Looking for more in Scotland's Stories?

The Hunted

Author: Lindsay Craik
Year: Adventure

I’m pechin
Out of breath
Can you see them coming after me?
I am movin’ on
Pech, pech, pech
Aye pechin
Need to keep movin’ on
One dark night
I slipped the iron chain
And off I ran to the Grampians
to never be seen again
Off I went for a mountain tramp
Tramp, tramp, tramp
Here’s the bridge
People are coming from the loch
Do you see them?
Why am I here?
I’ve been training since I was a boy
On long train journeys I observed
the surroundings and the people
This was a product of scouting
which I was very keen on
Learning Kim’s Game and the like
On trains, I look to discover who folk are
What’s their profession, how do they act?
I keep it all in my head and keep looking
One day I saw something that happened
I saw an attack outside of the bus
I quickly mentioned it, but no one believed me
The bus carried on in its ignorance
I learned that the truth is not always trusted
Later, I had issues with a friend
Who I trusted without question
Only to find the friend did not tell the truth
It built a protective cell, a cocoon
To observe, to analyse, to tell the truth
I don’t see them yet, but they’ll come
They may find my cocoon
Before I fly from it?
I love a challenge
Hunted got me that, I am the prey
They are after my blood
I can do this ‘cause I have the background
The patience, the planning
Now I will focus on the end
Do you see them coming?
I need to get going
Up onto the Lairig Ghru
I hope that stops them
I like it, let’s go among the deer
The head of the herd is calling
Far, far, away
We may meet one night in the silver light
On the road to Ben Mac dui
Off we go with a tramp, tramp, tramp
Look!
I see them coming up the hill
Still a long way off
Will they find me at Macdui?
No, I’ll not be there
Will they go by way of the Dee?
Towards Braemar?
Or do they know of Glen Tilt?
I doubt it
I watch them passing by
No more tricks for me to perform
So I take a bow towards the crowd
And say goodbye for now
Now, the cocoon is open
I’m ready to fly