The Sergeant bit off the words between his teeth

Jamie’s eyes narrowed further, but before he could speak, I reached out and snatched the pen frorasp

"I was there; let me do it"