A LEGEND OF MONTROSE

by

Sir Walter Scott

CONTENTS. 

 I. Introduction to A LEGEND OF MONTROSE. II. Introduction (Supplement). Sergeant More M'Alpin. III. Main text of A LEGEND OF MONTROSE. IV. Appendix No. I Clan Alpin's Vow. No. II The Children of the Mist. V. Notes Note I Fides et Fiducia sunt relativa. Note II Wraiths. 

 Note: Footnotes in the printed book have been inserted in the etext in square brackets ("[]") close to the place where they were referenced by a suffix in the original text. 

I. INTRODUCTION TO A LEGEND OF MONTROSE. 

The Legend of Montrose was written chiefly with a view to place beforethe reader the melancholy fate of John Lord Kilpont, eldest son ofWilliam Earl of Airth and Menteith, and the singular circumstancesattending the birth and history of James Stewart of Ardvoirlich, bywhose hand the unfortunate nobleman fell. 

Our subject leads us to talk of deadly feuds, and we must begin withone still more ancient than that to which our story relates. Duringthe reign of James IV. , a great feud between the powerful familiesof Drummond and Murray divided Perthshire. The former, being the mostnumerous and powerful, cooped up eight score of the Murrays in the kirkof Monivaird, and set fire to it. The wives and the children of theill-fated men, who had also found shelter in the church, perished by thesame conflagration. One man, named David Murray, escaped by the humanityof one of the Drummonds, who received him in his arms as he leaped fromamongst the flames. As King James IV. Ruled with more activity than mostof his predecessors, this cruel deed was severely revenged, and severalof the perpetrators were beheaded at Stirling. In consequence of theprosecution against his clan, the Drummond by whose assistance DavidMurray had escaped, fled to Ireland, until, by means of the person whoselife he had saved, he was permitted to return to Scotland, where he andhis descendants were distinguished by the name of Drummond-Eirinich, orErnoch, that is, Drummond of Ireland; and the same title was bestowed ontheir estate. 

The Drummond-ernoch of James the Sixth's time was a king's forester inthe forest of Glenartney, and chanced to be employed there in search ofvenison about the year 1588, or early in 1589. This forest was adjacentto the chief haunts of the MacGregors, or a particular race of them, known by the title of MacEagh, or Children of the Mist. They consideredthe forester's hunting in their vicinity as an aggression, or perhapsthey had him at feud, for the apprehension or slaughter of some of theirown name, or for some similar reason. This tribe of MacGregors wereoutlawed and persecuted, as the reader may see in the Introduction toROB ROY; and every man's hand being against them, their hand was ofcourse directed against every man. In short, they surprised and slewDrummond-ernoch, cut off his head, and carried it with them, wrapt inthe corner of one of their plaids. 

In the full exultation of vengeance, they stopped at the house ofArdvoirlich and demanded refreshment, which the lady, a sister of themurdered Drummond-ernoch (her husband being absent), was afraid orunwilling to refuse. She caused bread and cheese to be placed beforethem, and gave directions for more substantial refreshments to beprepared. While she was absent with this hospitable intention, thebarbarians placed the head of her brother on the table, filling themouth with bread and cheese, and bidding him eat, for many a merry mealhe had eaten in that house. 

The poor woman returning, and beholding this dreadful sight, shriekedaloud, and fled into the woods, where, as described in the romance, she roamed a raving maniac, and for some time secreted herself from allliving society. Some remaining instinctive feeling brought her at lengthto steal a glance from a distance at the maidens while they milked thecows, which being observed, her husband, Ardvoirlich, had her conveyedback to her home, and detained her there till she gave birth to a child, of whom she had been pregnant; after which she was observed gradually torecover her mental faculties. 

Meanwhile the outlaws had carried to the utmost their insults againstthe regal authority, which indeed, as exercised, they had little reasonfor respecting. They bore the same bloody trophy, which they had sosavagely exhibited to the lady of Ardvoirlich, into the old church ofBalquidder, nearly in the centre of their country, where the Laird ofMacGregor and all his clan being convened for the purpose, laid theirhands successively on the dead man's head, and swore, in heathenishand barbarous manner, to defend the author of the deed. This fierce andvindictive combination gave the author's late and lamented friend, Sir Alexander Boswell, Bart. , subject for a spirited poem, entitled"Clan-Alpin's Vow, " which was printed, but not, I believe, published, in1811 [See Appendix No. I]. 

The fact is ascertained by a proclamation from the Privy Council, dated4th February, 1589, directing letters of fire and sword against theMacGregors [See Appendix No. II]. This fearful commission was executedwith uncommon fury. The late excellent John Buchanan of Cambusmoreshowed the author some correspondence between his ancestor, the Laird ofBuchanan, and Lord Drummond, about sweeping certain valleys with theirfollowers, on a fixed time and rendezvous, and "taking sweet revenge forthe death of their cousin, Drummond-ernoch. " In spite of all, however, that could be done, the devoted tribe of MacGregor still bred upsurvivors to sustain and to inflict new cruelties and injuries. 

[I embrace the opportunity given me by a second mention of this tribe, to notice an error, which imputes to an individual named Ciar MohrMacGregor, the slaughter of the students at the battle of Glenfruin. I am informed from the authority of John Gregorson, Esq. , that thechieftain so named was dead nearly a century before the battlein question, and could not, therefore, have done the cruel actionmentioned. The mistake does not rest with me, as I disclaimed beingresponsible for the tradition while I quoted it, but with vulgar fame, which is always disposed to ascribe remarkable actions to a remarkablename. --See the erroneous passage, ROB ROY, Introduction; and so softsleep the offended phantom of Dugald Ciar Mohr. 

It is with mingled pleasure and shame that I record the more importanterror, of having announced as deceased my learned acquaintance, the Rev. Dr. Grahame, minister of Aberfoil. --See ROB ROY, p. 360. I cannot nowrecollect the precise ground of my depriving my learned and excellentfriend of his existence, unless, like Mr. Kirke, his predecessor in theparish, the excellent Doctor had made a short trip to Fairyland, withwhose wonders he is so well acquainted. But however I may have beenmisled, my regret is most sincere for having spread such a rumour; andno one can be more gratified than I that the report, however I have beeninduced to credit and give it currency, is a false one, and that Dr. Grahame is still the living pastor of Aberfoil, for the delight andinstruction of his brother antiquaries. ]

Meanwhile Young James Stewart of Ardvoirlich grew up to manhooduncommonly tall, strong, and active, with such power in the grasp of hishand in particular, as could force the blood from beneath the nails ofthe persons who contended with him in this feat of strength. His temperwas moody, fierce, and irascible; yet he must have had some ostensiblegood qualities, as he was greatly beloved by Lord Kilpont, the eldestson of the Earl of Airth and Menteith. 

This gallant young nobleman joined Montrose in the setting up hisstandard in 1644, just before the decisive battle at Tippermuir, on the1st September in that year. At that time, Stewart of Ardvoirlich sharedthe confidence of the young Lord by day, and his bed by night, when, about four or five days after the battle, Ardvoirlich, either from a fitof sudden fury or deep malice long entertained against his unsuspectingfriend, stabbed Lord Kilpont to the heart, and escaped from the camp ofMontrose, having killed a sentinel who attempted to detain him. BishopGuthrie gives us a reason for this villainous action, that Lord Kilponthad rejected with abhorrence a proposal of Ardvoirlich to assassinateMontrose. But it does not appear that there is any authority for thischarge, which rests on mere suspicion. Ardvoirlich, the assassin, certainly did fly to the Covenanters, and was employed and promoted bythem. He obtained a pardon for the slaughter of Lord Kilpont, confirmedby Parliament in 1634, and was made Major of Argyle's regiment in 1648. Such are the facts of the tale here given as a Legend of Montrose'swars. The reader will find they are considerably altered in thefictitious narrative. 

