I got wind of him in Dumfries, and now I have run him ower to the English side, and I want a fugie warrant against him.' How did my heart throb at this information, dearest Alan! Thou art near me then, and I well know with what kind purpose; thou hast abandoned all to fly to my assistance; and no wonder that, knowing thy friendship and faith, thy sound sagacity and persevering disposition, 'my bosom's lord should now sit lightly on his throne'; that gaiety should almost involuntarily hover on my pen; and that my heart should beat like that of a general, responsive to the drums of his advancing ally, without whose help the battle must have been lost.
I did not suffer myself to be startled by this joyous surprise, but continued to bend my strictest attention to what followed among this singular party.

That Poor Peter Peebles had been put on this wildgoose chase by some of his juvenile advisers in the Parliament House, he himself had intimated; but he spoke with much confidence, and the Justice, who seemed to have some secret apprehension of being put to trouble in the matter, and, as sometimes occurs on the English frontier, a jealousy lest the superior acuteness of their northern neighbours might overreach their own simplicity, turned to his clerk with a perplexed countenance.
'Eh--oh--Nick--d--n thee--Hast thou got nothing to say?
This is more Scots law, I take it, and more Scotsmen.' (Here he cast a side-glance at the owner of the mansion, and winked to his clerk.) 'I would Solway were as deep as it is wide, and we had then some chance of keeping of them out.' Nicholas conversed an instant aside with the supplicant, and then reported:-- 'The man wants a border-warrant, I think; but they are only granted for debt--now he wants one to catch a lawyer.' 'And what for no ?' answered Peter Peebles, doggedly; 'what for no, I would be glad to ken?
If a day's labourer refuse to work, ye'll grant a warrant to gar him do out his daurg--if a wench quean rin away from her hairst, ye'll send her back to her heuck again--if sae mickle as a collier or a salter make a moonlight flitting, ye will cleek him by the back-spaul in a minute of time--and yet the damage canna amount to mair than a creelfu' of coals, and a forpit or twa of saut; and here is a chield taks leg from his engagement, and damages me to the tune of sax thousand punds sterling; that is, three thousand that I should win, and three thousand mair that I am like to lose; and you that ca' yourself a justice canna help a poor man to catch the rinaway?
A bonny like justice I am like to get amang ye!' 'The fellow must be drunk,' said the clerk.
'Black fasting from all but sin,' replied the supplicant; 'I havena had mair than a mouthful of cauld water since I passed the Border, and deil a ane of ye is like to say to me, "Dog, will ye drink ?"' The Justice seemed moved by this appeal.

'Hem---tush, man,' replied he; 'thou speak'st to us as if thou wert in presence of one of thine own beggarly justices--get downstairs--get something to eat, man (with permission of my friend to make so free in his house), and a mouthful to drink, and I warrant we get ye such justice as will please ye.' 'I winna refuse your neighbourly offer,' said Poor Peter Peebles, making his bow; 'muckle grace be wi' your honour, and wisdom to guide you in this extraordinary cause.' When I saw Peter Peebles about to retire from the room, I could not forbear an effort to obtain from him such evidence as might give me some credit with the Justice.

I stepped forward, therefore, and, saluting him, asked him if he remembered me?
After a stare or two, and a long pinch of snuff, recollection seemed suddenly to dawn on Peter Peebles.

'Recollect ye!' he said; 'by my troth do I .-- -Haud him a grip, gentlemen!--constables, keep him fast! where that ill-deedie hempy is, ye are sure that Alan Fairford is not far off.
Haud him fast, Master Constable; I charge ye wi' him, for I am mista'en if he is not at the bottom of this rinaway business.