invited Mr. Martin and Helen to sit down and partake of her humble fare,
which they very readily complied with. John was not forgotten, for she had
put a pretty good portion for him on a seat at the outside of the door,
her small house not affording two sitting apartments, and she conceived it
would not be respectful to the Minister to bring the herd-boy inside the
house. Mr. Scott, as they sat eating their luncheon, told them that a
curious thing had occurred that morning, about a mile up the dale, at the
_Roman camp_. This is a place, the like of which is to be found in many
parts both of England and Scotland, being a small grassy hill, on the top
of which are long ditches and mounds of earth, seemingly intended for
fortifications, and supposed to have been made by the Romans, when they
first invaded Britain. Near this spot, some labourers had been employed
digging a piece of ground, and one of them, in the course of his work,
struck upon something hard, which, after much labour, he succeeded in
raising, when it proved to be an urn, or large sort of earthen vessel, in
which were a number of gold and silver coins and other rarities. Mr.
Martin, who had found great amusement in his retired manner of living, in
collecting whatever was curious in the neighbourhood, said, he should much
like to see this urn, and inquired of Mr. Scott if he thought it were
possible to get a sight of the labourer who found it. "Oh yes, Sir,"
answered Mrs. Scott, "that you may easily do, for it was Archie Kerr who
found it, and his mother lives only about a mile and a half from this
place; but I think, if your honour wants to see it, you had better send up
to him at once, for it is most likely that some of the neighbouring gentry
will buy it from him, as soon as they hear of it." Mr. Martin thought she
was very right, and began considering how he could send a message, as he
felt it was rather further than he liked to walk. At last he determined on
sending John upon the pony, Mrs. Scott assuring him he could not miss his
way to Jenny Kerr's, it being the first house he came to after passing the
_Shaw rigg_, where a large stone stood on his left hand. John was no