Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-04-01

WHATS like ,OronJ 'ctth htnl?" said she.
At the door of the first house we came
to Alan knocked, which was no very safe
enterprise in such a part of the high
lands as the Braes of Balquidder.
Chance served us very well, for it was
household of Maclarens that we found,
where Alan was not only welcome for
his names sake, but known by reputa-
ton. Here, then, was to go to bed
without delay, and a doctor fetched, who
found me in sorry plight. But whether
because he was very good doctor, or
very young, strong man, lay bedrid-
den for no more than week, and before
a month l was able to take the road
again with good heart.
All this time Alan would not leave
me, though often pressed him, and in
deed his foolhardiness in staying was a
common subject of outcry with the two
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. need not
say if l 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 hosD had pair of pipes in his house
and was much of a 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
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-
tion put of whence l came or whittier l
was going; and in that time of excite
ment was as free of all inquiry as
though had lain in desert. Yet my
presence was known before | 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
could read my own not very fiattering
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 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 secret among two or three near
1 friends, and somehow it leaks out, but
among these clansmen it is told to a
whole countryside, and they will keep it
| for century.
The month, as l have said, was not
yet out, but it was already far through
August, and beautiful warm weather,
with every sign of an early and great
harvest, when l 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.
sits chief principle in military af-
fairs" said he, ''to go where ye are least
expected. Forth is our trouble, ye ken
the saying, Forth brides the wild hie-
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 un.
challenged"
The first night accordingly we epushed
to the house of Maclaren in Stratshire,
a friend of Duncan's, where we slept
the twenty-frst 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 herd of the deer, the happiest