New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-20


low stature, thick set, rolling figure, which was
rendered somewhat lucrous to look at by its posses
sor having bent it into crescent-the convex side
through long continued attempts to acquire
a dgni6ed military attitude. Everything which this
parsonage did or said was " in the kings name."
This was, indeed, Lieutenant Howisons tower of
strength. It was even alleged, that when he ran
away from the battle of Prestonpans he did it in
the kings name."
Such was the person who halted on the morning
alluded to- to refresh himself and men at the Inn Of
Crook, having marched some five or six miles since
daybreak. After commanding his soldiers to go with
the prisoners into ROOM and take some bread and
cheese, the Lieutenant himself retired to another
apartment, there to refresh himself with something of
more savory nature, If it was to be had Geordie
in person waited the officer, and supplied him with
been performed, the landlord then turned his aten-
ton to the soldiers. being, in fact anxious to get
glimpse of the puir child who had fallen into their
hands. In this object he was at first disappointed.
the Highlanders face being averted from the rest Of
the party, and steadily directed towards the window
At last Of the soldiers with more kindness than
any of the others seemed disposed to show exclaimed
I" Come, my lad, here's share of my bit and sup.
shant poor fellow starved neither, rebel though
he has beens The prisoner, seemingly, was touched
with the mans good nature and turned partly round
to benefit by the offer. Georde Black the moment
that he got glimpse of the Highhnder's face, was
overwhelmed with alarm and vexation. His heart
failed him, and it with feeling of aintness that
he shrunk from the apartment.
1t was not until the soldiers fairly out of sight
that the heartstricken landlord dared to give vent to
his feelings. "Oh. Peggy, Peggy, woman, y said he,
when alone with his wife, what do you !, think has
What will become of Alice moo, wandering, may be,
by this time fae door to door without house to put
her head in or q bit to put in her mouth or as
likely to be dead and game, since we hae ma heard
from her about this unlucky business. oh what
could tempt him to gang out, aud him married man
wi family!'' To Geordie's TRADE his wife could
only reply by sorrowful EXPLANATIONS of My puir
dochter-my puir Ailie!' This afternoon, it may
well be conceived was spent by the honest couple in
the most unpleasant state of mind-for Macaren, as
the reader will have surmised was their son-inlaw.
One thing which surprised the landlord much, was
that he should have remained so long ignorant of
Maclarens joining Prince Charles. But the truth
was that Neil had Joined him short time before the
battle of Cuoden, being drawn at last from his home
by the spectacle OF an invading army in his native
country.
Crook, to whom this was destined to be an eventful
day, and follow the party of soldiers in their slow
march up the vale of Tweed As Geordie Black had
predicted the mists did not clear up as the day grew
older Other parts Of the country indeed might have
been free from fog, but at every step the soldiers
moving higher and higher, and the white drizzling
feeces the hilsides became thicker and thicker.
1t is to be questioned if there is in all the Lowands of
Scotland more elevated piece of tableand than that
lying some ten miles above Crook from which spring
the fountains Of three great rivers-the Clyde, the
Amman and the Tweed The road Travelled by Macla-
rem and his captors crosses this obtusely pyramidal
height, (or it is shown to be, on great scale, by
the descent of these rvers) at spot called Errick
Stane Brae. III
After the height of the country had been passed,
it proceeds for some way along the brink OF pro-
found green hollow in which the Amman takes its rise,
and which is usually termed the Devils but sometimes
also the Marquis OF Annandales Beef Tub, from some
resemblance it bears to that domestic utensi and be-
cause the rivers Of the great Border-honse OF John
stone used of old to conceal their stolen cattle in it,
AS implied by the application the sides of this hollow
are nearly perpendicular oil around the bottom being
SO deep that in clear weather, traveller looking
down into it from the road sees bullocks diminished
to the size Of Sheep and sheep to that of haes On
the present OCCASION however, it was filled to the brim
by the dense fog which pervaded the atmosphere,
that the road winding along the top appeared like the
shore of deep bay Of the sea, to step from which
would have been to plunge into an abyss and be lost
forever. Id .'.. .s
The soldiers, though the country was entirely new
to them passed along the high and perous road with
feelings little impressed by it.. The dreariness and
monotony of their days march had rendered their
minds dull and nattentive and instead of keeping
close circle round their prisoner they struggled along
in line, in which he was sometimes near the front
and sometimes near the rear Very different was the
mental condition of Maclaren, who, from his having
frequently passed this way with cattle, as many High
land gentlemen of superior rank to himself were &C.
customed to do was acquainted with every foot OF the
way, and had long medtated particular mode OF es-
cape, which he was now to put into execution.
How great was the establishment of the soldiers when
| Maclaren, who at one moment was pacing quietly
along in the dreary march, next seen to start
if instinct with new life, from their line towards the
edge of the precipice over which he plum ged head
| foremost, and was instantly out of sight! To rush
after him was but the work Of moment yet quick
| had been his movements, that he was already alb
sorbed in the of mist which filled the Beef Tub
With his head firmly clenched between his knees, and
holding his feet in his hands, he had formed his body
as nearly possible into round form, and allowed
himself freely to roll heels over head down the steep
side of the hollow, the surface Of which he knew pre-
scented at this place no obstruction capable OF njurlne
him. In their ignorace OF the ground, no one burst
follow him. The brave lieutenant could only sooI
as he recovered breath eycalm with an oath, Stol
sir, arrest you in the kings name y while the sol
diers fired their mGskets at random into the might,
gulf, run little round its edges in the hope
finding less perilous descent to the bottom. 1t wa
all In vain and, after once more gathering, they
could only console themselves with the undoubtng as
sranee that the rascal must have broken his neck ii
the descent, and so relieved the king of the duty
furnishing his rebellion. b.
At the moment when the Lieutenant uttered hi
characteristic exclamation, Neil Maclaren could hav
stopped his career neither for king or kaisar. H
arrived, however, at the bottom of the Beef Fu
without the slightest injury and the moment that
did So he commenced his ascent the opposite sid
with the speed OF one who hears behind him tn
blood.hound's bay. When he reached the top, bein
well acquainted with the ground be set oil at FIJI
speed in the direction of his father,in-law's house
following, not the road BY which he had come, bu
the hill-sldes where he was not likely to be seen b
any one. He took this route in the hope that in som
of the many cornerholes about the Crook he nigh
easily lie concealed until the hue ,aud.cry was blow
over Nor was he wrong in his adaptations.
After the departure of the soldiers with their pr
oner, Georde Black was surprised by the arrival
visitors that were near and dear to him, namely hi
daughter Alice with her infant child The poor youn
, creature knew Of her husbands capture and was o
her way to Carlisle to beg his life, or to die with hr
Her parents persuaded, or rather compelled her
stay night with them, in order to take that rest
which she stood in so much need but it may be in
agined that they could offer her other consoato
0 Consolation however, was not far of, though the
4 then saw it not. '
After night had set in, Geordie, with the view
excluding as much as possible all spectators Of h
daughters grief, went out in person to bring supp
fuel for the parlor fire from the peatstalk. Viii
!. in the act of lifting these combustibes voice wills
, erng his name, and finding by the terrified Gu
sakei what's that !" that it was his father-n- la,
Maelaren revealed himself and told the story of h
marvellous escape. 1t would be hard to say wheth
? inv or alarm was The most nrelOminaut in the o.