The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-03-17

diersp
81 ken that fine," said he "but if we
are driven back ON Appin we are two
dead men. So now, David, man, be
briskr'
With that he began to run forward on
his hands and knees with an incredible
quickness, as though it were his natural
way of going. All the time, too, he kept
winding in and out in the lower parts Of
the moorland where we were the best
concealed.
Now and then indeed where was a
big bush of heather we lay awhile and
painted, and putting aside the leaves
looked back at the dragons. They had
not spied us, for they held straight on;
a half troop, think, covering about two
miles of ground and beating it mighty
thoroughly as they went.
At length, in the first cleaning of the
night, we heard trumpet sound, and
looking back from among the heather
saw the troop beginning to collect. A
little after they had built fire and
camped for the night, about the middle
of the waste.
At this I begged and besought that
we might lie down and sleep.
"There shall be no sleep the night"
said Alan. "From now on these weary
dragons of yours will keep the crown
of the muirland and none will get out of
Appin but winged fowls. We got
through in the nick of time, and shall
we leopard what we've gained? Nae, nae;
when the day comes it shall find you and
me in fast place on Ben Alder"
"Alan," said, sits not the want of
will; it's the strength that want. If
could would; but as sure as I'm alive
l cannot"
Every well, them" said Alan. "rll
carry ye."
looked to see if he were testing; but
no; the little man was in dead earnest,
and the sight of so much resolution
shamed me.
LEAD awayr' said /. "I'll follow"
He gave me one look, as much as to
say, "Well done, David!" and off he set
again at his top speed.
1t grew cooler and even little darker
(but not much) with the coming of the
night. Heavy dew fell and drenched
the moor like rain, and this refreshed
me for awhile. When we stopped to
breathe, and l had time to see all about
me the clearness and sweetness of the
night, the shapes of the hills like things
asleep, and the fire dwindling away be-
hind us, like bright spot il the midst
of the moor, anger would come upon
me in clap that / must st..l drag my
self in agony and eat the dust like a
worm.
Day began to come in after years, I
thought, and by that time we were past
the greatest danger and could walk upon
our feet like men instead of crawling
like brutes. But, dear heart, have
mercy! What pair we must have made,
going double like old grandfathers,
stumbling like babes and as white as
dead folk. Never word passed be-
tween us; each set his mouth and kept
his eyes in front of him, and lifted up
his foot and set it down again, like peo-
pie lifting weights at country play,
all the while, with the moor fowl cry
ing "peepw in the heather and the light
coming slowly clearer in the east.
say Alan did as 1 did; not that ever
/ looked at him, for had enough ado to
keep my feet, but because it is plain he
must have been as stupid with weari-
ness as myself, and looked as little where
we were going, or we should not have
walked into an ambush like blind men.
1t fell in this way. We were going
down a heathery brae, Alan leading and
1 following pace or two behind, like q
fiddler and his wife, when upon a sud-
den the heather gave rustic, three or
four ragged men leaped out, and the
next moment we were lying on our
backs, each with dirk at his throat.
don't think cared; the pain of this
rough handling was quite swallowed up
by the pains Of which I was already full,
and was too glad to have stopped walk
ing to mind about dirk. / lay looking
up in the face Of the man that held me,
and I mind his face was black with the
sun and his eyes very light, but was
not afraid of him. / heard Alan and
another whispering in the Gaelic, and
what they said was all one to me.
Then the dirks were put up, our
weapons were taken away, and we were
set face to face, sitting in the heather.
"They are Cluny's men," said Alan.
eve couldnae have fallen better.
We're just to bide here with these.
which are his outsentries, till they can
get word to the chief of my arrival"
Now, Cluny Macpherson, the chief of
the clan Vourich, had been one of the
leaders of the great rebellion six years
before; there was q price on his life,
and I had supposed him long ago in
France, with the rest Of the heads of
that desperate party. Even tired as ]
was the surprise of what / heard half
awakened me.
"Whatr / cried. sis Cluny still
herep"
"Aye, is he sol" said Alan. "Still in
his own country and kept by his own
clan. King George can do no more"
think l would have asked further,
but Alan gave me the put off. 81 am
rather wearied," he said, "and ! would
like fine to get O Sleep" And without
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