Year: 1875

land. They rose to distinction in the fit
teenth century, and have always been re-
markable for courage and ingenuity. Sir
| William Cochrane was elevated to the
peerage as Baron Cochrane in 1647, and
advanced to the dignity of Earl OF Dun
donald in 1863. His grandson was Sir
John Cochrane, of Ochiltree, who, along
with Sir Patrick Hume, Of Polworth, was
concerned in the political troubles which,
in the regin of James H. brought ruin on
the Stuart dynasty While Hume was so
fortunate as to escape abroad, Cochrane
was taken prisoner in the rising under the
Earl OF Argyle, and, being conducted to
Edinburgh, was ignominously lodged in
the Tolbooth, on the Sd of July, 1885,
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
a family of several sons, and at least one
daughter, Grisell, about eighteen years OF
age.


While lying under sentence of death in
that gloomy Tolbooth, Sir John Cochrane
was permitted to see members of his fam
lily. Afraid, however, of duplicating his
sons, he forbade them to visit him until
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-
yersation 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 We're no
sanguine expectations that they would be
successful. AS the time wore on Grisell's
fears increased to intensity; and without
explaining herself to any one, she re-
solved to make bold attempt to postpone
her fathers fate, if not to save him. A
short time before the dcath-warrant was
expected by the Privy Council in Edn-
burgh. she mentioned to her father that
some urgent affair would prevent her see
ing him again for a few days.


Next morning, long ere the inhabitants
were astir, Grisell was some miles on her
road to the Borders. She had attred her
self as young service woman, iourneying
on a borrowed horse to the house of her
mother. So equipped and well-mounted.
the abode of her old nurse, who lived on
the English side of the Tweed, four miles
beyond the town Of Berwick. In this
|
confidence, and to her, therefore, she re-
vealed the 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 a
Il ;Nl H.
and hung on the crutch of her saddle, and
now borrowed from her nurse the attire of
her foster-brother, which, as he was a
slightmade lad, fitting her reasonable
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 Coch-
rane thus calculated on a delay Of sixteen
or seventeen days in the execution of her
fathers sentence-a space OF time which
she deemed amply sufficient to give a fail
trial to the treaty set on foot for his liberia
ton. She had, by means which it is IN.
: necessary here to detail, possessed herself
! OF the most minute information with re-
|
rested on their journey, one of which was
a small public house kept by widow on
the outskirts of the little town of Beltord
There the man who received the bag at
Durham was accustomed to arrive about
6 o'clock in the morning, and take q few
hours repose before proceeding farther or
his journey. She arrived at this inn about
an hour after the man had composed him
self to sleep. Having put her horse into
the stable-which was duty that devolvec
on the guests at this little public-house
from its mistress having no hostler-she
entered the only apartment which tho
house afforded, and demanded some re
freshment. 'Sit down at the end of the
table" said the old woman '.for the bes
| have to give you is there already ant
be pleased, my bonny man, to make rs lit
tie noise as you can, for there's one aslcel
in that bed that like i'll to disturbn Mis-
Cochrane promised fairly; and after at
tempting to eat some of the viands, whicl
We're the remains Of the sleeping man!
meal, she asked for some cold water.


"What,H said the old dame, as she
handed it to her, ''ye ale water-drink
are ye? It's but an i'll custom for a change
house"


Il am aware Of that" replied her guest
land therefore, when in a public-house, al
ways pay for it the price of the strong
potation, which I cannot take


''lndeed we'll, that is but just, respond
ed the dame; land | think the more o.
you fer such reasonable conduct"


rs the we'll where you get this water
near at hand ?" said the young lady fol
if you will take the trouble to bring me
some from it, as this is rather tepid, il
shall be considered in the reckoning


''lt is good bit off, said the woman
"but | cannot refuse to fetch some for such
a civil, discreet lady, and will be as quick
as can. But, for any sake, take care and
don't meddle with these pistols" she con
tinued, pointing to pair of pistols on the
table, ''tor they are loaded, and I'm always
terrified for them


Saying this, she disappeared; and Miss
Cochrane, who would have contrived some
other errand for her had the we'll 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 wooden bedsteads
| common in the houses OF tie 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 mailbag, and
being able to seize upon it. But what
was her dismay when she beheld only a
part Of the integument which contained
what she would have sacrificed her life q
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 Oiye not the smallest
| hope of its extraction without his being
aroused from his nap! A few bitter mo-
ments of observation served to convince
her that if 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 having taken
them one by one from the holsters, 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 hardly