The author has endeavoured to enliven the tragedy of the tale by theintroduction of a personage proper to the time and country. In thishe has been held by excellent judges to have been in some degreesuccessful. The contempt of commerce entertained by young men havingsome pretence to gentility, the poverty of the country of Scotland, thenational disposition to wandering and to adventure, all conduced to leadthe Scots abroad into the military service of countries which were atwar with each other. They were distinguished on the Continent bytheir bravery; but in adopting the trade of mercenary soldiers, theynecessarily injured their national character. The tincture of learning, which most of them possessed, degenerated into pedantry; their goodbreeding became mere ceremonial; their fear of dishonour no longer keptthem aloof from that which was really unworthy, but was made to dependon certain punctilious observances totally apart from that which wasin itself deserving of praise. A cavalier of honour, in search of hisfortune, might, for example, change his service as he would his shirt, fight, like the doughty Captain Dalgetty, in one cause after another, without regard to the justice of the quarrel, and might plunder thepeasantry subjected to him by the fate of war with the most unrelentingrapacity; but he must beware how he sustained the slightest reproach, even from a clergyman, if it had regard to neglect on the score of duty. The following occurrence will prove the truth of what I mean:--

"Here I must not forget the memory of one preacher, Master WilliamForbesse, a preacher for souldiers, yea, and a captaine in needeto leade souldiers on a good occasion, being full of courage, withdiscretion and good conduct, beyond some captaines I have knowne, thatwere not so capable as he. At this time he not onely prayed for us, butwent on with us, to remarke, as I thinke, men's carriage; and havingfound a sergeant neglecting his dutie and his honour at such a time(whose name I will not expresse), having chidden him, did promise toreveale him unto me, as he did after their service. The sergeant beingcalled before me, and accused, did deny his accusation, alleaging, if hewere no pasteur that had alleaged it, he would not lie under the injury, The preacher offered to fight with him, [in proof] that it was truthhe had spoken of him; whereupon I cashiered the sergeant, and gave hisplace to a worthier, called Mungo Gray, a gentleman of good worth, and of much courage. The sergeant being cashiered, never called MasterWilliam to account, for which he was evill thought of; so that heretired home, and quit the warres. "

The above quotation is taken from a work which the author repeatedlyconsulted while composing the following sheets, and which is in greatmeasure written in the humour of Captain Dugald Dalgetty. It bears thefollowing formidable title:--"MONRO his Expedition with the worthyScots Regiment, called MacKeye's Regiment, levied in August 1626, by SirDonald MacKeye Lord Rees Colonel, for his Majestie's service of Denmark, and reduced after the battle of Nerling, in September 1634, at Wormes, in the Palz: Discharged in several duties and observations of service, first, under the magnanimous King of Denmark, during his wars againstthe Empire; afterwards under the invincible King of Sweden, duringhis Majestie's lifetime; and since under the Director-General, theRex-Chancellor Oxensterne, and his Generals: collected and gatheredtogether, at spare hours, by Colonel Robert Monro, as First Lieutenantunder the said Regiment, to the noble and worthy Captain ThomasMacKenzie of Kildon, brother to the noble Lord, the Lord Earl ofSeaforth, for the use of all noble Cavaliers favouring the laudableprofession of arms. To which is annexed, the Abridgement of Exercise, and divers Practical Observations for the Younger Officer, hisconsideration. Ending with the Soldier's Meditations on going onService. "--London, 1637. 

Another worthy of the same school, and nearly the same views of themilitary character, is Sir James Turner, a soldier of fortune, whorose to considerable rank in the reign of Charles II. , had a command inGalloway and Dumfries-shire, for the suppression of conventicles, andwas made prisoner by the insurgent Covenanters in that rising whichwas followed by the battle of Pentland. Sir James is a person evenof superior pretensions to Lieutenant-Colonel Monro, having writtena Military Treatise on the Pike-Exercise, called "Pallas Armata. "Moreover, he was educated at Glasgow College, though he escaped tobecome an Ensign in the German wars, instead of taking his degree ofMaster of Arts at that learned seminary. 

In latter times, he was author of several discourses on historical andliterary subjects, from which the Bannatyne Club have extracted andprinted such passages as concern his Life and Times, under the titleof SIR JAMES TURNER'S MEMOIRS. From this curious book I extract thefollowing passage, as an example of how Captain Dalgetty might haverecorded such an incident had he kept a journal, or, to give it a morejust character, it is such as the genius of De Foe would have devised, to give the minute and distinguishing features of truth to a fictitiousnarrative:--

"Heere I will set doun ane accident befell me; for thogh it was nota very strange one, yet it was a very od one in all its parts. My tuobrigads lay in a village within halfe a mile of Applebie; my own quarterwas in a gentleman's house, ho was a Ritmaster, and at that time withSir Marmaduke; his wife keepd her chamber readie to be brought to bed. The castle being over, and Lambert farre enough, I resolved to goe tobed everie night, haveing had fatigue enough before. 'The first nightI sleepd well enough; and riseing nixt morning, I misd one linnenstockine, one halfe silke one, and one boothose, the accoustrement undera boote for one leg; neither could they be found for any search. Beingprovided of more of the same kind, I made myselfe reddie, and rode tothe head-quarters. At my returne, I could heare no news of my stockins. That night I went to bed, and nixt morning found myselfe just so used;missing the three stockins for one leg onlie, the other three being leftintire as they were the day before. A narrower search then the firstwas made, bot without successe. I had yet in reserve one paire of wholestockings, and a paire of boothose, greater then the former. These I puton my legs. The third morning I found the same usage, the stockins forone leg onlie left me. It was time for me then, and my servants too, toimagine it must be rats that had shard my stockins so inequallie withme; and this the mistress of the house knew well enough, but would nottell it me. The roome, which was a low parlour, being well searched withcandles, the top of my great boothose was found at a hole, in whichthey had drawne all the rest. I went abroad and ordered the boards to beraised, to see how the rats had disposed of my moveables. The mistresssent a servant of her oune to be present at this action, which she knewconcerned her. One board being bot a litle opend, a litle boy of minethrust in his hand, and fetchd with him foure and tuentie old peeces ofgold, and one angell. The servant of the house affirmed it appertainedto his mistres. The boy bringing the gold to me, I went immediatlie tothe gentlewomans chamber, and told her, it was probable Lambert haveingquarterd in that house, as indeed he had, some of his servants mighthave hid that gold; and if so, it was lawfullie mine; bot if she couldmake it appeare it belongd to her, I should immediatlie give it her. Thepoore gentlewoman told me with many teares, that her husband being noneof the frugallest men (and indeed he was a spendthrift), she had hidthat gold without his, knowledge, to make use of it as she had occasion, especiallie when she lay in; and conjured me, as I lovd the King (forwhom her husband and she had suffered much), not to detaine her gold. She said, if there was either more or lesse then foure and tuentie wholepeeces, and two halfe ones, it sould be none of hers; and that they wereput by her in a red velvet purse. After I had given her assureance ofher gold, a new search is made, the other angell is found, the velvetpurse all gnawd in bits, as my stockins were, and the gold instantlierestord to the gentlewoman. I have often heard that the eating orgnawing of cloths by rats is ominous, and portends some mischanceto fall on those to whom the cloths belong. I thank God I was neveraddicted to such divinations, or heeded them. It is true, that moremisfortunes then one fell on me shortlie after; bot I am sure I couldhave better forseene them myselfe then rats or any such vermine, and yetdid it not. I have heard indeed many fine stories told of rats, how theyabandon houses and ships, when the first are to be burnt and the seconddround. Naturalists say they are very sagacious creatures, and I beleevethey are so; bot I shall never be of the opinion they can forsee futurecontingencies, which I suppose the divell himselfe can neither forknownor fortell; these being things which the Almightie hath keepd hiddenin the bosome of his divine prescience. And whither the great God hathpreordained or predestinated these things, which to us are contingent, to fall out by ane uncontrollable and unavoidable necessitie, is aquestion not yet decided. " [SIR JAMES TURNER'S MEMOIRS, Bannatyneedition, p. 59. ]

In quoting these ancient authorities, I must not forget the more modernsketch of a Scottish soldier of the old fashion, by a masterhand, inthe character of Lesmahagow, since the existence of that doughtyCaptain alone must deprive the present author of all claim to absoluteoriginality. Still Dalgetty, as the production of his own fancy, hasbeen so far a favourite with its parent, that he has fallen into theerror of assigning to the Captain too prominent a part in the story. This is the opinion of a critic who encamps on the highest pinnacles ofliterature; and the author is so far fortunate in having incurred hiscensure, that it gives his modesty a decent apology for quoting thepraise, which it would have ill-befited him to bring forward in anunmingled state. The passage occurs in the EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. 55, containing a criticism on IVANHOE:--

"There is too much, perhaps, of Dalgetty, --or, rather, he engrossestoo great a proportion of the work, --for, in himself, we think he isuniformly entertaining;--and the author has nowhere shown more affinityto that matchless spirit who could bring out his Falstaffs and hisPistols, in act after act, and play after play, and exercise them everytime with scenes of unbounded loquacity, without either exhausting theirhumour, or varying a note from its characteristic tone, than in hislarge and reiterated specimens of the eloquence of the redoubtedRitt-master. The general idea of the character is familiar to our comicdramatists after the Restoration--and may be said in some measure tobe compounded of Captain Fluellen and Bobadil;--but theludicrous combination of the SOLDADO with the Divinity student ofMareschal-College, is entirely original; and the mixture of talent, selfishness, courage, coarseness, and conceit, was never so happilyexemplified. Numerous as his speeches are, there is not one that is notcharacteristic--and, to our taste, divertingly ludicrous. "

POSTSCRIPT. 

