Part 6 (1/2)

Jean and Randal talked about this and that, chiefly of how some money could be got to buy corn and cattle for the people. Randal was in favour of crossing the Border at night, and driving away cattle from the English side, according to the usual custom.

”Every day I expect to see a pair of spurs in a dish for all our dinner,” said Randal.

That was the sign the lady of the house in the Forest used to give her men, when all the beef was done, and more had to be got by fighting.

But Jeanie would not hear of Randal taking spear and jack, and putting himself in danger by fighting the English. They were her own people after all, though she could not remember them and the days before she was carried out of England by Simon Grieve.

”Then,” said Randal, ”am I to go back to Fairyland, and fetch more gold like this ugly thing?” and he felt in his pocket for the fairy bottle.

But it was not in his pocket.

”What have I done with my fairy treasure?” cried Randal, jumping up.

Then he stood still quite suddenly, as if he saw something strange.

He touched Jean on the shoulder, making a sign to her not to speak.

Jean rose quietly, and looked where Randal pointed, and this was what she saw.

She looked over a corner of the old gra.s.sy ditch, just where the marsh and the yellow flowers came nearest to it.

Here there stood three tall grey stones, each about as high as a man.

Between them, with her back to the single stone, and between the two others facing Randal and Jean, the old nurse was kneeling.

If she had looked up, she could hardly have seen Randal and Jean, for they were within the ditch, and only their eyes were on the level of the rampart.

Besides, she did not look up; she was groping in the breast of her dress for something, and her eyes were on the ground.

”What can the old woman be doing?” whispered Randal. ”Why, she has got my fairy bottle in her hand!”

Then he remembered how he had shown her the bottle, and how she had gone out without giving it back to him.

Jean and he watched, and kept very quiet.

They saw the old nurse, still kneeling, take the stopper out of the black strange bottle, and turn the open mouth gently on her hand. Then she carefully put in the stopper, and rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand. Then she crawled along in their direction, very slowly, as if she were looking for something in the gra.s.s.

Then she stopped, still looking very closely at the gra.s.s.

Next she jumped to her feet with a shrill cry, clapping her hands; and then she turned, and was actually _running_ along the edge of the marsh, towards Fairnilee.

”Nurse!” shouted Randal, and she stopped suddenly, in a fright, and let the fairy bottle fall.

It struck on a stone, and broke to pieces with a jingling sound, and the few drops of strange water in it ran away into the gra.s.s.

”Oh, ma bairns, ma bairns, what have you made me do?” cried the old nurse pitifully. ”The fairy gift is broken, and maybe the Gold of Fairnilee, that my eyes have looked on, will ne'er be seen again.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: Chapter Thirteen]

CHAPTER XIII.--_The Gold of Fairnilee_.