It was at once undignified and dangerous; and
though danger was all to his taste, it was one thing to risk one's life
in open battle with enemies worthy of a soldier's steel, and another and
very different thing to run the chance of a stray bullet from behind a
haystack or through a cottage window. The line of country he had to
patrol (for his work was really little more than that) was all too large
for the forces at his disposal. The enemies with whom he had mostly to
deal were either old men or women, for the Covenanters were well
supplied with intelligence, and generally had ample warning of his
movements, quick and indefatigable as they were. "If your lordship give
me any new orders, I will beg they may be kept as secret as possible,
and sent for me so suddenly as the information some of the favourers of
the fanatics are to send may be prevented."[20] And again:
"I obeyed the orders about seizing persons in Galloway that
very night I received it, as far as it was possible; that is
to say, all that was within forty miles, which is the most
can be ridden in one night; and of six made search for, I
found only two, which are John Livingston, bailie of
Kirkcudbright, and John Black, treasurer there. The other
two bailies were fled, and their wives lying above the
clothes in the bed, and great candles lighted, waiting for
the coming of the party, and told them, they knew of their
coming, and had as good intelligence as they themselves; and
that if the other two were seized on, it was their own
faults, that would not contribute for intelligence.
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