A Covenanter's Narrative. 141 



or what their desyns were. He said he had sent to Dumfries 

 for that effect, but the messenger was not returned. I stayed 

 long waiting- thereon and then it was drawand lait and the 

 messenger not hke to return. The Tutor desired me to go and 

 get all the intelligence I could in respect the high streit lay 

 close to my house, and come again and tell him. Whereupon 

 I lap upon my meir and came home ; and as I came neir to 

 my house I saw a number of men going by, and I went to 

 them to see what they were and what they had come about. 

 They told me they had taken Sir James Turner and a number 

 of his sogers. I told also to the Commissioner I rode farder 

 a piece with them, askand at several of them where they would 

 tpke him to, or what they would do with him ; but they 

 either knew not or else they would not tell me. I askit also 

 at several of them who it was and what was the name of 

 their Captain, but they would none of them tell me that 

 either. By this time I had ridine with them a milne or more, 

 and when I could get no farder intelligence I turnit back and 

 came home to my awne house and told the tutore of Lagg 

 that I had heard and that it was Galloway men, and told that 

 I staid about my awne house and in the shire and ownit them 

 na moir till they were broken. They askit me if I had arms? 

 I said I had a sword when I went to the Lag to the Tutore, 

 and had not laid it from me in respect I cam to them at the 

 neirest when they were going by. They askit if they tuik my 

 sword frae me or offered to trouble me? I said not. They 

 said they had taken me for a friend that sufferit me to ride 

 peaceabile with them. I answered that they troubled no man 

 more than they did me (altho sundry cam to them), but only 

 Sir James and his men, and I thought they would not take me 

 for a friend who refusit to go with them, and Corsock'^'^ desir- 



33 Neilsoii of Corsock, in the parish of Parton, and Maclellan, 

 younger of Barscobe, in the parish of Balmaclellan, took a 

 principal part in the c-aptiu'e of Turner. They were closely con- 

 nected by marriage, Neilson's wife being Mary Maclennan, and 

 apparently Barscobe' s sister (see W. A. Stark, The Book of Kirk- 

 jmtrick-Diirham. Kirkcvdhrightshire, Castle-Douglas, 1903, p. 84). 

 Neilson and M'Kaill were put to the torture, and the former 

 " screight for pain in a terrible manner so as to have moved a heart 



