The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-12

mask of friendship. He must conceive
that my imprisonment had incensed me.
Perhaps this little jesting. friendly mes.
sage was intended to disarm my rancor.
will be honest-and think it did.
felt sudden warmth toward that beauti-
full Miss Grant that She should stoop to
such interest in my affairs. The summon
ing up of Catriona moved me Of itself to
mi!der and more cowardIy counsels. II
the advocate knew of her and of our &C
quaintance-if should please him by
some Of that discretion" 4. which his
letter poinsed-to what might not this
lead? In vain is the net spread in sight
Of any fowl. the Scripture says. Well,
fowls must be wiser than folk! For
thought l perceived the policy, and yet
fell in with ii.
Twas in this frame, my heart beating,
the gray eyes plain before me like two
stars, when Andie broke in upon my
musing.
Il see We hae gotten guild news. |" said he.
I found him looking curiously in my
face; with that, there came before me like
a vision of James Stewart and the court
of Inverary; and my mind turned at
once upon its hinges like . door.
Trials, / reflected, sometimes draw out
longer than is looked for. Even if
came to Inverary just too late, something
might vet be attempted in the interests Of
James-and in those Of my own character
the best would be accomplished. In .
moment-it seemed without thought
had plan devised.
candle" said I, .'is it still to be tomor-
row Z"
He told me nothing was changed.
WAS anything said about the hourf" I
asked.
He told me it was to be two o'clock AZ
ternoon.
"An' about the placer" pursued.
"Whatten placer" says Andie.
"The place I'm to be landed at" said I.
He owned there was nothing as to that.
Every well, them" said, ''this shall be
mine TO arrange. The wind is in the east.
my road lies westward; keep your boat, I
hire it; let US work mp the Forth all day :
and land me at o'clock tomorrow at the
westmost we'll can have reached"
''Ye daft callantP' he cried. ''ye would
try for Inverary after al"
AUST that. Andie,', says /.
"Weei, ye're i'll to beat!" says he. "And
I was kind o. sorry for ye a. day yester-
day." he added. Eye see. was never en-
tirely sure till then. which way of it ye
really wantit."
Here was q spur to q lame horse!
"a word in your ear, Andie." said I.
''This plan of mine has another advant-
age yet. We can leave these Hielandmen
UcuAuu uS Ou Suc IOCAs 0uU OIlS Oh your
boats from the Castleton can bring them
off tomorrow. Yon Neil has q queer
eye when he regards you; maybe, if I
was once out of the gate there might be
knives again; these red shanks are unco'
grudeeful. And if there should come to
be any question, here is your excuse. Our
lives were in danger by these savages
being answerable for my safety. you chose
the part to bring me from their neighbour
hnoA and A. AZ y,nn fha IF The TINA an
your boat; and do you know. Andie, 81
says I, with smile, Il think it was very
wisely chosen"
..The truth is I have nae goo for Neil"
says Andie, s'nor he for me, I'm thin king
and would like i'll to come to my hands
wi the man. Tam Austen will make a
better hand of it with the cattle anyway"
where Gaelic 10 still spokenl Jay, ay?'
says Andie, "Tam'll can deal with them
the best. And troth! the mair I think of
it. the less l see what way We would be re-
quired. The place-ay. feggsl they had
forgot the place. Eli, Shaws. ye're q long.
headed chied when We likel Forby that
I'm owing We my life." ne added, with
more solemnity, and offered me his hand
upon the bargain.
Whereupon, with scarce more words. va
stepped suddenly on board the boat. cast
off. and set the lug. The Gregara were
then busy upon breakfast, for cookery was
their usual part; but. one Of them STEP
ping to the battlements, our flight was OBJ
served before we were twenty fathoms
from the rock: and the three Of them ran
about the ruins and the landing shelf for
all the world like ants about q broken nest,
hailing and crying on US to return. We
were still in both the lee and the shadow
of the rock, which last lay broad upon
the waters. but presently came forth in
almost the same moment into the wind
and sunshine; the sail filled, the boat
heeled to the gunwale, and We swept i'm
mediately beyond sound of the men q
voices. To what terrors they endured
upon the rock, where they were now de-
serted without the countenance of any
civilized person, as SO much as the prOtec-
ton Of Bible. no limit can be set: nor
had they any brandy left to be their con-
ISOLATION, for even in the haste and secrecy
of our departure Andie had managed ia
remove il.
1t was our first care to set Austen ashore
IN q cove by the Glenteithy Rocks, so that
the deliverance of our maroons might be
duly seen to the next day; thence we kept
away up Firth. The breeze, which was
then SO spirited, swiftly declined. but
never wholly failed US. All day We kept
moving. though often not much more: and
ii was after dark ere We were up with the
Queensferry. To keep the letter of Andes
engagement Tor what was left Of it) must
remain on board. but thought no harm "a
communicate with the shore in writing. On
Prestonrange's cover, where the govern.
ment seal must have good deal surprised
my correspondent, ! writ, by the boats
Lantern, few necessary words, and Andie
carried them to RankeIllor. In about an
hour ne came aboard again, with a purse
OF money and the assurance that a good
horse should be standing saddied for me
by tomorrow at Ciackmannan pool,
This done. and the boat riding by her stone
anchor, We lay down TO sleep under the
sail.
We were IN the Pool the next day Ions
ere 2; and there was nothing left for NE
but sit and wait. / felt little alacri,y
upon my errand. / would have been
glad of any passable excuse to lay it down,
but none being to be found, my uneasi-
ness was no less great than If I had been
running TO some desired pleasure. Blu,
shortly after the horse was at the water,
side, and l could see a man walking it "a
and fro till l should land, which
vastly swelled my Impotence. Andie
ran the moment OF my liberation
very fine. showing himself a man
OF his bare word, hut scarce serving
his employers with . hesped measure: and
by about fifty seconds after I was in the
saddle and on the full stretch for Stirling,
In q little more than an hour had passed
tina; town and was already mounting Alan
Water side when the weather broke in a
small tempest. The rain blinded me, the
wind had nearly beat me from the saddle.
and the first darkness of the night sur.
prised me in n wilderness still some way
east of Balw bidder. not very sure of nv
direction and mounted on horse that be.
gan already 10 be weary.
In the press of nv hurry. and to be
spared the delay and annoyance of a guide
i had followed $50 far as il was possible fo,
h.ar z q