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before him. Pretending to unbutton, he stooped down, and, watching his opportunity, he seized a stone, threw it over their heads, and, in the same moment, dashed into the wood. One of the corporals fired, and, with the other soldiers and recruits, immediately gave chase; but Allan, accustomed to ranging through the woods, easily eluded his pursuers, and gaining the open country, made the best of his way to Whitby, where he took shipping, and in twenty hours he landed at Leith. Falling in with an old acquaintance, a shoemaker, from Alnwick, through whom he was engaged to play for their procession, and, next day, instead of parading at York, he was playing before his majesty King Crispin, through the principal streets of Edinburgh.
Allan now returned to Rothbury and while he was playing one night, he was told that four strange men, not soldiers, were enquiring of a boy, in a low voice, where Jemmy Allan was. Allan suspecting who the strangers were, flew out of the house, and escaped without difficulty. Allan bent his course towards Hexham. The strangers proved to be a sergeant and three of his men, with whom he had enlisted at Morpeth, and discovering the road he had taken, travelled so expeditiously, that they overtook him before he reached Hexham. Allan, in an instant, darted forward, pursued by the whole party; but losing time in leaping a hedge, he was obliged to defend himself with his stick;—he again ran off, but when passing over a style, the drummer struck him with his sword upon the wrist. Allan viewed the wound with deep emotion, and then looking at the drummer, he exclaimed with a minstrel’s pride, “Ye ha’e spoiled the best pipe-hand in England.”—Allan was now completely conquered, the sergeant conducted him to Hexham, and lodged him in the house of correction. But many respectable persons, sorry for his misfortune, interested themselves in procuring his discharge, which was the more readily obtained, as his wound disabled him in future from imposing on the military.
CHAP. VI.
Allan retired to Rothbury, and shortly after married, and lived with his wife about three years, with wonderful sobriety; but he became acquainted with one Mary Rawlins, a loose, dissolute woman. To support Moll’s
