The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-03-10

word, and had run ana CLIMBED with
such a savage, silent frenzy of hurry
that / knew he was in mortal fear OF
some miscarriage. Even now we were
on the rock he said nothing, nor so much
as relaxed the frowning look upon his
face, but clapped flat down, and keep
ing only one eye above the edge of our
place of shelter secuted all round the
compass. The dawn had come quite
clear; we could see the stony sides of the
valley, and its bottom, which was be-
strewed with rocks, and the river, which
went from one side to another and made
white falls, but nowhere the smoke of
house, nor any living creature but some
eagles screaming round cliff.
Then at last Alan smiled.
"Aye," said he, "now we have a
chance; gang you to your sleep, lad, and
I'll watch"
Accordingly lay down to sleep; lit
tie peaty earth had drifted in between
the top of the two rocks, and some
bracken grew there, to be bed to me.
The last thing heard was still the cry.
ing of the eagles.
l dare say it would be nine in the
morning when was roughly awakened
and found Alan's hand pressed upon my
mouth.
"Wheesht!" he whispered. you were
snoring"
"Well," said |, surprised at his anxious
and dark face, land why not?"
He peered over the edge of the rock
and signed to me to do the like.
1t was now high day, cloudless and
very hot. The valley was as clear as in
q picture. About half u mile up the
water was camp of redcoats; a big
fire blazed in their midst, at which some
were cooking, and near by, on the toF
of q rock about as high as ours, there
stood sentry, with the sun sparkling
on his arms. All the way down along
the river side were posted other sentries:
here near together, there widelier scat
tered; some planted like the first, on
places of command, some on the ground
level, and marching and countermarch-
ing, so as to meet half way. Higher up
the glen, where the ground was more
open, the chain of posts was continued
by horse soldiers, whom we could see in
the distance riding to and fro. Lower
down the infantry continued; but as the
stream was suddenly swelled by the con-
fluence of considerable burn they were
more widely set, and only watched the
fords and stepping stones.
l took but one look at them and
ducked again into my place. 1t was
strange indeed to see this valley, which
had lain so solitary in the hour of dawn,
bristling with arms and dotted with the
redcoats and breeches.
eye see," said Alan, "this was what
was afraid of, Davie-that they would
watch the burnside They began to
come in about two hours ago, and, man,
but ye're grand hand at the sleeping!
We're in a narrow place. If they get
up the sides of the hill they could easy
spy us with glass, but if they'll only
keep in the foot of the valley we'll dc
yet. The posts are thinner down the
water, and come night we'll try ouI
hand at getting by them
"And what are we to do till night"
asked.
ellie here" says he, land birstle."
That one good Scotch word, birstle,
was indeed the most of the story Of the
day that we had now to pass. You are
TO remember that we lay on the bare
top of rock, like scenes upon a griddle;
the sun beat upon us cruelty; the rock
grew so heated man could scarce en-
1ure the touch of it, and the little patch
Of earth and fern which kept cooler was
only large enough for one at time.
All the while we had no water, only
raw brandy for drink, which was
worse than nothing; but we kept the
bottle as cool as we could, burying it in
the earth, and got some relief by bath
Ing our breasts and temples.
The soldiers kept stirring all day in
the bottom of the valley, now changing
guard, now in patrolling parties hunting
among the rocks. These lay around in
30 great number that to look for men
among them was like looking for a
needle in bottle Of hay, and being so
hopeless task it was gone about with
the less care. Yet we could see the sol
diers pike their bayonets among the
heather, which sent cold thrill into
my vitals, and they would sometimes
hang about our rock so that we scarce
dared to breathe
The tediousness and pain of these
hours upon the rocks grew only the
greater as the day went on, the rock get
ting still the hotter and the sun fercer.
At last, about two, it was beyond
mems bearing, and there was now temp
tation to resist as well as pain to thole.
For the sun being now got a little into
the west, there came a patch of shade on
the east side of our rock, which was the
side sheltered from the soldiers.
Gas well one death as another" said
Alan, and slipped over the edge and
dropped on the ground on the shadowy
side.
l followed him at once, and instantly
fell all my length, so weak was and
10 giddy with that long exposure. Here
then we lay for an hour or two, aching
q