Chapter 9 - Page 2

the old woman.

"Then open the gate and admit us," said Earnscliff; "I am a justice of
peace, and in search of the evidence of a felony."

"Deil be in their fingers that draws a bolt for ye," retorted the
portress; "for mine shall never do it. Thinkna ye shame o' yoursells,
to come here siccan a band o' ye, wi' your swords, and spears, and
steel-caps, to frighten a lone widow woman?"

"Our information," said Earnscliff; "is positive; we are seeking goods
which have been forcibly carried off, to a great amount."

"And a young woman, that's been cruelly made prisoner, that's worth mair
than a' the gear, twice told," said Hobbie.

"And I warn you." continued Earnscliff, "that your only way to prove
your son's innocence is to give us quiet admittance to search the
house."

"And what will ye do, if I carena to thraw the keys, or draw the bolts,
or open the grate to sic a clamjamfrie?" said the old dame, scoffingly.

"Force our way with the king's keys, and break the neck of every living
soul we find in the house, if ye dinna gie it ower forthwith!" menaced
the incensed Hobbie.

"Threatened folks live lang," said the hag, in the same tone of irony;
"there's the iron grate--try your skeel on't, lads--it has kept out as
gude men as you or now."

So saying, she laughed, and withdrew from the aperture through which she
had held the parley.

The besiegers now opened a serious consultation. The immense thickness
of the walls, and the small size of the windows, might, for a time, have
even resisted cannon-shot. The entrance was secured, first, by a strong
grated door, composed entirely of hammered iron, of such ponderous
strength as seemed calculated to resist any force that could be brought
against it. "Pinches or forehammers will never pick upon't," said
Hugh, the blacksmith of Ringleburn; "ye might as weel batter at it wi'
pipe-staples."

Within the doorway, and at the distance of nine feet, which was the
solid thickness of the wall, there was a second door of oak, crossed,
both breadth and lengthways, with clenched bars of iron, and studded
full of broad-headed nails. Besides all these defences, they were by no
means confident in the truth of the old dame's assertion, that she
alone composed the garrison. The more knowing of the party had observed
hoof-marks in the track by which they approached the tower, which
seemed to indicate that several persons had very lately passed in that
direction.

To all these difficulties was added their want of means for attacking
the place. There was no hope of procuring ladders