While these pages were passing through the press, the author receiveda letter from the present Robert Stewart of Ardvoirlich, favouring himwith the account of the unhappy slaughter of Lord Kilpont, differingfrom, and more probable than, that given by Bishop Wishart, whosenarrative infers either insanity or the blackest treachery on the partof James Stewart of Ardvoirlich, the ancestor of the present family ofthat name. It is but fair to give the entire communication as receivedfrom my respected correspondent, which is more minute than the historiesof the period. 

"Although I have not the honour of being personally known to you, I hopeyou will excuse the liberty I now take, in addressing you on the subjectof a transaction more than once alluded to by you, in which an ancestorof mine was unhappily concerned. I allude to the slaughter of LordKilpont, son of the Earl of Airth and Monteith, in 1644, by JamesStewart of Ardvoirlich. As the cause of this unhappy event, and thequarrel which led to it, have never been correctly stated in any historyof the period in which it took place, I am induced, in consequence ofyour having, in the second series of your admirable Tales on the Historyof Scotland, adopted Wishart's version of the transaction, and beingaware that your having done so will stamp it with an authenticity whichit does not merit, and with a view, as far as possible, to do justice tothe memory of my unfortunate ancestor, to send you the account of thisaffair as it has been handed down in the family. 

"James Stewart of Ardvoirlich, who lived in the early part of the 17thcentury, and who was the unlucky cause of the slaughter of Lord Kilpont, as before mentioned, was appointed to the command of one of severalindependent companies raised in the Highlands at the commencement ofthe troubles in the reign of Charles I. ; another of these companies wasunder the command of Lord Kilpont, and a strong intimacy, strengthenedby a distant relationship, subsisted between them. When Montrose raisedthe royal standard, Ardvoirlich was one of the first to declare for him, and is said to have been a principal means of bringing over Lord Kilpontto the same cause; and they accordingly, along with Sir John Drummondand their respective followers, joined Montrose, as recorded by Wishart, at Buchanty. While they served together, so strong was their intimacy, that they lived and slept in the same tent. 

"In the meantime, Montrose had been joined by the Irish under thecommand of Alexander Macdonald; these, on their march to join Montrose, had committed some excesses on lands belonging to Ardvoirlich, whichlay in the line of their march from the west coast. Of this Ardvoirlichcomplained to Montrose, who, probably wishing as much as possible toconciliate his new allies, treated it in rather an evasive manner. Ardvoirlich, who was a man of violent passions, having failed to receivesuch satisfaction as he required, challenged Macdonald to single combat. Before they met, however, Montrose, on the information and by advice, as it is said, of Kilpont, laid them both under arrest. Montrose, seeingthe evils of such a feud at such a critical time, effected a sort ofreconciliation between them, and forced them to shake hands in hispresence; when, it was said, that Ardvoirlich, who was a very powerfulman, took such a hold of Macdonald's hand as to make the blood startfrom his fingers. Still, it would appear, Ardvoirlich was by no meansreconciled. 

"A few days after the battle of Tippermuir, when Montrose with hisarmy was encamped at Collace, an entertainment was given by him to hisofficers, in honour of the victory he had obtained, and Kilpont andhis comrade Ardvoirlich were of the party. After returning to theirquarters, Ardvoirlich, who seemed still to brood over his quarrel withMacdonald, and being heated with drink, began to blame Lord Kilpontfor the part he had taken in preventing his obtaining redress, andreflecting against Montrose for not allowing him what he consideredproper reparation. Kilpont of course defended the conduct of himselfand his relative Montrose, till their argument came to high words; andfinally, from the state they were both in, by an easy transition, toblows, when Ardvoirlich, with his dirk, struck Kilpont dead on thespot. He immediately fled, and under the cover of a thick mist escapedpursuit, leaving his eldest son Henry, who had been mortally wounded atTippermuir, on his deathbed. 

"His followers immediately withdrew from Montrose, and no courseremained for him but to throw himself into the arms of the oppositefaction, by whom he was well received. His name is frequently mentionedin Leslie's campaigns, and on more than one occasion he is mentioned ashaving afforded protection to several of his former friends through hisinterest with Leslie, when the King's cause became desperate. 

"The foregoing account of this unfortunate transaction, I am well aware, differs materially from the account given by Wishart, who alleges thatStewart had laid a plot for the assassination of Montrose, and that hemurdered Lord Kilpont in consequence of his refusal to participate inhis design. Now, I may be allowed to remark, that besides Wishart havingalways been regarded as a partial historian, and very questionableauthority on any subject connected with the motives or conduct of thosewho differed from him in opinion, that even had Stewart formed such adesign, Kilpont, from his name and connexions, was likely to be thevery last man of whom Stewart would choose to make a confidant andaccomplice. On the other hand, the above account, though never, that Iam aware, before hinted at, has been a constant tradition in the family;and, from the comparative recent date of the transaction, and thesources from which the tradition has been derived, I have no reason todoubt its perfect authenticity. It was most circumstantially detailed asabove, given to my father, Mr. Stewart, now of Ardvoirlich, many yearsago, by a man nearly connected with the family, who lived to the age of100. This man was a great-grandson of James Stewart, by a natural sonJohn, of whom many stories are still current in this country, under hisappellation of JOHN DHU MHOR. This John was with his father at the time, and of course was a witness of the whole transaction; he lived tilla considerable time after the Revolution, and it was from him thatmy father's informant, who was a man before his grandfather, John dhuMhor's death, received the information as above stated. 

"I have many apologies to offer for trespassing so long on yourpatience; but I felt a natural desire, if possible, to correct what Iconceive to be a groundless imputation on the memory of my ancestor, before it shall come to be considered as a matter of History. That hewas a man of violent passions and singular temper, I do not pretend todeny, as many traditions still current in this country amply verify;but that he was capable of forming a design to assassinate Montrose, thewhole tenor of his former conduct and principles contradict. That he wasobliged to join the opposite party, was merely a matter of safety, whileKilpont had so many powerful friends and connexions able and ready toavenge his death. 

"I have only to add, that you have my full permission to make what useof this communication you please, and either to reject it altogether, orallow it such credit as you think it deserves; and I shall be ready atall times to furnish you with any further information on this subjectwhich you may require, and which it may be in my power to afford. 

"ARDVOIRLICH, 15TH JANUARY, 1830. "

The publication of a statement so particular, and probably so correct, is a debt due to the memory of James Stewart; the victim, it wouldseem, of his own violent passions, but perhaps incapable of an act ofpremeditated treachery. 

ABBOTSFORD, 1ST AUGUST, 1830. 

II. INTRODUCTION (Supplement). 

Sergeant More M'Alpin was, during his residence among us, one of themost honoured inhabitants of Gandercleugh. No one thought of disputinghis title to the great leathern chair on the "cosiest side of thechimney, " in the common room of the Wallace Arms, on a Saturday evening. No less would our sexton, John Duirward, have held it an unlicensedintrusion, to suffer any one to induct himself into the corner ofthe left-hand pew nearest to the pulpit, which the Sergeant regularlyoccupied on Sundays. There he sat, his blue invalid uniform brushedwith the most scrupulous accuracy. Two medals of merit displayed at hisbutton-hole, as well as the empty sleeve which should have been occupiedby his right arm, bore evidence of his hard and honourable service. His weatherbeaten features, his grey hair tied in a thin queue in themilitary fashion of former days, and the right side of his head a littleturned up, the better to catch the sound of the clergyman's voice, wereall marks of his profession and infirmities. Beside him sat his sisterJanet, a little neat old woman, with a Highland curch and tartan plaid, watching the very looks of her brother, to her the greatest man uponearth, and actively looking out for him, in his silver-clasped Bible, the texts which the minister quoted or expounded. 

I believe it was the respect that was universally paid to this worthyveteran by all ranks in Gandercleugh which induced him to chooseour village for his residence, for such was by no means his originalintention. 

