Year: 1874

The Cochranes are an old family in
J Scotland. They rose to distinction in the
fifteenth century. and have always been


remarkable for courage and ingenuity.
Sir William COchrane was elevated to TIE
peerage rs Baron Cochrane in l647, and


advanced to the dignity of Earl of Dun


donald in 1869. His grandson was Sir


John Cochrane, of Ochiltree, who, along


with Sir Patrick Hume. of Polwarth, was
concerned IN the political troubles which,
in the reign of James IL. brought ruin on
the Stuart dynasty. While Hume was so
| fortunate as to escape abroad, CochTane
was taken prisoner in the rising under the
Earl of Argyle, and being conducted to
Edinburgh, was ANONYMOUSLY lodged in
| the Tolbooth, on the Sd of July, 1855,
| there to await his trial as traitor. The
day of trial came, and, as a matter of
course, he was condemned to death.


! Sir John COchrane was married, and
| had family of several sons, and at least
one daughter, Grisell, about eighteen
! years of age.


While living under sentence of death in
that gloomy Tolbooth, Sir John Cochrane
was permitted to see members of his
family. Afraid, however, of duplicating
his sons, he forbade them to visit him un-
til they could take last farewell on the
night previous to his execution. His
daughter, however, was allowed to come
as often and stay with him as long as she
pleased. The chief subject of their con-
versatiOn was an appeal made to the King
for mercy. Although several friends in
terested themselves in trying to procure a
remission of the sentence, there were no
sanguine expectations that they would be
successful. As the time wore on Grlsell's
fears increased to intensity; and without
explaining herselftO any one, she resolved
| to make n bold attempt to postpone her
| fathers fate, if not to save him. A short
time before the death-warrant was eX-
pected by the Privy Council in Edinburgh
She mentioned to her father that some ur-
gent affair would prevent her from seeing
him again for a few days.


Next morning, long ere the inhabitants
were astir, GTisell was some miles on her
road to the Borders. She had attired her
self as a young serving-woman, Journey
| ing on q borrowed horse to the house of
her mother. So equipped, and well
mounted, she on the second day reached
in safety the abode of her old nurse, who
! lived on the English side of the Tweed,
four miles beyond the town of Berwick.
! In this woman she knew she could place
implicit confidence, and to her, therefore,
she revealed her secret. She had resolved,
she said, to make an attempt to save her
fathers life by stopping the pOstman, an
equestrian like herself, and forcing him to
deliver up his bags, in which she expected
to find the fatal warrant. In pursuance
of this design she had brought with her a
brace of small pistols, together with
horseman's cloak. tied up in a bundle, and
hung on the crutch of her saddle, and now
borrowed from her nurse the attire of her
foster-brother, which, as he was slight
made lad, fitted her reasonably well.


At that period all those appliances which
at this day accelerate the progress of the
traveller were unknown, and the mail from
London, which now arrives in less than
twelve hours, took eight days in reaching
the Scottish capital. Miss Cochrane thus
calculated on delay of sixteen or seven
teen days in the execution of her fathers
sentences space of time which she deem
ed amply sufficient to give fair trial to
. the treaty set on foot for his liberat on.
She had, by means which it is unnecessary
here to detail, possessed herself of the
most minute information with regard TO
the places at which the postmen rested on
their journey, one of which was small
public house kept by widow on the out
skirts of the little town of Belforn. There
the man who received the bag at Durham
was accustomed to arrive about six O'Clock
in the morning, and take few hours re-
pose before proceeding farther on his jour
ney. She arrived at this inn about an hour
after the man had composed himself to
sleep. Having put her horse into the sta
ble-which was duty that devOlved on
the guests at this little publie-hOuse, from
its mistress having no hOstler-she entered
the only apartment which the house af-
forded. and demanded some rcfreshment.
ssSit down at the end of that table," said
the old woman. "fOr the best | have to
give you is there already; and be pleased,
| my bonny man, to make as little noise as
YOU can, for there's ane asleep in that bed
| that like i'll to disturb.n Miss Cochrane
promised fairly; and after attempting to
eat some of viandS, which were the re-
mains of the sleeping mans meal, she ask
ed for some cold water.


"What," said the old dame, as she hand
ed it to her, ''ye are a water-drinker, are
We? It's but an i'll custom for change
! house."


lam aware ofthat, replied her guest,
'and therefore, when in public-hOuSe,a al
ways pay for it the price of the strong po-
! tatfon, which | can not take"


Indeed well, that is but just" re-
sponded the dame; "and | think the more
of YOU for such reasonable conduct"


as the well where you get this water
near at hand?" said the young lady; " for
if you will take the trouble to bring me
some from it. as this is rather tepid, it
shall be considered in the reckoning"
alt is a good bit off," said the woman /;
'Ebut | cannot refuse to fetch some for
such civil, discreet lad, and will be as
quick as 1 can. But, for any sake, take
care and don't meddle with these pistols y
she continued, pointing to a pair of pistols
on the table, "for they are loaded, and |
am always terrified for them"


Saving this, she disappeared; and Miss
! Cochrane, who would have cOntrived some
other errand for her had the well been
near, no sooner saw the door shut than
she passed. with trembling eagerness, and
a cautious but rapid step, across the floor
| to the place where the man lay sOundly
| sleeping, in one of those close wooden
| bedsteads common in the houses of the
poor. the door of which was left half open
to admit the air, and which she opened
still wider, in the hope of seeing the mail
bag, and being able to seize upon it. But
what was her diSmay when she beheld


only part of the integument which con-


tained what she would have sacrificed her
| lifea thousand times to obtain just peeping
out from below the shaggy head and


brawny shoulders of its keeper, who lay
in such a position upon it as to give not
the smallest hope of its extraction without
his being aroused from his napi A few


bitter moments of observation served to
convince her thatif she obtained possession
Of this treasure it must be in some other


way; and again closing the door of the
bed. She approached the pistols, and hav'
ing taken them one by one from the hol'
sters, she as quickly as possible drew out
their loading, which having secreted, she
returned them to their cases, and resumed


her seat at the foot of the table. Here she


had barely time TO recover from the agita-
ton into which the fear of the mans


awaking during her recent occupation hao
thrown her, when the old wOmanreturneC


with the water; and having taken q


draught, of which she stood much in need


she settled her account, much to her land


lady's content, by paying for the water the
price of pot of beer. Having then care
lessly asked and ascertained how much
longer the other guest was likely TO con
tipae his sleep, she left the house, anC