Ist kein bother, she told him. Ich haf den wee ball of shite safe put. But only we want to know, how we best den Korpus hide?
The... body? I said, rather faintly.
Even Jamie looked a bit disturbed at that.
Yeve killed him, Rob?
Me? McGillivray looked shocked. Christs sake, Mac Dubh, what dye take me for?
Jamie raised the eyebrow again; evidently the thought of McGillivray committing violence was scarcely far-fetched. McGillivray had the grace to look abashed.
Aye, well. I suppose I might haveand I didwell, but, Mac Dubh! That business at Ardsmuir was all long ago and done wi, aye?
Aye, Jamie said. It was. What about this business wi the thief-taker, though? Where is he?
I heard a muffled giggle behind me, and swung round to see that the rest of the family McGillivray, silent til now, was nonetheless present. Three teenaged girls sat in a row on a dead log behind a screen of saplings, all immaculately attired in clean white caps and aprons, only slightly wilted with the rain.
Meine lassies, Mrs. McGillivray announced, with a wave in their directionunnecessarily, since all three of the girls looked like smaller versions of herself. Hilda, Inga, und Senga.
Fergus bowed elegantly to the three.
Enchanté, mes demoiselles.
The girls giggled and bobbed their heads in response, but without rising, which struck me as odd. Then I noticed some disturbance taking place under the skirt of the oldest girl; a sort of heaving flutter, accompanied by a muffled grunt. Hilda swung her heel sharply into whatever it was, all the time smiling brightly at me.
There was another gruntmuch louder this timefrom under the skirt, which caused Jamie to start and turn in her direction.
Still smiling brightly, Hilda bent and delicately picked up the edge of her skirt, under which I could see a frantic face, bisected by a dark strip of cloth tied round his mouth.
Thats him, said Robbie, sharing his wifes talent for stating the obvious.
I see. Jamies fingers twitched slightly against the side of his kilt. Ah... perhaps we could have him out, then?
Robbie motioned to the girls, who all stood up together and stepped aside, revealing a small man who lay against the base of the dead log, bound hand and foot with an assortment of what looked like womens stockings, and gagged with someones kerchief. He was wet, muddy, and slightly battered round the edges.
Myers bent and hoisted the man to his feet, holding him by the collar.
Well, he aint much to look at, the mountain man said critically, squinting at the man as though evaluating a substandard beaver skin. I guess thief-takin dont pay so well as ye might think.
The man was in fact skinny and rather ragged, as well as disheveled, furiousand frightened. Ute sniffed contemptuously.
Saukerl! she said, and spat neatly on the thief-takers boots. Then she turned to Jamie, full of charm.
So, mein Herr. How we are to kill him best?
The thief-takers eyes bulged, and he writhed in Myerss grip. He bucked and twisted, making frantic gargling noises behind the gag. Jamie looked him over, rubbing a knuckle across his mouth, then glanced at Robbie, who gave a slight shrug, with an apologetic glance at his wife.
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Jamie cleared his throat.
Mmphm. Ye had something in mind, perhaps, maam?
Ute beamed at this evidence of sympathy with her intentions, and drew a long dagger from her belt.
I thought maybe to butcher, wie ein Schwein, ja? But see... She poked the thief-taker gingerly between the ribs; he yelped behind the gag, and a small spot of blood bloomed on his ragged shirt.
Too much Blut, she explained, with a moue of disappointment. She waved at the screen of trees, behind which the stone-lifting seemed to be proceeding well. Die Leute will schmell.
Schmell? I glanced at Jamie, thinking this some unfamiliar German expression. He coughed, and brushed a hand under his nose. Oh, smell! I said, enlightened. Er, yes, I think they might.
I dinna suppose wed better shoot him, then, Jamie said thoughtfully. If yere wanting to avoid attention, I mean.
I say we break his neck, Robbie McGillivray said, squinting judiciously at the trussed thief-taker. Thats easy enough.
You think? Fergus squinted in concentration. I say a knife. If you stab in the right spot, the blood is not so much. The kidney, just beneath the ribs in back... eh?
The captive appeared to take exception to these suggestions, judging from the urgent sounds proceeding from behind the gag, and Jamie rubbed his chin dubiously.
