God's Highlander by E. V. Thompson Page B

which he was dressed, Wyatt added: ‘I was doing a spot of gardening.’
    When the other man was standing balanced on his good leg and leaning heavily against him, Wyatt said: ‘I don’t think I’ve seen you hereabouts. Who are you, and what are you doing here?’
    â€˜If you were anyone else but a minister of the Church, I’d tell you to mind your own business. As you’re who you are, and as likely as not
will let me fall to the ground if I offend you, I’ll answer your questions. The name’s Alasdair Burns. I’m a migratory creature, like the birds of the air. Once I, too, was a factor, though I set no man-traps. More recently I’ve been a man of letters. In winter you’ll find me teaching school in Glasgow, but in summer I’m a free man. Free to roam the Highlands and enjoy God’s handiwork.’
    â€˜Not to mention the proprietor’s salmon.’ Wyatt nodded to where a neatly wound fishing-line lay in the grass.
    â€˜I’ve never seen it before, Minister. But as it would appear to have been abandoned it would be a sin to leave it to rot away. Boy … you’ll find a bag beneath the bushes. Put the line inside and bring the bag to me – and close your mouth, or someone is likely to mistake you for a fish and feed you a hook.’
    Ewan Munro had never seen a man with a peg-leg before and he had been gaping in wonderment at Alasdair Burns. Now he hurried to obey the stranger’s orders.
    Shrugging the bag to his shoulder, the Glasgow schoolteacher leaned heavily on Wyatt and said: ‘Lead me where you will, Minister. Without my leg I’m no more than a human wheelbarrow, going in whichever direction you’ve a mind to push me. But if you’ve a good piece of cherrywood at your manse, or oak even, I’ll carve myself a new pinion. Then I’ll give the best young runner ten paces’ start and catch him over a hundred yards.’
    As they forced their way clear of the undergrowth, Alasdair Burns asked: ‘What manner of man is this proprietor of yours that he’d set man-traps around the edge of a loch? It might as easily have been a wee child trod on that thing. A bairn’s leg is worth more than all the salmon in Scotland.’
    â€˜This is the factor’s doing. He has more power than is good for any man in his position. Ewan, do you know of any other man-traps?’
    â€˜Every one of them. I followed Garrett’s men when they set them.’
    â€˜Go and spring them with a stout stick. But be careful. We want no more accidents.’
    Ewan Munro looked scared, and Wyatt added: ‘If anyone sees you doing it, tell them you’re acting on my instructions. I’ll take it up with John Garrett. He knows they’re illegal as well as do I.’
    As Ewan Munro hurried away, relishing the thought of carrying out Wyatt’s instructions, the one-legged man came to a halt.

    â€˜I need to rest for a moment or two. Sit me down on that rock over there.’
    Seated on a boulder at the edge of the path, Alasdair Burns took out a coloured kerchief and mopped his brow. Looking curiously at Wyatt, he said: ‘There are few ministers in Scotland who would take such a bold stand against their patron’s factor – especially when the law is on the other side. Those traps were on the proprietor’s land, and set to catch poachers.’
    â€˜As you said yourself, what are a few salmon when compared with a child’s leg? Such traps are fiendish.’
    â€˜Not when used against Highlanders, surely? Most landlords have yet to be convinced Highlanders are human.’
    â€˜ I’m a Highlander.’
    â€˜Then, I’ve no need to tell you what such folk think, Minister. You’ll know it well enough for yourself. All right, I’m ready to go on now.’
    Alasdair Burns needed to rest on a number of occasions before being helped inside the manse. Wyatt realised that