The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-03-24


or three friends that were let into the
secret. He hid by day in hole of the
braes under little wood; and at night,
when the coast was clear, would come
into the house to visit me. l need not
say if was pleased to see him; Mrs.
Maclaren, our hostess, thought nothing
good enough for such guest; and as
Duncan Dhu (Which was the name of
our host) had pair of pipes in his house
and was much of lover of music, the
time of my recovery was quite festival
and we commonly turned night into day.
The soldiers let us be, although once
a party of two companies and some dra-
goons went by in the bottom of the val
ley, where could see them through the
window as / lay in bed. What was
much more astonishing, no magistrate
came near me, and there was no ques-
ton put of whence l came or whittier I
was going; and in that time of excite
ment l was as free of all inquiry as
though 1 had lain in desert. Yet my
presence was known before l left to all
the people of Balquidder and the ad-
jacent parts; many coming about the
house on visits, and these (after the GUS
tom of the country spreading the news
among their neighbors. The bills, too,
had now been printed. There was one
pinned near the foot of my bed, where l
could read my own not very fattering
portrait, and in larger characters the
amount Of the blood money that had
been set upon my life.
Duncan Dhu and the rest that knew
that 1 had come there in Alan's COM
pany could have entertained no doubt
of who was; and many others must
have had their guess. For though had
changed my clothes, could not change
my age or person, and lowland boys OF
eighteen were not so rife in these parts
of the world, and above all about that
time, that they could fail to put one
thing with another and connect me with
the bill. So it was at least. Other folk
keep a secret among two or three near
friends, and somehow it leaks out, but
among these clansmen it is told to
aole countryside, and they will keep it
for century.
nO llOlth, dS odiN, Noo hOu
yet out, but it was already far through
August, and beautiful warm weather,
with every sign of an early and great
harvest, when was pronounced able
for my journey. Our money was now
run to so low an ebb that we must think
first of all on speed, for if we came not
soon to Mr.. Rankeillor's, or if when we
came there he should fail to help me,
we must surely starve. In Alan's view
besides the hunt must have now greatly
slackened, and the line of the Forth, and
even Stirling bridge, which is the main
pass over that river, would be watched
with little interest.
"It's chief principle in military af-
fairs" said he, "to go where we are least
expected. Forth is our trouble, we ken
the saying, Forth brides the wild HE
landman.' Well, if we seek to creep
round about the head of that river and
come down by Kippen or Balfron, it's
just precisely there that they'll be look
ing to lay hands on us. But if stave on
straight to the auld Brig of Sterling,
I'll lay my sword they let us pass I'M
challenged"
The first night accordingly we pushed
to the house of a Maclaren in Stratshire,
friend of Duncan's, where we slept
the twenty-first of the month, and
whence we set forth again about the fall
of night to make another easy stage.
The twenty-second we lay in heather
bush on hillside in Uam Var, within
view of a herd of the deer, the happiest
ten hours of sleep in fine breathing
sunshine and on bone dry ground that
have ever tasted. That night we
struck Allan Water and followed it
down, and coming to the edge of the
hills saw the whole carse of Stirling I'M
der foot, as fiat as a pancake, with the
town and castle on a hill in the midst
of it, and the moon shinir : on the links
of Forth. = .t''''-~
Snow" said Alan, II kennae if we
care, but ye're in your own land again.
We passed the hieland line in the first
hour; and now if we could but pass yon
crooked water, we might cast our bon
nets in the air."
AS soon as the dusk began to fall we
struck for the bridge of Stirling, keeping
to the fields and under the field fences.
The bridge is close under the castle
hill, an old, high, narrow bridge with
pinnacles along the parapet, and there
seemed to be no guard upon the passage.
I was for pushing straight across, but
Alan was more wary.
At last there came by an old, hobbling
woman with crutch stick, who first
stopped little, close to where we lay,
and bemoaned herself and the long way
she had Travelled, and then set forth
again up the steep spring of the bridge,
The woman was so little that we soon
lost sight of her, and only heard the sound
of her steps and her stick drawn slewly
farther away.
"Shes bound to be across now," l
whispered.
"Nae," said Alan; "her foot still sounds
boss [hollow] upon the bridge" .
And just then, "Who goes?" cried a
voice, and we hear the butt of muslxet
rattle on the stones.
"This'll never do" said Alan. "This'll
never, never do for us, David"
And without another word he began
49, xxyIo 4, 4.