"And these are the sons of my father's vassals," he said--"of men bound, both by law and gratitude, to follow our steps through battle, and fire, and flood; and now the destruction of their liege lord's house is but a holiday's sight to them." These exasperating reflections were partly expresssed in the acrimony with which he exclaimed, on feeling himself pulled by the cloak: "What do you want, you dog ?" "I am a dog, and an auld dog too," answered Caleb, for it was he who had taken the freedom, "and I am like to get a dog's wages; but it does not signification a pinch of sneesing, for I am ower auld a dog to learn new tricks, or to follow a new master." As he spoke, Ravenswood attained the ridge of the hill from which Wolf's Crag was visible; the flames had entirely sunk down, and, to his great surprise, there was only a dusky reddening upon the clouds immediately over the castle, which seemed the reflection of the embers of the sunken fire.
"The place cannot have blown up," said the Master; "we must have heard the report: if a quarter of the gunpowder was there you tell me of, it would have been heard twenty miles off." "It've very like it wad," said Balderstone, composedly.
"Then the fire cannot have reached the vaults ?" "It's like no," answered Caleb, with the same impenetrable gravity.
"Hark ye, Caleb," said his master, "this grows a little too much for my patience.

I must go and examine how matters stand at Wolf's Crag myself." "Your honour is ganging to gang nae sic gate," said Caleb, firmly.
"And why not ?" said Ravenswood, sharply; "who or what shall prevent me ?" "Even I mysell," said Caleb, with the same determination.
"You, Balderstone!" replied the Master; "you are forgetting yourself, I think." "But I think no," said Balderstone; "for I can just tell ye a' about the castle on this knowe-head as weel as if ye were at it.

Only dinna pit yoursell into a kippage, and expose yoursell before the weans, or before the Marquis, when ye gang down-bye." "Speak out, you old fool," replied his master, "and let me know the best and the worst at once." "Ou, the best and the warst is, just that the tower is standing hail and feir, as safe and as empty as when ye left it." "Indeed! and the fire ?" said Ravenswood.

"Not a gleed of fire, then, except the bit kindling peat, and maybe a spunk in Mysie's cutty-pipe," replied Caleb.
"But the flame ?" demanded Ravenswood--"the broad blaze which might have been seen ten miles off--what occasioned that ?" "Hout awa'! it's an auld saying and a true-- Little's the light Will be seen far in a mirk night.
A wheen fern and horse little that I fired in the courtyard, after sending back the loon of a footman; and, to speak Heaven's truth, the next time that ye send or bring ony body here, let them ge gentles allenarly, without ony fremd servants, like that chield Lockhard, to be gledging and gleeing about, and looking upon the wrang side of ane's housekeeping, to the discredit of the family, and forcing ane to damn their souls wi' telling ae lee after another faster than I can count them: I wad rather set fire to the tower in gude earnest, and burn it ower my ain head into the bargain, or I see the family dishonoured in the sort." "Upon my word, I am infinitely obliged by the proposal, Caleb," said his master, scarce able to restrain his laughter, though rather angry at the same time.

"But the gunpowder--is there such a thing in the tower?
The Marquis seemed to know of it." "The pouther, ha! ha! ha!--the Marquis, ha! ha! ha!" replied Caleb,--"if your honour were to brain me, I behooved to laugh,--the Marquis--the pouther! Was it there?
Ay, it was there.