He had risen to the rank of sergeant-major of artillery, by hard servicein various quarters of the world, and was reckoned one of the most triedand trusty men of the Scotch Train. A ball, which shattered his arm ina peninsular campaign, at length procured him an honourable discharge. With an allowance from Chelsea, and a handsome gratuity from thepatriotic fund. Moreover, Sergeant More M'Alpin had been prudent as wellas valiant; and, from prize-money and savings, had become master of asmall sum in the three per cent consols. 

He retired with the purpose of enjoying this income in the wild Highlandglen, in which, when a boy, he had herded black cattle and goats, erethe roll of the drum had made him cock his bonnet an inch higher, andfollow its music for nearly forty years. To his recollection, thisretired spot was unparalleled in beauty by the richest scenes he hadvisited in his wanderings. Even the Happy Valley of Rasselas would havesunk into nothing upon the comparison. He came--he revisited the lovedscene; it was but a sterile glen, surrounded with rude crags, andtraversed by a northern torrent. This was not the worst. The fires hadbeen quenched upon thirty hearths--of the cottage of his fathershe could but distinguish a few rude stones--the language was almostextinguished--the ancient race from which he boasted his descenthad found a refuge beyond the Atlantic. One southland farmer, threegrey-plaided shepherds, and six dogs, now tenanted the whole glen, whichin his youth had maintained, in content, if not in competence, upwardsof two hundred inhabitants. 

In the house of the new tenant, Sergeant M'Alpin found, however, anunexpected source of pleasure, and a means of employing his socialaffections. His sister Janet had fortunately entertained so strong apersuasion that her brother would one day return, that she had refusedto accompany her kinsfolk upon their emigration. Nay, she had consented, though not without a feeling of degradation, to take service with theintruding Lowlander, who, though a Saxon, she said, had proved a kindman to her. This unexpected meeting with his sister seemed a curefor all the disappointments which it had been Sergeant More's lot toencounter, although it was not without a reluctant tear that heheard told, as a Highland woman alone could ten it, the story of theexpatriation of his kinsmen. 

She narrated at great length the vain offers they had made of advancedrent, the payment of which must have reduced them to the extremity ofpoverty, which they were yet contented to face, for permission to liveand die on their native soil. Nor did Janet forget the portents whichhad announced the departure of the Celtic race, and the arrival of thestrangers. For two years previous to the emigration, when the night windhowled dawn the pass of Balachra, its notes were distinctly modelledto the tune of "HA TIL MI TULIDH" (we return no more), with which theemigrants usually bid farewell to their native shores. The uncouth criesof the Southland shepherds, and the barking of their dogs, were oftenheard in the midst of the hills long before their actual arrival. A bard, the last of his race, had commemorated the expulsion of thenatives of the glen in a tune, which brought tears into the aged eyes ofthe veteran, and of which the first stanza may be thus rendered:--

 Woe, woe, son of the Lowlander, Why wilt thou leave thine own bonny Border? Why comes thou hither, disturbing the Highlander, Wasting the glen that was once in fair order?

What added to Sergeant More M'Alpin's distress upon the occasion was, that the chief by whom this change had been effected, was, by traditionand common opinion, held to represent the ancient leaders and fathers ofthe expelled fugitives; and it had hitherto been one of Sergeant More'sprincipal subjects of pride to prove, by genealogical deduction, in whatdegree of kindred he stood to this personage. A woful change was nowwrought in his sentiments towards him. 

"I cannot curse him, " he said, as he rose and strode through the room, when Janet's narrative was finished--"I will not curse him; he is thedescendant and representative of my fathers. But never shall mortal manhear me name his name again. " And he kept his word; for, until his dyingday, no man heard him mention his selfish and hard-hearted chieftain. 

After giving a day to sad recollections, the hardy spirit which hadcarried him through so many dangers, manned the Sergeant's bosom againstthis cruel disappointment. "He would go, " he said, "to Canada to hiskinsfolk, where they had named a Transatlantic valley after the glen oftheir fathers. Janet, " he said, "should kilt her coats like a leaguerlady; d--n the distance! it was a flea's leap to the voyages and marcheshe had made on a slighter occasion. "

With this purpose he left the Highlands, and came with his sister as faras Gandercleugh, on his way to Glasgow, to take a passage to Canada. But winter was now set in, and as he thought it advisable to wait for aspring passage, when the St. Lawrence should be open, he settled amongus for the few months of his stay in Britain. As we said before, therespectable old man met with deference and attention from all ranksof society; and when spring returned, he was so satisfied with hisquarters, that he did not renew the purpose of his voyage. Janet wasafraid of the sea, and he himself felt the infirmities of age and hardservice more than he had at first expected. And, as he confessed to theclergyman, and my worthy principal, Mr. Cleishbotham, "it was betterstaying with kend friends, than going farther, and faring worse. "

He therefore established himself and his domicile at Gandercleugh, tothe great satisfaction, as we have already said, of all its inhabitants, to whom he became, in respect of military intelligence, and ablecommentaries upon the newspapers, gazettes, and bulletins, a veryoracle, explanatory of all martial events, past, present, or to come. 

It is true, the Sergeant had his inconsistencies. He was a steadyjacobite, his father and his four uncles having been out in theforty-five; but he was a no less steady adherent of King George, inwhose service he had made his little fortune, and lost three brothers;so that you were in equal danger to displease him, in terming PrinceCharles, the Pretender, or by saying anything derogatory to the dignityof King George. Further, it must not be denied, that when the day ofreceiving his dividends came round, the Sergeant was apt to tarry longerat the Wallace Arms of an evening, than was consistent with stricttemperance, or indeed with his worldly interest; for upon theseoccasions, his compotators sometimes contrived to flatter hispartialities by singing jacobite songs, and drinking confusion toBonaparte, and the health of the Duke of Wellington, until the Sergeantwas not only flattered into paying the whole reckoning, but occasionallyinduced to lend small sums to his interested companions. After suchsprays, as he called them, were over, and his temper once more cool, heseldom failed to thank God, and the Duke of York, who had made it muchmore difficult for an old soldier to ruin himself by his folly, than hadbeen the case in his younger days. 

It was not on such occasions that I made a part of Sergeant MoreM'Alpin's society. But often, when my leisure would permit, I used toseek him, on what he called his morning and evening parade, on which, when the weather was fair, he appeared as regularly as if summoned bytuck of drum. His morning walk was beneath the elms in the churchyard;"for death, " he said, "had been his next-door neighbour for so manyyears, that he had no apology for dropping the acquaintance. " Hisevening promenade was on the bleaching-green by the river-side, wherehe was sometimes to be seen on an open bench, with spectacles onnose, conning over the newspapers to a circle of village politicians, explaining military terms, and aiding the comprehension of his hearersby lines drawn on the ground with the end of his rattan. On otheroccasions, he was surrounded by a bevy of school-boys, whom he sometimesdrilled to the manual, and sometimes, with less approbation on the partof their parents, instructed in the mystery of artificial fire-works;for in the case of public rejoicings, the Sergeant was pyrotechnist (asthe Encyclopedia calls it) to the village of Gandercleugh. 

It was in his morning walk that I most frequently met with the veteran. And I can hardly yet look upon the village footpath, overshadowed bythe row of lofty elms, without thinking I see his upright form advancingtowards me with measured step, and his cane advanced, ready to pay methe military salute--but he is dead, and sleeps with his faithful Janet, under the third of those very trees, counting from the stile at the westcorner of the churchyard. 

The delight which I had in Sergeant M'Alpin's conversation, relatednot only to his own adventures, of which he had encountered many in thecourse of a wandering life, but also to his recollection of numerousHighland traditions, in which his youth had been instructed by hisparents, and of which he would in after life have deemed it a kind ofheresy to question the authenticity. Many of these belonged to the warsof Montrose, in which some of the Sergeant's ancestry had, it seems, taken a distinguished part. It has happened, that, although these civilcommotions reflect the highest honour upon the Highlanders, being indeedthe first occasion upon which they showed themselves superior, or evenequal to their Low-country neighbours in military encounters, they havebeen less commemorated among them than any one would have expected, judging from the abundance of traditions which they have preserved uponless interesting subjects. It was, therefore, with great pleasure, thatI extracted from my military friend some curious particulars respectingthat time; they are mixed with that measure of the wild and wonderfulwhich belongs to the period and the narrator, but which I do not in theleast object to the reader's treating with disbelief, providing hewill be so good as to give implicit credit to the natural events of thestory, which, like all those which I have had the honour to put underhis notice, actually rest upon a basis of truth. 

