[LAWSON (ENTERING). Step your ways in, Officer. (AT WING.) Mr.
Carfrae, give a chair to yon decent wife that cam' in wi' me.
Nae news?

A VOICE WITHOUT. Naething, sir.

LAWSON (SITTING). Weel, Officer, and what can I do for you?]

HUNT. Well, sir, as I was saying, I've an English warrant for
the apprehension of one Jemmy Rivers, ALIAS Captain Starlight,
now at large within your jurisdiction.

LAWSON. That'll be the highwayman?

HUNT. That same, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal. The Captain's given me
a hard hunt of it this time. I dropped on his marks first at
Huntingdon, but he was away North, and I had to up and after him.
I heard of him all along the York road, for he's a light hand on
the pad, has Jemmy, and leaves his mark. [I missed him at York
by four-and-twenty hours, and lost him for as much more. Then I
picked him up again at Carlisle, and we made a race of it for the
Border; but he'd a better nag, and was best up in the road; so I
had to wait till I ran him to earth in Edinburgh here and could
get a new warrant.] So here I am, sir. They told me you were an
active sort of gentleman, and I'm an active man myself. And Sir
John Fielding, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, he's an active gentleman,
likewise, though he's blind as a himage, and he desired his
compliments to you, [sir, and said that between us he thought
we'd do the trick].