The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-02

gold as they hurried through the private apartment. Fortune was with them. They found their way through a private cor ridor to the courtyard, where Dalgetty demanded his horse loudly, as he showed his passport and gave the password Ar gyle's soldiers, accustomed to strange ac- tions of their crafty master, opened the gates without much surprise that Dal- getty should be free within an hour of being made prisoner.
 Before night Ranald and the soldier were in the hills, surrounded by the Sons of the Mist who shook his hand while the women kissed his coat skirts in grat- itude for having delivered their chief, Ranald
 To the Ritt-4Iaster's lively disgust, the Highanders were armed only with bows and arrows. He immediately expatiated on the insufficiency of such weapons, and his conviction was not a bit shaken when they beat off an attacking party from Inverary that had pressed hard after them.
 The soldado did not permit his love for disputation and conversation to interfere with his fighting, but pressed forward ahead of the clan and did great execution till musket ball took him in the thigh and stretched him helpless.
 The clan closed around him and fought so savagely that they managed to carry their wounded ally off: but their progress was slow, and they had to double and re- double on their tracks continually before they could gain a secure hiding place in the mountains, where the Ritt-Master could rest till his wound was healed
 Therefore several weeks elapsed before
 Therefore several weeks elapsed before under Montrose. The battle of Tipper- muir had been won. deciding the posses sion of the fortified town of Perth, which threw great store of money and muni- tions into the hands of the royalists. Then follew the victory of Aberdeen, after which Montrose retreated, or, rather, threw himself into the Highlands, where his army grew so greatly that Argyle re- turned to the securety of Inverary after resigning his commission.
 The Lowlands lay open now before Montrose, and the surest and quickest road to glory lay in attacking those rich lands and cities. But the Highland chiefs regarded Argyle as the chief of their ene- mics. To them the capture of Inverary was far more desirable than that of Edn- burgh. Their wishes found a secret echo in the heart of Montrose, and his inclina- ton was strengthened by the knowledge that the chiefs might withdraw their re- tainers from his army if he tried to turn them from their vengeance.
 Still he hesitated. Even the clans near est the territory of Argyle did not pretend to any thorough knowledge of the road through the mountains.
 While he was busied with contradictory thoughts, Dugald Dalgetty entered his tent, accompanied by Ranald His wander ings and adventures had not failed to in crease this sodado,s self-inlportance, and it was with more verbosity' and elaborate detail than ever that he recounted his story to the earl
 Montrose listened attentively. Every word he heard increased his hatred of Argyle. At last, when his eyes glanced over the papers that had been taken so thoughtfully by the Ritt-master he cried angrily:
 ''So he does not fear me! Then he shall feel me! He will fire my castle of Mur- doch! Inverary shall raise the first smoke . Oh, for a guide through the skirts of Strath- Fillan!'
 If your excellency wishes to make an in-fall into Argyleshire,' said Dalgetty "this Highlander who has guided me knows every pass in and out of that land"
 Montrose asked the mans name and