In which the young and dauntless Hobbie Elliot returns from a fruitless deer-stalking expedition across the wild and legendary Mucklestane-Moor, contemplating the ancient tales and present unrest stirring in the border lands of Scotland. He encounters young Patrick Earnscliff, and together they discourse upon family histories, local disputes, and the uneasy spirit of their times, while the shadow of supernatural and civil disturbances alike hang heavy over their path.