'I am not your brother to be watched with impunity,' he responded, calmly.'But I'm sure the Armstrongs will be interested in your opinion.'
'The Armstrongs?'I did not understand.
'You are shouting,' Hugh explained.'Your voice will carry right across the Moss.'
He was right of course, damn the man.I sat down again in the shelter of the jagged teeth of the Wolf Craigs and glared across at him instead.Unfortunately, he did not seem in the slightest put out by even my most ferocious frown.Presumably, his sisters had similar tricks.Damn that man.Damn him for the devilry of the Veitches.
'You had best get some sleep,' Hugh said mildly.'We have a hard night ahead of us.'
'We have just had a hard night.'I was not quite prepared for a reconciliation.
'Tomorrow we skirt Liddesdale,' he said.
That name sent a chill through me, as well it might.I have mentioned Liddesdale before, as anybody talking of the old Border must.It was the worst valley in the Borderland and therefore perhaps the most dangerous place in the whole of Europe.Even royal armies walked wary when passing through, and although the King had a garrison there in Hermitage Castle, that place had its own reputation of cruelty and menace.You will have heard of robber barons?Well in Liddesdale, every baron was a robber and every family a riding family; you will know that in our Border the name riding and raiding were synonymous.A riding family was one that struck out by night or day to reive or rob the cattle and goods from others, be they ten miles away or a hundred and ten.Every night from autumn to spring the hills were busy with reiving bands that could be three strong or three thousand.
Liddesdale was home to the most dangerous of these families and we had to pass it to get home.I did not sleep well that day as we lay between the red fangs of the wolf with the air damp above and the ground hard beneath.Hugh scooped a hold to cup my hip, which helped and twice during the day I stirred, to see him on watch.He looked down on me, put a finger to his lips and winked.
I woke with his jack covering me, a pounding head, and the knowledge that we had a bad night ahead augmented by the tension between us.I handed him back his jack without a word.I did not know how to thank him that day.
'Are you ready?'Standing at the side of the Wolf Craigs with the sun setting behind him, Hugh's face was hidden.I saw him in silhouette with his broad shoulders, trim waist, and the flare of his hips leading to long straight legs.
'You look like some sort of Greek God,' I said and immediately regretted my words as he turned away.
'That was meant to be a compliment,' I added.
'I know it was,' he said shortly.'Mount Kailzie and ride.'
I mounted Kailzie and I rode, wishing I had never opened my mouth or tried friendship with this moody, capable, complex man.The Moss looked exactly the same as it had the previous night, dark and damp, with patches of mist drifting around the peat-bogs and twisted trees like the ghosts of the damned, leaking leaves to a fluky wind.
'Look.'Hugh pointed ahead.I saw what looked like a small copse of trees with firelight flickering at their side.'A watch fire.The Armstrongs have posted men there.'He studied the fire, slowly counting.'I see five men.'
'Can't we go round?'I asked.
In reply, he took me by the hand and helped me, quite gently from the back of my horse.He led me ten steps to the right.'Stop there,' he said, 'and stretch out one foot.'
I did so.The mud sucked at me so fiercely I thought I might lose my boot.I withdrew quickly, with Hugh holding me.
'There is a stretch of black bog like that all the way around this damnable moss,' Hugh said, 'mile upon mile of it, except for three places, the three yetts, or gates of Tarras.This is the Black Yett, the least known of them.We can drown in the bog or face the Armstrongs.'
I was silent for a space.'What do we do?'
'I need you to keep your tongue under control and do exactly as I say.'Hugh had his answer ready.'Can you do that?'
'I don't know about my tongue…' I began and stopped myself.'Yes,' I said.'Yes, I can do that.'
'Good.'He helped me back on Kailzie, where the renewed pressure pushed into my tender parts.I did not protest.'Now hold on and trust me.'Walking in front, he led me a full fifty paces into the dark to one of the wind-twisted Scots Pines.'Stand here,' he said, 'and the tree will shield your shape.The wind is coming from the west so it will drive your scent away from the track.'
I nodded, obeying his instructions not to speak.
'I will distract the Armstrongs long enough for them to leave the yett unguarded.They will ride past you into the Moss.I want you to wait until all five have passed and then you will come out and ride through the yett as if all the devils of hell were sticking red hot pokers into your…' he stopped as I concealed my smile.Hugh had nearly dropped his guard then and I liked him all the more for it.'When all five have passed I want you to ride as fast as you can through the yett.There is a small slope on the other side.Go down the slope and turn right.Ride straight and true until you come to a ruined chapel.Wait for me there.Have you got that?'
'I have got that,' I said.
'If I am not there within two hours then I am not coming,' Hugh continued.'In that case, you must wait for dark tomorrow and ride northward; follow the Pole Star.'
'Why would you not come?'I asked in a small voice.
'Because I will be dead,' Hugh said.
