`` The place ? '' said I. `` The Shaws ? '' `` Nae other place that I ken , '' said he . `` Ay , man ? '' said I. `` Is that so ? Was my -- was Alexander the eldest son ? '' '' ` Deed was he , '' said the landlord . `` What else would he have killed him for ? '' And with that he went away , as he had been impatient to do from the beginning . Of course , I had guessed it a long while ago ; but it is one thing to guess , another to know ; and I sat stunned with my good fortune , and could scarce grow to believe that the same poor lad who had trudged in the dust from Ettrick Forest not two days ago , was now one of the rich of the earth , and had a house and broad lands , and might mount his horse tomorrow . All these pleasant things , and a thousand others , crowded into my mind , as I sat staring before me out of the inn window , and paying no heed to what I saw ; only I remember that my eye lighted on Captain Hoseason down on the pier among his seamen , and speaking with some authority . And presently he came marching back towards the house , with no mark of a sailor 's clumsiness , but carrying his fine , tall figure with a manly bearing , and still with the same sober , grave expression on his face . I wondered if it was possible that Ransome 's stories could be true , and half disbelieved them ; they fitted so ill with the man 's looks . But indeed , he was neither so good as I supposed him , nor quite so bad as Ransome did ; for , in fact , he was two men , and left the better one behind as soon as he set foot on board his vessel . The next thing , I heard my uncle calling me , and found the pair in the road together . It was the captain who addressed me , and that with an air -LRB- very flattering to a young lad -RRB- of grave equality . `` Sir , '' said he , `` Mr. Balfour tells me great things of you ; and for my own part , I like your looks . I wish I was for longer here , that we might make the better friends ; but we 'll make the most of what we have . Ye shall come on board my brig for half an hour , till the ebb sets , and drink a bowl with me . '' Now , I longed to see the inside of a ship more than words can tell ; but I was not going to put myself in jeopardy , and I told him my uncle and I had an appointment with a lawyer .
`` XXXXX , ay , '' said he , `` he passed me word of that .
Alexander Ay Balfour Forest Hoseason Ransome Shaws clumsiness hour left