III. A LEGEND OF MONTROSE. 

CHAPTER I. 

 Such as do build their faith upon The holy text of pike and gun, Decide all controversies by Infallible artillery, And prove their doctrine orthodox, By apostolic blows and knocks. --BUTLER. 

It was during the period of that great and bloody Civil War whichagitated Britain during the seventeenth century, that our tale has itscommencement. Scotland had as yet remained free from the ravages ofintestine war, although its inhabitants were much divided in politicalopinions; and many of them, tired of the control of the Estates ofParliament, and disapproving of the bold measure which they hadadopted, by sending into England a large army to the assistance ofthe Parliament, were determined on their part to embrace the earliestopportunity of declaring for the King, and making such a diversionas should at least compel the recall of General Leslie's army out ofEngland, if it did not recover a great part of Scotland to the King'sallegiance. This plan was chiefly adopted by the northern nobility, whohad resisted with great obstinacy the adoption of the Solemn League andCovenant, and by many of the chiefs of the Highland clans, who conceivedtheir interest and authority to be connected with royalty, who had, besides, a decided aversion to the Presbyterian form of religion, andwho, finally, were in that half savage state of society, in which war isalways more welcome than peace. 

Great commotions were generally expected to arise from these concurrentcauses; and the trade of incursion and depredation, which the ScotchHighlanders at all times exercised upon the Lowlands, began to assume amore steady, avowed, and systematic form, as part of a general militarysystem. 

Those at the head of affairs were not insensible to the peril of themoment, and anxiously made preparations to meet and to repel it. Theyconsidered, however, with satisfaction, that no leader or name ofconsequence had as yet appeared to assemble an army of royalists, or even to direct the efforts of those desultory bands, whom love ofplunder, perhaps, as much as political principle, had hurried intomeasures of hostility. It was generally hoped that the quartering asufficient number of troops in the Lowlands adjacent to the Highlandline, would have the effect of restraining the mountain chieftains;while the power of various barons in the north, who had espoused theCovenant, as, for example, the Earl Mareschal, the great families ofForbes, Leslie, and Irvine, the Grants, and other Presbyterian clans, might counterbalance and bridle, not only the strength of the Ogilviesand other cavaliers of Angus and Kincardine, but even the potent familyof the Gordons, whose extensive authority was only equalled by theirextreme dislike to the Presbyterian model. 

In the West Highlands the ruling party numbered many enemies; but thepower of these disaffected clans was supposed to be broken, and thespirit of their chieftains intimidated, by the predominating influenceof the Marquis of Argyle, upon whom the confidence of the Conventionof Estates was reposed with the utmost security; and whose power inthe Highlands, already exorbitant, had been still farther increasedby concessions extorted from the King at the last pacification. It wasindeed well known that Argyle was a man rather of political enterprisethan personal courage, and better calculated to manage an intrigueof state, than to control the tribes of hostile mountaineers; yet thenumbers of his clan, and the spirit of the gallant gentlemen by whom itwas led, might, it was supposed, atone for the personal deficiencies oftheir chief; and as the Campbells had already severely humbled severalof the neighbouring tribes, it was supposed these would not readilyagain provoke an encounter with a body so powerful. 

Thus having at their command the whole west and south of Scotland, indisputably the richest part of the kingdom, --Fifeshire being in apeculiar manner their own, and possessing many and powerful friends evennorth of the Forth and Tay, --the Scottish Convention of Estates saw nodanger sufficient to induce them to alter the line of policy they hadadopted, or to recall from the assistance of their brethren of theEnglish Parliament that auxiliary army of twenty thousand men, by meansof which accession of strength, the King's party had been reduced to thedefensive, when in full career of triumph and success. 

The causes which moved the Convention of Estates at this time to takesuch an immediate and active interest in the civil war of England, aredetailed in our historians, but may be here shortly recapitulated. Theyhad indeed no new injury or aggression to complain of at the hand of theKing, and the peace which had been made between Charles and his subjectsof Scotland had been carefully observed; but the Scottish rulers werewell aware that this peace had been extorted from the King, as well bythe influence of the parliamentary party in England, as by the terrorof their own arms. It is true, King Charles had since then visited thecapital of his ancient kingdom, had assented to the new organization ofthe church, and had distributed honours and rewards among the leaders ofthe party which had shown themselves most hostile to his interests; butit was suspected that distinctions so unwillingly conferred would beresumed as soon as opportunity offered. The low state of the EnglishParliament was seen in Scotland with deep apprehension; and it wasconcluded, that should Charles triumph by force of arms against hisinsurgent subjects of England, he would not be long in exacting from theScotch the vengeance which he might suppose due to those who had setthe example of taking up arms against him. Such was the policy of themeasure which dictated the sending the auxiliary army into England; andit was avowed in a manifesto explanatory of their reasons for givingthis timely and important aid to the English Parliament. The EnglishParliament, they said, had been already friendly to them, and mightbe so again; whereas the King, although he had so lately establishedreligion among them according to their desires, had given them no groundto confide in his royal declaration, seeing they had found his promisesand actions inconsistent with each other. "Our conscience, " theyconcluded, "and God, who is greater than our conscience, beareth usrecord, that we aim altogether at the glory of God, peace of bothnations, and honour of the King, in suppressing and punishing in a legalway, those who are the troublers of Israel, the firebrands of hell, theKorahs, the Balaams, the Doegs, the Rabshakehs, the Hamans, the Tobiahs, the Sanballats of our time, which done, we are satisfied. Neitherhave we begun to use a military expedition to England as a mean forcompassing those our pious ends, until all other means which we couldthink upon have failed us: and this alone is left to us, ULTIMUM ETUNICUM REMEDIUM, the last and only remedy. "

Leaving it to casuists to determine whether one contracting party isjustified in breaking a solemn treaty, upon the suspicion that, incertain future contingencies, it might be infringed by the other, weshall proceed to mention two other circumstances that had at least equalinfluence with the Scottish rulers and nation, with any doubts whichthey entertained of the King's good faith. 

The first of these was the nature and condition of their army; headed bya poor and discontented nobility, under whom it was officered chieflyby Scottish soldiers of fortune, who had served in the German wars untilthey had lost almost all distinction of political principle, and evenof country, in the adoption of the mercenary faith, that a soldier'sprincipal duty was fidelity to the state or sovereign from whom hereceived his pay, without respect either to the justice of the quarrel, or to their own connexion with either of the contending parties. To menof this stamp, Grotius applies the severe character--NULLUM VITAE GENUSET IMPROBIUS, QUAM EORUM, QUI SINE CAUSAE RESPECTU MERCEDE CONDUCTI, MILITANT. To these mercenary soldiers, as well as to the needy gentrywith whom they were mixed in command, and who easily imbibed the sameopinions, the success of the late short invasion of England in 1641 wasa sufficient reason for renewing so profitable an experiment. The goodpay and free quarters of England had made a feeling impression upon therecollection of these military adventurers, and the prospect of againlevying eight hundred and fifty pounds a-day, came in place of allarguments, whether of state or of morality. 

Another cause inflamed the minds of the nation at large, no less thanthe tempting prospect of the wealth of England animated the soldiery. So much had been written and said on either side concerning the formof church government, that it had become a matter of infinitely moreconsequence in the eyes of the multitude than the doctrines ofthat gospel which both churches had embraced. The Prelatists andPresbyterians of the more violent kind became as illiberal as thePapists, and would scarcely allow the possibility of salvation beyondthe pale of their respective churches. It was in vain remarked tothese zealots, that had the Author of our holy religion considered anypeculiar form of church government as essential to salvation, it wouldhave been revealed with the same precision as under the Old Testamentdispensation. Both parties continued as violent as if they could havepleaded the distinct commands of Heaven to justify their intolerance, Laud, in the days of his domination, had fired the train, by attemptingto impose upon the Scottish people church ceremonies foreign to theirhabits and opinions. The success with which this had been resisted, andthe Presbyterian model substituted in its place, had endeared the latterto the nation, as the cause in which they had triumphed. The SolemnLeague and Covenant, adopted with such zeal by the greater part of thekingdom, and by them forced, at the sword's point, upon the others, borein its bosom, as its principal object, the establishing the doctrine anddiscipline of the Presbyterian church, and the putting down all errorand heresy; and having attained for their own country an establishmentof this golden candlestick, the Scots became liberally and fraternallyanxious to erect the same in England. This they conceived might beeasily attained by lending to the Parliament the effectual assistance ofthe Scottish forces. The Presbyterians, a numerous and powerful party inthe English Parliament, had hitherto taken the lead in opposition to theKing; while the Independents and other sectaries, who afterwards, underCromwell, resumed the power of the sword, and overset the Presbyterianmodel both in Scotland and England, were as yet contented to lurk underthe shelter of the wealthier and more powerful party. The prospectof bringing to a uniformity the kingdoms of England and Scotland indiscipline and worship, seemed therefore as fair as it was desirable. 

