Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-10-19

run TO so low an eDD IndI we must lHlHh
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.
Its a chief principle in military at
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, its
just precisely there that they'll be look
inc to lay hands on u.s. But if we stave
on straight to the aud Brig OF Stirling,
I'll lay my sword they let us pass I'M
challenged
The first night, accordingly, we pushed
to the house Of Maclaren in Strathire.
a friend of Duncan's, where we slept the
21st of the month, and whence we set
forth again about the fall of night to
make another easy stage. The 22d we
lay in heather-bush on hillside IN
Uam Var, within view of a herd OF
deer, the happiest ten hours of sleep IN
a fine, breathing sunshine and on bone
dry ground, that [ have ever tasted.
That night we struck Allan water, and
edge of the hills saw the whole Carse
of Stirling underfoot, as fiat as a pam
cake, with the town and castle on hill
in the midst of it, and the moon shining
on the links of Forth
"Now," said Alan, II kenna 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.
In Allan water, near by where it falls
into the Forth, we found little sandy
islet overgrOwn with burdock, butterbur
and the like low plants, that would just
cover us if we lay fiat. Here it was we
made our camp, within plain view of
Stirling castle, whence we could hear
the drums beat as some part of the gar
rison paraded. Shearers worked all day
in a field on one side of the river, and
we could hear the stones going on the
hooks and the voices and even the words
of the men talking. 1t behooved to lie
close and keep silent. But the sand of
the little isle was sun-warm, the green
plants gave us shelter for our heads, we
had food and drink in plenty; and to
crown ALL we were within sight of safe
ty.
AS soon as the shearers quit their
work and the dusk began to fall, we
waded ashore and struck for the bridge
der the field fences.
The bridge is close under the castle
hill, an old, high narrow bridge with
pinnacleS along the parapet; and you
may conceive with how much interest |
looked upon it, not only as Il place ia
nous in history, but as the very doors of
salvation to Alan and myself. The
moon was not yet up when we came
there; few lights shone along the
front of the fortress, and lower
down few lighted windows
in the town; but it was all mighty still,
and there seemed to be no guard upon
the passage
| was for pushing straight across; but
Alan was more wary.
1T looks unco quiet" said he; 'but
for all that we'll lie down here cannily
behind a dyke, and make sure"
So we lay for about a quarter Of an
hour whites whispering, whites lying
still and hearing nothing earthly but the
washing of the water on the piers. At
last there came by an old, hobbling Wom-
an with crutch stick; who first stopped
a little, close to where we lay, and be-
moaned 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, and the night still
SO dark, that we soon lost sight of Ter;
only heard the sound of her steps, and
her stick, and a cough that she had by
fits, draw slowly farther away.
'She's bound to be across now I
whispered
Ma said Alan, cher foot still sounds
boss JholloW] uDon the bridge"
And just then-''Who goes" cried a
voice, and we heard the butt of musket
rattle on the stones. [ must suppose the
sentry had been sleeping. so that had
we tried we might have passed unseen
h11t hn a1y tho .han
forfeited.
Ihis'll never do" said Alan. ''This'H
never, never do for us, David
And without another word, he began
to crawl away through the fields; and
a little after, being well out of eye-shot,
got to his feet again, and struck along
a road that led to the eastward. I
could not conceive what he was doing;
and indeed | was so sharply cut by the
disappointment, that | was little likely
to be pleased with anything A moment
back, and l had seen myself knocking
at Mr.. Rankeillor's door to claim my in
heritance like a hero in a ballad; and
here was / back again, wandering,
hunted BLACKBOARD, on the wrong side
of Forth.
"Well?'' said l.
'Well," said Alan, "what would We
have? They're none such fools as took
them for. We have still the Forth to
pass, Davie--weary fall the rains that
fed and the hillsides that guided it!''
"And why go east? said l.
"Ou, just upon the chancev' said he
IF we cannae pass the river, We'll have
to see what we can do for the firth
''There are fords upon the river, and
none upon the firth said |.
''To be sure there are fords. and a
bridge forby," quoth Alan; ''and of what
service, when they are watched?'
well" said l, ''but river can be
swum.'
''By them that have the skill of it."
returned he; 'but [ have yet to hear
that either you or me is much of a hand
at that exercise; and for my own part,
| swim like stone"
I'm not up to you in talking back,
Alan" [ said; "but | can see we're max
ing bad worse. If it's hard to pass a
river, it stands to reason it must be
worse to pass a sea-"
But there's such a thing as boat"
says Alan, cor I'm the more deceived"
''Ay, and such a thing as money"
says l. 'But for us that have neither
one nor other. they might lust as well