All these were objects fitted to arouse and interest a
romantic imagination.
But Waverley had other objects of meditation, and an incident soon
occurred of a nature to disturb meditation of any kind. Balmawhapple, in
the pride of his heart, as he wheeled his little body of cavalry round
the base of the castle, commanded his trumpet to sound a flourish,
and his standard to be displayed. This insult produced apparently
some sensation; for when the cavalcade was at such a distance from the
southern battery as to admit of a gun being depressed so as to bear upon
them, a flash of fire issued from one of the embrasures upon the rock;
and ere the report with which it was attended could be heard, the
rushing sound of a cannon-ball passed over Balmawhapple's head, and the
bullet, burying itself in the ground at a few yards' distance, covered
him with the earth which it drove up. There was no need to bid the party
trudge. In fact, every man, acting upon the impulse of the moment, soon
brought Mr. Jinker's steeds to show their mettle, and the cavaliers,
retreating with more speed than regularity, never took to a trot, as
the lieutenant afterwards observed, until an intervening eminence had
secured them from any repetition of so undesirable a compliment on the
part of Stirling Castle.
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