Well, thats no verra difficult, he agreed. Or strangle him. But he will lose his bowels. If it were to be a question of the smell, even crushing his skull... but tell me, Robbie, how does the man come to be here?
Eh? Robbie looked blank.
Youre no camped nearby? Jamie waved a hand briefly at the tiny clearing, making his meaning clear. There was no trace of hearthfire; in fact, no one had camped on this side of the creek. And yet all the McGillivrays were here.
Oh, no, Robbie said, comprehension blossoming on his spare features. Nay, were camped some distance up. Only, we came to have a wee keek at the heavieshe jerked his head toward the competition fieldand the friggin vulture spied our Freddie and took hold of him, so as to drag him off. He cast an unfriendly look at the thief-taker, and I saw that a coil of rope dangled snakelike from the mans belt. A pair of iron manacles lay on the ground nearby, the dark metal already laced with orange rust from the damp.
We saw him grab aholt of Brother, Hilda put in at this point. So we grabbed aholt of him and pushed him through here, where nobody could see. When he said he meant to take Brother away to the sheriff, me and my sisters knocked him down and sat on him, and Mama kicked him a few times.
Ute patted her daughter fondly on one sturdy shoulder.
They are gut, strong Mädchen, meine lasses, she told Jamie. Ve komm see hier die Wettkämpfer, maybe choose husband for Inga or Senga. Hilda hat einen Mann already promised, she added, with an air of satisfaction.
She looked Jamie over frankly, her eye dwelling approvingly on his height, the breadth of his shoulders, and the general prosperity of his appearance.
He is fine, big, your Mann, she said to me. You haf sons, maybe?
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No, Im afraid not, I said apologetically. Er... Fergus is married to my husbands daughter, I added, seeing her gaze shift appraisingly to Fergus.
The thief-taker appeared to feel that the subject was drifting somewhat afield, and summoned attention back to himself with an indignant squeal behind his gag. His face, which had gone pale at the discussion of his theoretical demise, had grown quite red again, and his hair was matted down across his forehead in spikes.
Oh, aye, Jamie said, noticing. Perhaps we should let the gentleman have a word?
Robbie narrowed his eyes at this, but reluctantly nodded. The competitions had got well under way by now, and there was a considerable racket emanating from the field; no one would notice the odd shout over here.
Dont let em kill me, sir! You know it aint right! Hoarse from his ordeal, the man fixed his appeal on Jamie as soon as the gag was removed. Im only doin as I ought, delivering a criminal to justice!
Ha! all the McGillivrays said at once. Unanimous as their sentiment appeared to be, the expression of it immediately disintegrated into a confusion of expletives, opinions, and a random volley of kicks aimed at the gentlemans shins by Inga and Senga.
Stop that! Jamie said, raising his voice enough to be heard over the uproar. As this had no result, he grabbed McGillivray Junior by the scruff of the neck and roared, Ruhe! at the top of his lungs, which startled them into momentary silence, with guilty looks over their shoulders in the direction of the competition field.
Now, then, Jamie said firmly. Myers, bring the gentleman, if ye will. Rob, Fergus, come along with ye. Bitte, Madame? He bowed to Mrs. McGillivray, who blinked at him, but then nodded in slow acquiescence. Jamie rolled an eye at me, then, still holding Manfred by the neck, he marched the male contingent off toward the creek, leaving me in charge of the ladies.
Your Mann he will save my son? Ute turned to me, fair brows knitted in concern.
Hell try. I glanced at the girls, who were huddled together behind their mother. Do you know whether your brother was at Hillsborough?
The girls looked at one another, and silently elected Inga to speak.
Well, ja, he was, then, she said, a little defiantly. But he wasna riotin, not a bit of it. Hed only gone for to have a bit of harness mended, and was caught up in the mob.
I caught a quick glance exchanged between Hilda and Senga, and deduced that this was perhaps not the entire story. Still, it wasnt my place to judge, thank goodness.
Mrs. McGillivrays eyes were fixed on the men, who stood murmuring together some distance away. The thief-taker had been untied, save for his hands, which remained bound. He stood with his back against a tree, looking like a cornered rat, eyeteeth showing in a snarl of defiance. Jamie and Myers were both looming over him, while Fergus stood by, frowning attentively, his chin propped on his hook. Rob McGillivray had taken out a knife, with which he was contemplatively flicking small chips of wood from a pine twig, glancing now and then at the thief-taker with an air of dark intent.