The celebrated Sir Henry Vane, one of the commissioners who negotiatedthe alliance betwixt England and Scotland, saw the influence which thisbait had upon the spirits of those with whom he dealt; and althoughhimself a violent Independent, he contrived at once to gratify andto elude the eager desires of the Presbyterians, by qualifying theobligation to reform the Church of England, as a change to be executed"according to the word of God, and the best reformed churches. " Deceivedby their own eagerness, themselves entertaining no doubts on the JUSDIVINUM of their own ecclesiastical establishments, and not holdingit possible such doubts could be adopted by others, the Conventionof Estates and the Kirk of Scotland conceived, that such expressionsnecessarily inferred the establishment of Presbytery; nor were theyundeceived, until, when their help was no longer needful, the sectariesgave them to understand, that the phrase might be as well applied toIndependency, or any other mode of worship, which those who were at thehead of affairs at the time might consider as agreeable "to the wordof God, and the practice of the reformed churches. " Neither were theoutwitted Scottish less astonished to find, that the designs of theEnglish sectaries struck against the monarchial constitution of Britain, it having been their intention to reduce the power of the King, but byno means to abrogate the office. They fared, however, in this respect, like rash physicians, who commence by over-physicking a patient, untilhe is reduced to a state of weakness, from which cordials are afterwardsunable to recover him. 

But these events were still in the womb of futurity. As yet the ScottishParliament held their engagement with England consistent with justice, prudence, and piety, and their military undertaking seemed to succeed totheir very wish. The junction of the Scottish army with those of Fairfaxand Manchester, enabled the Parliamentary forces to besiege York, and tofight the desperate action of Long-Marston Moor, in which Prince Rupertand the Marquis of Newcastle were defeated. The Scottish auxiliaries, indeed, had less of the glory of this victory than their countrymencould desire. David Leslie, with their cavalry, fought bravely, and tothem, as well as to Cromwell's brigade of Independents, the honour ofthe day belonged; but the old Earl of Leven, the covenanting general, was driven out of the field by the impetuous charge of Prince Rupert, and was thirty miles distant, in full flight towards Scotland, when hewas overtaken by the news that his party had gained a complete victory. 

The absence of these auxiliary troops, upon this crusade for theestablishment of Presbyterianism in England, had considerably diminishedthe power of the Convention of Estates in Scotland, and had given riseto those agitations among the anti-covenanters, which we have noticed atthe beginning of this chapter. 

CHAPTER II. 

 His mother could for him as cradle set Her husband's rusty iron corselet; Whose jangling sound could hush her babe to rest, That never plain'd of his uneasy nest; Then did he dream of dreary wars at hand, And woke, and fought, and won, ere he could stand. --HALL'S SATIRES

It was towards the close of a summer's evening, during the anxiousperiod which we have commemorated, that a young gentleman of quality, well mounted and armed, and accompanied by two servants, one of whom leda sumpter horse, rode slowly up one of those steep passes, by which theHighlands are accessible from the Lowlands of Perthshire. [The beautifulpass of Leny, near Callander, in Monteith, would, in some respects, answer this description. ] Their course had lain for some time along thebanks of a lake, whose deep waters reflected the crimson beams of thewestern sun. The broken path which they pursued with some difficulty, was in some places shaded by ancient birches and oak-trees, and inothers overhung by fragments of huge rock. Elsewhere, the hill, whichformed the northern side of this beautiful sheet of water, arose insteep, but less precipitous acclivity, and was arrayed in heath of thedarkest purple. In the present times, a scene so romantic would havebeen judged to possess the highest charms for the traveller; butthose who journey in days of doubt and dread, pay little attention topicturesque scenery. 

The master kept, as often as the wood permitted, abreast of one or bothof his domestics, and seemed earnestly to converse with them, probablybecause the distinctions of rank are readily set aside among those whoare made to be sharers of common danger. The dispositions of the leadingmen who inhabit this wild country, and the probability of their takingpart in the political convulsions that were soon expected, were thesubjects of their conversation. 

They had not advanced above half way up the lake, and the younggentleman was pointing to his attendants the spot where their intendedroad turned northwards, and, leaving the verge of the loch, ascended aravine to the right hand, when they discovered a single horseman comingdown the shore, as if to meet them. The gleam of the sunbeams upon hishead-piece and corslet showed that he was in armour, and the purpose ofthe other travellers required that he should not pass unquestioned. "We must know who he is, " said the young gentleman, "and whither he isgoing. " And putting spurs to his horse, he rode forward as fast as therugged state of the road would permit, followed by his two attendants, until he reached the point where the pass along the side of the lakewas intersected by that which descended from the ravine, securing thusagainst the possibility of the stranger eluding them, by turning intothe latter road before they came up with him. 

The single horseman had mended his pace, when he first observed thethree riders advance rapidly towards him; but when he saw them halt andform a front, which completely occupied the path, he checked hishorse, and advanced with great deliberation; so that each party had anopportunity to take a full survey of the other. The solitary strangerwas mounted upon an able horse, fit for military service, and forthe great weight which he had to carry, and his rider occupied hisdemipique, or war-saddle, with an air that showed it was his familiarseat. He had a bright burnished head-piece, with a plume of feathers, together with a cuirass, thick enough to resist a musket-ball, and aback-piece of lighter materials. These defensive arms he wore over abuff jerkin, along with a pair of gauntlets, or steel gloves, thetops of which reached up to his elbow, and which, like the rest of hisarmour, were of bright steel. At the front of his military saddle hunga case of pistols, far beyond the ordinary size, nearly two feet inlength, and carrying bullets of twenty to the pound. A buff belt, with abroad silver buckle, sustained on one side a long straight double-edgedbroadsword, with a strong guard, and a blade calculated either to strikeor push. On the right side hung a dagger of about eighteen inchesin length; a shoulder-belt sustained at his back a musketoon orblunderbuss, and was crossed by a bandelier containing his charges ofammunition. Thigh-pieces of steel, then termed taslets, met the tops ofhis huge jack-boots, and completed the equipage of a well-armed trooperof the period. 

The appearance of the horseman himself corresponded well with hismilitary equipage, to which he had the air of having been long inured. He was above the middle size, and of strength sufficient to bear withease the weight of his weapons, offensive and defensive. His agemight be forty and upwards, and his countenance was that of a resoluteweather-beaten veteran, who had seen many fields, and brought awayin token more than one scar. At the distance of about thirty yardshe halted and stood fast, raised himself on his stirrups, as if toreconnoitre and ascertain the purpose of the opposite party, and broughthis musketoon under his right arm, ready for use, if occasion shouldrequire it. In everything but numbers, he had the advantage of those whoseemed inclined to interrupt his passage. 

The leader of the party was, indeed, well mounted and clad in a buffcoat, richly embroidered, the half-military dress of the period; but hisdomestics had only coarse jackets of thick felt, which could scarce beexpected to turn the edge of a sword, if wielded by a strong man; andnone of them had any weapons, save swords and pistols, without whichgentlemen, or their attendants, during those disturbed times, seldomstirred abroad. 

When they had stood at gaze for about a minute, the younger gentlemangave the challenge which was then common in the mouth of all strangerswho met in such circumstances--"For whom are you?"

"Tell me first, " answered the soldier, "for whom are you?--the strongestparty should speak first. "

"We are for God and King Charles, " answered the first speaker. --"Nowtell your faction, you know ours. "

"I am for God and my standard, " answered the single horseman. 

"And for which standard?" replied the chief of the otherparty--"Cavalier or Roundhead, King or Convention?"

