Then was the old
laird in great consternation, and blamed himself for treating the
thing so lightly, which seemed to have been gone about, from the
beginning, so systematically, and with an intent which the villains
were now going to realize, namely, to get the young laird
disposed of; and then his brother, in spite of the old gentleman's
teeth, would be laird himself.
Old Dal now set his whole interest to work among the noblemen
and lawyers of his party. His son's case looked exceedingly ill,
owing to the former assault before witnesses. and the unbecoming
expressions made use of by him on that occasion, as well as from
the present assault, which George did not deny, and for which no
moving cause or motive could be made to appear.
On his first declaration before the sheriff, matters looked no
better: but then the sheriff was a Whig. It is well known how
differently the people of the present day, in Scotland, view the
cases of their own party-men and those of opposite political
principles. But this day is nothing to that in such matters,
although, God knows, they are still sometimes barefaced enough.
It appeared, from all the witnesses in the first case, that the
complainant was the first aggressor--that he refused to stand out
of the way, though apprised of his danger; and, when his brother
came against him inadvertently, he had aimed a blow at him with
his foot, which, if it had taken effect, would have killed him.
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