Im sure Jamie will be able to... er... do something, I said, privately hoping that the something wouldnt involve too much violence. The unwelcome thought occurred to me that the diminutive thief-taker would probably fit tidily in one of the empty food hampers.
Gut. Ute McGillivray nodded slowly, still watching. Better that I do not kill him. Her eyes turned suddenly back to me, light blue and very bright. But I vill do it, if I must.
I believed her.
I see, I said carefully. ButI do beg your pardonbut even if that man took your son, could you not go to the sheriff too, and explain...
More glances among the girls. This time it was Hilda who spoke.
Nein, maam. See, it wouldna have been sae bad, had the thief-taker come on us at the camp. But down here She widened her eyes, nodding toward the competition field, where a muffled thud and a roar of approval marked some successful effort.
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The difficulty, apparently, was Hildas fiancé, one Davey Morrison, from Hunters Point. Mr. Morrison was a farmer of some substance, and a man of worth, as well as an athlete skilled in the arcana of stone-throwing and caber-tossing. He had family, tooparents, uncles, aunts, cousinsall of the most upright character andI gatheredrather judgmental attitudes.
Had Manfred been taken by a thief-taker in front of such a crowd, filled with Davey Morrisons relations, word would have spread at the speed of light, and the scandal would result in the prompt rupture of Hildas engagementa prospect that clearly perturbed Ute McGillivray much more than the notion of cutting the thief-takers throat.
Bad, too, I kill him and someone see, she said frankly, waving at the thin scrim of trees shielding us from the competition field. Die Morrisons would not like.
I suppose they might not, I murmured, wondering whether Davey Morrison had any idea what he was getting into. But you
I vill haf meine lassies well wed, she said firmly, nodding several times in reinforcement. I find gut men für Sie, fine big men, mit land, mit money. She put an arm round Sengas shoulders and hugged her tight. Nicht wahr, Liebchen?
Ja, Mama, Senga murmured, and laid her neat capped head affectionately on Mrs. McGillivrays broad bosom.
Something was happening on the mens side of things; the thief-takers hands had been untied, and he stood rubbing his wrists, no longer scowling, but listening to whatever Jamie was saying with an expression of wariness. He glanced at us, then at Robin McGillivray, who said something to him and nodded emphatically. The thief-takers jaw worked, as though he were chewing over an idea.
So you all came down to watch the competitions this morning and look for suitable prospects? Yes, I see.
Jamie reached into his sporran and drew out something, which he held under the thief-takers nose, as though inviting him to smell it. I couldnt make out what it was at this distance, but the thief-takers face suddenly changed, going from wariness to alarmed disgust.
Ja, only to look. Mrs. McGillivray was not watching; she patted Senga and let her go. Ve go now to Salem, where ist meine Familie. Maybe ve find there a good Mann, too.
Myers had stepped back from the confrontation now, his shoulders drooping in relaxation. He inserted a finger under the edge of his breechclout, scratched his buttocks comfortably, and glanced around, evidently no longer interested in the proceedings. Seeing me looking in his direction, he ambled back through the sapling grove.
No need to worry more, maam, he assured Mrs. McGillivray. I knew Jamie Roy would take care of it, and so he has. Your lads safe.
Ja? she said. She looked doubtfully toward the sapling grove, but it was true; the attitudes of all the men had relaxed now, and Jamie was handing the thief-taker back his set of manacles. I saw the way he handled them, with brusque distaste. He had worn irons, at Ardsmuir.
Gott sei dank, Mrs. McGillivray said, with an explosive sigh. Her massive form seemed suddenly to diminish as the breath went out of her.
The little man was leaving, making his way away from us, toward the creek. The sound of the swinging irons at his belt reached us in a faint chime of metal, heard between the shouts of the crowd behind us. Jamie and Rob McGillivray stood close together, talking, while Fergus watched the thief-takers departure, frowning slightly.
Exactly what did Jamie tell him? I asked Myers.
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Oh. Well. The mountain man gave me a broad, gap-toothed grin. Jamie Roy told him serious-like that it was surely luck for the thief-takerhis names Boble, by the way, Harley Boblethat we done come upon yall when we did. He give him to understand that if we hadnt, then this lady herehe bowed toward Utewould likely have taken him home in her wagon, and slaughtered him like a hog, safe out of sight.