"By my troth, sir, " answered the soldier, "I would be loath to reply toyou with an untruth, as a thing unbecoming a cavalier of fortune anda soldier. But to answer your query with beseeming veracity, itis necessary I should myself have resolved to whilk of the presentdivisions of the kingdom I shall ultimately adhere, being a matterwhereon my mind is not as yet preceesely ascertained. "

"I should have thought, " answered the gentleman, "that, when loyalty andreligion are at stake, no gentleman or man of honour could be long inchoosing his party. "

"Truly, sir, " replied the trooper, "if ye speak this in the way ofvituperation, as meaning to impugn my honour or genteelity, I wouldblithely put the same to issue, venturing in that quarrel with my singleperson against you three. But if you speak it in the way of logicalratiocination, whilk I have studied in my youth at the Mareschal-Collegeof Aberdeen, I am ready to prove to ye LOGICE, that my resolutionto defer, for a certain season, the taking upon me either of thesequarrels, not only becometh me as a gentleman and a man of honour, butalso as a person of sense and prudence, one imbued with humane lettersin his early youth, and who, from thenceforward, has followed the warsunder the banner of the invincible Gustavus, the Lion of the North, andunder many other heroic leaders, both Lutheran and Calvinist, Papist andArminian. "

After exchanging a word or two with his domestics, the younger gentlemanreplied, "I should be glad, sir, to have some conversation with you uponso interesting a question, and should be proud if I can determine youin favour of the cause I have myself espoused. I ride this evening toa friend's house not three miles distant, whither, if you choose toaccompany me, you shall have good quarters for the night, and freepermission to take your own road in the morning, if you then feel noinclination to join with us. "

"Whose word am I to take for this?" answered the cautious soldier--"Aman must know his guarantee, or he may fall into an ambuscade. "

"I am called, " answered the younger stranger, "the Earl of Menteith, and, I trust, you will receive my honour as a sufficient security. "

"A worthy nobleman, " answered the soldier, "whose parole is not to bedoubted. " With one motion he replaced his musketoon at his back, and with another made his military salute to the young nobleman, andcontinuing to talk as he rode forward to join him--"And, I trust, " saidhe, "my own assurance, that I will be BON CAMARADO to your lordship inpeace or in peril, during the time we shall abide together, will notbe altogether vilipended in these doubtful times, when, as they say, aman's head is safer in a steel-cap than in a marble palace. "

"I assure you, sir, " said Lord Menteith, "that to judge from yourappearance, I most highly value the advantage of your escort; but, Itrust, we shall have no occasion for any exercise of valour, as I expectto conduct you to good and friendly quarters. "

"Good quarters, my lord, " replied the soldier, "are always acceptable, and are only to be postponed to good pay or good booty, --not to mentionthe honour of a cavalier, or the needful points of commanded duty. Andtruly, my lord, your noble proffer is not the less welcome, in that Iknew not preceesely this night where I and my poor companion" (pattinghis horse), "were to find lodgments. "

"May I be permitted to ask, then, " said Lord Menteith, "to whom I havethe good fortune to stand quarter-master?"

"Truly, my lord, " said the trooper, "my name is Dalgetty--DugaldDalgetty, Ritt-master Dugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket, at yourhonourable service to command. It is a name you may have seen in GALLOBELGICUS, the SWEDISH INTELLIGENCER, or, if you read High Dutch, in theFLIEGENDEN MERCOEUR of Leipsic. My father, my lord, having by unthriftycourses reduced a fair patrimony to a nonentity, I had no better shift, when I was eighteen years auld, than to carry the learning whilk Ihad acquired at the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen, my gentle bluid anddesignation of Drumthwacket, together with a pair of stalwarth arms, andlegs conform, to the German wars, there to push my way as a cavalier offortune. My lord, my legs and arms stood me in more stead than eithermy gentle kin or my book-lear, and I found myself trailing a pike asa private gentleman under old Sir Ludovick Leslie, where I learned therules of service so tightly, that I will not forget them in a hurry. Sir, I have been made to stand guard eight hours, being from twelve atnoon to eight o'clock of the night, at the palace, armed with back andbreast, head-piece and bracelets, being iron to the teeth, in a bitterfrost, and the ice was as hard as ever was flint; and all for stoppingan instant to speak to my landlady, when I should have gone toroll-call. "

"And, doubtless, sir, " replied Lord Menteith, "you have gone throughsome hot service, as well as this same cold duty you talk of?"

"Surely, my lord, it doth not become me to speak; but he that hath seenthe fields of Leipsic and of Lutzen, may be said to have seen pitchedbattles. And one who hath witnessed the intaking of Frankfort, andSpanheim, and Nuremberg, and so forth, should know somewhat aboutleaguers, storms, onslaughts and outfalls. "

"But your merit, sir, and experience, were doubtless followed bypromotion?"

"It came slow, my lord, dooms slow, " replied Dalgetty; "but as myScottish countrymen, the fathers of the war, and the raisers of thosevalorous Scottish regiments that were the dread of Germany, began tofall pretty thick, what with pestilence and what with the sword, whywe, their children, succeeded to their inheritance. Sir, I was six yearsfirst private gentleman of the company, and three years lance speisade;disdaining to receive a halberd, as unbecoming my birth. Wherefore Iwas ultimately promoted to be a fahndragger, as the High Dutch callit (which signifies an ancient), in the King's Leif Regiment ofBlack-Horse, and thereafter I arose to be lieutenant and ritt-master, under that invincible monarch, the bulwark of the Protestant faith, theLion of the North, the terror of Austria, Gustavus the Victorious. "

"And yet, if I understand you, Captain Dalgetty, --I think that rankcorresponds with your foreign title of ritt-master--"

"The same grade preceesely, " answered Dalgetty; "ritt-master signifyingliterally file-leader. "

"I was observing, " continued Lord Menteith, "that, if I understood youright, you had left the service of this great Prince. "

"It was after his death--it was after his death, sir, " said Dalgetty, "when I was in no shape bound to continue mine adherence. There arethings, my lord, in that service, that cannot but go against the stomachof any cavalier of honour. In especial, albeit the pay be none ofthe most superabundant, being only about sixty dollars a-month to aritt-master, yet the invincible Gustavus never paid above one-third ofthat sum, whilk was distributed monthly by way of loan; although, whenjustly considered, it was, in fact, a borrowing by that great monarch ofthe additional two-thirds which were due to the soldier. And I have seensome whole regiments of Dutch and Holsteiners mutiny on the field ofbattle, like base scullions, crying out Gelt, gelt, signifying theirdesire of pay, instead of falling to blows like our noble Scottishblades, who ever disdained, my lord, postponing of honour to filthylucre. "

"But were not these arrears, " said Lord Menteith, "paid to the soldieryat some stated period?"

"My lord, " said Dalgetty, "I take it on my conscience, that at noperiod, and by no possible process, could one creutzer of them ever berecovered. I myself never saw twenty dollars of my own all the time Iserved the invincible Gustavus, unless it was from the chance of a stormor victory, or the fetching in some town or doorp, when a cavalier offortune, who knows the usage of wars, seldom faileth to make some smallprofit. "

"I begin rather to wonder, sir, " said Lord Menteith, "that you shouldhave continued so long in the Swedish service, than that you should haveultimately withdrawn from it. "

"Neither I should, " answered the Ritt-master; "but that great leader, captain, and king, the Lion of the North, and the bulwark of theProtestant faith, had a way of winning battles, taking towns, over-running countries, and levying contributions, whilk made hisservice irresistibly delectable to all true-bred cavaliers who followthe noble profession of arms. Simple as I ride here, my lord, I havemyself commanded the whole stift of Dunklespiel on the Lower Rhine, occupying the Palsgrave's palace, consuming his choice wines with mycomrades, calling in contributions, requisitions, and caduacs, and notfailing to lick my fingers, as became a good cook. But truly all thisglory hastened to decay, after our great master had been shot with threebullets on the field of Lutzen; wherefore, finding that Fortune hadchanged sides, that the borrowings and lendings went on as before out ofour pay, while the caduacs and casualties were all cut off, I e'en gaveup my commission, and took service with Wallenstein, in Walter Butler'sIrish regiment. "

"And may I beg to know of you, " said Lord Menteith, apparentlyinterested in the adventures of this soldier of fortune, "how you likedthis change of masters?"