Myers rubbed a knuckle under his red-veined nose and chortled softly in his beard.
Boble said as how he didnt believe it, he thought she was only a-tryin to scare him with that knife. But then Jamie Roy leaned down close, confidential-like, and said he mighta thought the sameonly that hed heard so much about Frau McGillivrays reputation as a famous sausage-maker, and had had the privilege of bein served some of it to his breakfast this morning. Right about then, Boble started to lose the color in his face, and when Jamie Roy pulled out a bit of sausage to show him
Oh, dear, I said, with a vivid memory of exactly what that sausage smelled like. I had bought it the day before from a vendor on the mountain, only to discover that it had been improperly cured, and once sliced, smelled so strongly of rotting blood that no one had been able to stomach it at supper. Jamie had wrapped the offending remainder in his handkerchief and put it in his sporran, intending either to procure a refund or to shove it down the vendors throat. I see.
Myers nodded, turning to Ute.
And your husband, maambless his soul, Rob McGillivrays a real born liarchimes in solemn-like, agreeing to it all, shakin his head and sayin as how hes got his work cut out to shoot enough meat for you.
The girls tittered.
Da cant kill anything, Inga said softly to me. He willna even wring a chickens neck.
Myers raised his shoulders in a good-humored shrug, as Jamie and Rob made their way toward us through the wet grass.
So Jamie promised on his word as a gentleman to protect Boble from you, and Boble promised on his word as a... well, he said as hed keep clear of young Manfred.
Hmp, said Ute, looking rather disconcerted. She didnt mind at all being considered an habitual murderess, and was quite pleased that Manfred was out of dangerbut was rather put out at having her reputation as a sausage-maker maligned.
As though I vould effer make such shite, she said, wrinkling her nose in disdain at the odorous lump of meat Jamie offered for her inspection. Pfaugh. Ratzfleisch. She waved it away with a fastidious gesture, then turned to her husband and said something softly in German.
Then she took a deep breath and expanded once more, gathering all her children like a hen clucking after chicks, urging them to thank Jamie properly for his help. He flushed slightly at the chorus of thanks, bowing to her.
Gern geschehen, he said. Euer ergebener Diener, Frau Ute.
She beamed at him, composure restored, as he turned to say something in parting to Rob.
Such a fine, big Mann, she murmured, shaking her head slightly as she looked him up and down. Then she turned, and caught my glance from Jamie to Robfor while the gunsmith was a handsome man, with close-clipped, dark curly hair and a chiseled face, he was also fine-boned as a sparrow, and some inches shorter than his wife, reaching approximately to the level of her brawny shoulder. I couldnt help wondering, given her apparent admiration for large men...
Oh, vell, she said, and shrugged apologetically. Luff, you know. She sounded as though love were an unfortunate but unavoidable condition.
I glanced at Jamie, who was carefully swaddling his sausage before tucking it back into his sporran. Well, yes, I said. I do.
BY THE TIME we returned to our own campsite, the Chisholms were just departing, having been capably fed by the girls. Fortunately, Jamie had brought plenty of food from Jocastas camp, and I sat down at last to a pleasant meal of potato fritters, buttered bannocks, fried ham, andat last!coffee, wondering just what else might happen today. There was plenty of time; the sun was barely above the trees, almost invisible behind the drifting rain clouds.
A little later, pleasantly full of breakfast, and with a third cup of coffee to hand, I went and threw back the canvas covering what I thought of as my medical supply dump. It was time to begin the business of organizing for the mornings surgery; looking at jars of sutures, restocking the herb jars in my chest, refilling the large alcohol bottle, and brewing up the medicines that must be made fresh.
Somewhat depleted of the commoner herbs I had brought with me, my stock had been augmented by the good offices of Myers, who had brought me several rare and useful things from the Indian villages to the north, and by judicious trading with Murray MacLeod, an ambitious young apothecary who had made his way inland and set up shop in Cross Creek.
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I bit the inside of my cheek, considering young Murray. He harbored the usual sort of nasty notions that passed for medical wisdom nowadaysand was not shy about asserting the superiority of such scientific methods as bleeding and blistering over the old-fashioned herbcraft that such ignorant crones as myself were prone to practice!
Still, he was a Scot, and thus possessed of a strong streak of pragmatism. He had given Jamies powerful frame one look and hastily swallowed the more insulting of his opinions. I had six ounces of wormwood and a jar of wild ginger root, and he wanted them. He was also shrewd enough to have observed that many more of the folk on the mountain who ailed with anything came to me than to himand that most who accepted my cures were improved. If I had secrets, he wanted those, tooand I was more than happy to oblige.
Good, I had plenty of willow bark still left. I hesitated over the small rank of bottles in the upper right tray of the chest. I had several very strong emmenagoguesblue cohosh, ergot, and pennyroyalbut picked instead the gentler tansy and rue, setting a handful into a bowl and pouring boiling water on them to steep. Beyond its effects in easing menstruation, tansy had a reputation for calming nervesand a more naturally nervous person than Lizzie Wemyss it would be difficult to imagine.
I glanced back at the fire, where Lizzie was shoveling the last of the strawberry preserves into Private Ogilvie, who appeared to be dividing his attention among Lizzie, Jamie, and his slice of toastthe greater proportion going to the toast.
Rue was quite a good anthelmintic, to boot. I didnt know that Lizzie suffered from worms, but a good many people in the mountains did, and a dose would certainly do her no harm.
I eyed Abel MacLennan covertly, wondering whether to slip a quick slug of hellbrew into his coffee as wellhe had the pinched, anemic look of one with intestinal parasites, in spite of his stocky build. Perhaps, though, the look of pale disquiet on his features was due more to his knowledge of thief-takers in the vicinity.
Baby Joan was wailing with hunger again. Marsali sat down, reached under her arisaid to unfasten her bodice, and set the baby to her breast, her lip clenched between her teeth with trepidation. She winced, gasped in pain, then relaxed a little, as the milk began to flow.
Cracked nipples. I frowned and returned to a perusal of the medicine chest. Had I brought any sheeps-wool ointment? Drat, no. I didnt want to use bear grease, with Joan suckling; perhaps sunflower oil...
A bit of coffee, my dear? Mr. MacLennan, who had been watching Marsali with troubled sympathy, extended his fresh cup toward her. My own wife did say as hot coffee eased the pangs of nursing a wean. Whisky in its betterhis mournful jowls lifted a bitbut all the same...
Taing. Marsali took the cup with a grateful smile. Im chilled right through this morning. She sipped the steaming liquid cautiously, and a small flush crept into her cheeks.
Will you be going back to Drunkards Creek tomorrow, Mr. MacLennan? she asked politely, handing back the empty cup. Or are ye traveling to New Bern wi Mr. Hobson?
Jamie looked up sharply, breaking off his conversation with Private Ogilvie.
Hobson is going to New Bern? How dye ken that?
Mrs. Fowles says so, Marsali replied promptly. She told me when I went to borrow a dry shirt for Germainshes got a lad his size. Shes worrit for Hughthats her husbandbecause her fatherthats Mr. Hobsonwishes him to go along, but hes scairt.
Why is Joe Hobson going to New Bern? I asked, peering over the top of my medicine chest.
To present a petition to the Governor, Abel MacLennan said. Much good it will do. He smiled at Marsali, a little sadly. No, lassie. I dinna ken where Im bound, tell ye the truth. Twont be to New Bern, though.
Nor back to your wife at Drunkards Creek? Marsali looked at him in concern.
My wifes dead, lass, MacLennan said softly. He smoothed the red kerchief across his knee, easing out the wrinkles. Dead two months past.
Oh, Mr. Abel. Marsali leaned forward and clasped his hand, her blue eyes full of pain. Im that sorry!
He patted her hand, not looking up. Tiny drops of rain gleamed in the sparse strands of his hair, and a trickle of moisture ran down behind one large red ear, but he made no move to wipe it away.
Jamie had stood up while questioning Marsali. Now he sat down on the log beside MacLennan, and laid a hand gently on the smaller mans back.
I hadna heard, a charaid, he said quietly.
No. MacLennan looked blindly into the transparent flames. Iwell, the truth of it is, Id not told anyone. Not til now.
Jamie and I exchanged looks across the fire. Drunkards Creek couldnt possibly harbor more than two dozen souls, in a scatter of cabins spread along the banks. Yet neither the Hobsons nor the Fowleses had mentioned Abels lossevidently he really hadnt told anyone.
What was it happened, Mr. Abel? Marsali still clasped his hand, though it lay quite limp, palm-down on the red kerchief.
MacLennan looked up then, blinking.
Oh, he said vaguely. So much happened. And yet... not really very much, after all. AbbyAbigail, my wifeshe died of a fever. She got cold, and... she died. He sounded faintly surprised.
Jamie poured a bit of whisky into an empty cup, picked up one of MacLennans unresisting hands, and folded it around the cup, holding the fingers in place with his own, until MacLennans hand tightened its grasp.
Drink it, man, he said.
Everyone was silent, watching as MacLennan obediently tasted the whisky, sipped, sipped again. Young Private Ogilvie shifted uneasily on his stone, looking as though he should like to return to his regiment, but he too stayed put, as though fearing an abrupt departure might somehow injure MacLennan further.
MacLennans very stillness drew every eye, froze all talk. My hand hovered uneasily over the bottles in my chest, but I had no remedy for this.
I had enough, he said suddenly. I did. He looked up from his cup and glanced round the fire, as though challenging anyone to dispute him. For the taxes, aye? It was no so good a year as it might have been, but I was careful. Id ten bushels of corn put aside, and four good deer hides. It was worth more than the six shillings of the tax.
But the taxes must be paid in hard currency; not in corn and hides and blocks of indigo, as the farmers did their business. Barter was the common means of tradeI knew that well enough, I thought, glancing down at the bag of odd things folk had brought me in payment for my herbs and simples. No one ever paid for anything in moneysave the taxes.
Well, thats only reasonable, said MacLennan, blinking earnestly at Private Ogilvie, as though the young man had protested. His Majesty canna well be doing wi a herd of pigs, or a brace of turkeys, now, can he? No, I see quite well why it must be hard money, anyone could. And I had the corn; it would ha brought six shillings, easy.
The only difficulty, of course, lay in turning ten bushels of corn into six shillings of tax. There were those in Drunkards Creek who might have bought Abels corn, and were willingbut no one in Drunkards Creek had money, either. No, the corn must be taken to market in Salem; that was the closest place where hard coin might be obtained. But Salem lay nearly forty miles from Drunkards Creeka weeks journey, there and back.
Id five acres in late barley, Abel explained. Ripe and yellochtie, achin for the scythe. I couldna leave it to be spoilt, and my Abbyshe was a wee, slight woman, she couldna be scything and threshing.
Unable to spare a week from his harvest, Abel had instead sought help from his neighbors.
Theyre guid folk, he insisted. One or two could spare me the odd pennybut theyd their ain taxes to pay, hadnt they? Still hoping somehow to scrape up the necessary coin without undertaking the arduous trip to Salem, Abel had delayedand delayed too long.
Howard Travers is Sheriff, he said, and wiped unconsciously at the drop of moisture that formed at the end of his nose. He came with a paper, and said he mun put us oot, and the taxes not paid.
Faced with necessity, Abel had left his wife in their cabin, and gone posthaste to Salem. But by the time he returned, six shillings in hand, his property had been seized and soldto Howard Traverss father-in-lawand his cabin was inhabited by strangers, his wife gone.
I kent shed no go far, he explained. Shed not leave the bairns.
And that in fact was where he found her, wrapped in a threadbare quilt and shivering under the big spruce tree on the hill that sheltered the graves of the four MacLennan children, all dead in their first year of life. In spite of his entreaties, Abigail would not go down to the cabin that had been theirs, would seek no aid from those who had dispossessed her. If it was madness from the fever that gripped her, or only stubbornness, he could not tell; she had clung to the branches of the tree with demented strength, crying out the names of her childrenand there had died in the night.
His whisky cup was empty. He set it carefully on the ground by his feet, ignoring Jamies gesture toward the bottle.
Theyd given her leave to carry awa what she could. Shed a bundle with her, and her grave-claes in it. I ken weel her sitting down the day after we were wed, to spin her winding-sheet. It had wee flowers all along one edge, that shed made; she was a good hand wi a needle.