"Indifferent well, " said the Captain--"very indifferent well. I cannotsay that the Emperor paid much better than the great Gustavus. Forhard knocks, we had plenty of them. I was often obliged to run my headagainst my old acquaintances, the Swedish feathers, whilk your honourmust conceive to be double-pointed stakes, shod with iron at eachend, and planted before the squad of pikes to prevent an onfall of thecavalry. The whilk Swedish feathers, although they look gay to the eye, resembling the shrubs or lesser trees of ane forest, as the puissantpikes, arranged in battalia behind them, correspond to the tall pinesthereof, yet, nevertheless, are not altogether so soft to encounter asthe plumage of a goose. Howbeit, in despite of heavy blows and lightpay, a cavalier of fortune may thrive indifferently well in the Imperialservice, in respect his private casualties are nothing so closely lookedto as by the Swede; and so that an officer did his duty on the field, neither Wallenstein nor Pappenheim, nor old Tilly before them, wouldlikely listen to the objurgations of boors or burghers against anycommander or soldado, by whom they chanced to be somewhat closely shorn. So that an experienced cavalier, knowing how to lay, as our Scottishphrase runs, 'the head of the sow to the tail of the grice, ' might getout of the country the pay whilk he could not obtain from the Emperor. "

"With a full hand, sir, doubtless, and with interest, " said LordMenteith. 

"Indubitably, my lord, " answered Dalgetty, composedly; "for it would bedoubly disgraceful for any soldado of rank to have his name called inquestion for any petty delinquency. "

"And pray, Sir, " continued Lord Menteith, "what made you leave sogainful a service?"

"Why, truly, sir, " answered the soldier, "an Irish cavalier, calledO'Quilligan, being major of our regiment, and I having had words withhim the night before, respecting the worth and precedence of our severalnations, it pleased him the next day to deliver his orders to me withthe point of his batoon advanced and held aloof, instead of decliningand trailing the same, as is the fashion from a courteous commandingofficer towards his equal in rank, though, it may be, his inferior inmilitary grade. Upon this quarrel, sir, we fought in private rencontre;and as, in the perquisitions which followed, it pleased WalterButler, our oberst, or colonel, to give the lighter punishment tohis countryman, and the heavier to me, whereupon, ill-stomaching suchpartiality, I exchanged my commission for one under the Spaniard. "

"I hope you found yourself better off by the change?" said LordMenteith. 

"In good sooth, " answered the Ritt-master, "I had but little to complainof. The pay was somewhat regular, being furnished by the rich Flemingsand Waloons of the Low Country. The quarters were excellent; the goodwheaten loaves of the Flemings were better than the Provant rye-bread ofthe Swede, and Rhenish wine was more plenty with us than ever I saw theblack-beer of Rostock in Gustavus's camp. Service there was none, dutythere was little; and that little we might do, or leave undone, at ourpleasure; an excellent retirement for a cavalier somewhat weary of fieldand leaguer, who had purchased with his blood as much honour as mightserve his turn, and was desirous of a little ease and good living. "

"And may I ask, " said Lord Menteith, "why you, Captain, being, as Isuppose, in the situation you describe, retired from the Spanish servicealso?"

"You are to consider, my lord, that your Spaniard, " replied CaptainDalgetty, "is a person altogether unparalleled in his own conceit, where-through he maketh not fit account of such foreign cavaliers ofvalour as are pleased to take service with him. And a galling thingit is to every honourable soldado, to be put aside, and postponed, andobliged to yield preference to every puffing signor, who, were it thequestion which should first mount a breach at push of pike, might beapt to yield willing place to a Scottish cavalier. Moreover, sir, I waspricked in conscience respecting a matter of religion. "

"I should not have thought, Captain Dalgetty, " said the young nobleman, "that an old soldier, who had changed service so often, would have beentoo scrupulous on that head. "

"No more I am, my lord, " said the Captain, "since I hold it to be theduty of the chaplain of the regiment to settle those matters for me, andevery other brave cavalier, inasmuch as he does nothing else that I knowof for his pay and allowances. But this was a particular case, my lord, a CASUS IMPROVISUS, as I may say, in whilk I had no chaplain of my ownpersuasion to act as my adviser. I found, in short, that although mybeing a Protestant might be winked at, in respect that I was a man ofaction, and had more experience than all the Dons in our TERTIA puttogether, yet, when in garrison, it was expected I should go to masswith the regiment. Now, my lord, as a true Scottish man, and educated atthe Mareschal-College of Aberdeen, I was bound to uphold the mass to bean act of blinded papistry and utter idolatry, whilk I was altogetherunwilling to homologate by my presence. True it is, that I consulted onthe point with a worthy countryman of my own, one Father Fatsides, ofthe Scottish Covenant in Wurtzburg--"

"And I hope, " observed Lord Menteith, "you obtained a clear opinion fromthis same ghostly father?"

"As clear as it could be, " replied Captain Dalgetty, "considering we haddrunk six flasks of Rhenish, and about two mutchkins of Kirchenwasser. Father Fatsides informed me, that, as nearly as he could judge for aheretic like myself, it signified not much whether I went to mass ornot, seeing my eternal perdition was signed and sealed at any rate, in respect of my impenitent and obdurate perseverance in my damnableheresy. Being discouraged by this response, I applied to a Dutch pastorof the reformed church, who told me, he thought I might lawfully goto mass, in respect that the prophet permitted Naaman, a mighty man ofvalour, and an honourable cavalier of Syria, to follow his master intothe house of Rimmon, a false god, or idol, to whom he had vowed service, and to bow down when the king was leaning upon his hand. But neitherwas this answer satisfactory to me, both because there was an uncodifference between an anointed King of Syria and our Spanish colonel, whom I could have blown away like the peeling of an ingan, and chieflybecause I could not find the thing was required of me by any of thearticles of war; neither was I proffered any consideration, either inperquisite or pay, for the wrong I might thereby do to my conscience. "

"So you again changed your service?" said Lord Menteith. 

"In troth did I, my lord; and after trying for a short while twoor three other powers, I even took on for a time with their HighMightinesses the States of Holland. "

"And how did their service jump with your humour?" again demanded hiscompanion. 

"O! my lord, " said the soldier, in a sort of enthusiasm, "theirbehaviour on pay-day might be a pattern to all Europe--no borrowings, nolendings, no offsets no arrears--all balanced and paid like abanker's book. The quarters, too, are excellent, and the allowancesunchallengeable; but then, sir, they are a preceese, scrupulous people, and will allow nothing for peccadilloes. So that if a boor complains ofa broken head, or a beer-seller of a broken can, or a daft wench doesbut squeak loud enough to be heard above her breath, a soldier of honourshall be dragged, not before his own court-martial, who can best judgeof and punish his demerits, but before a base mechanical burgo-master, who shall menace him with the rasp-house, the cord, and what not, as ifhe were one of their own mean, amphibious, twenty-breeched boors. Sonot being able to dwell longer among those ungrateful plebeians, who, although unable to defend themselves by their proper strength, willnevertheless allow the noble foreign cavalier who engages with themnothing beyond his dry wages, which no honourable spirit will putin competition with a liberal license and honourable countenance, Iresolved to leave the service of the Mynheers. And hearing at this time, to my exceeding satisfaction, that there is something to be doing thissummer in my way in this my dear native country, I am come hither, as they say, like a beggar to a bridal, in order to give my lovingcountrymen the advantage of that experience which I have acquiredin foreign parts. So your lordship has an outline of my brief story, excepting my deportment in those passages of action in the field, inleaguers, storms, and onslaughts, whilk would be wearisome to narrate, and might, peradventure, better befit any other tongue than mine own. "

CHAPTER III. 

 For pleas of right let statesmen vex their head, Battle's my business, and my guerdon bread; And, with the sworded Switzer, I can say, The best of causes is the best of pay. --DONNE. 

The difficulty and narrowness of the road had by this time become suchas to interrupt the conversation of the travellers, and Lord Menteith, reining back his horse, held a moment's private conversation with hisdomestics. The Captain, who now led the van of the party, after abouta quarter of a mile's slow and toilsome advance up a broken and ruggedascent, emerged into an upland valley, to which a mountain stream actedas a drain, and afforded sufficient room upon its greensward banks forthe travellers to pursue their journey in a more social manner. 

Lord Menteith accordingly resumed the conversation, which had beeninterrupted by the difficulties of the way. "I should have thought, "said he to Captain Dalgetty, "that a cavalier of your honourable mark, who hath so long followed the valiant King of Sweden, and entertainssuch a suitable contempt for the base mechanical States of Holland, would not have hesitated to embrace the cause of King Charles, inpreference to that of the low-born, roundheaded, canting knaves, who arein rebellion against his authority?"

"Ye speak reasonably, my lord, " said Dalgetty, "and, CAETERIS PARIBUS, I might be induced to see the matter in the same light. But, my lord, there is a southern proverb, fine words butter no parsnips. I have heardenough since I came here, to satisfy me that a cavalier of honour isfree to take any part in this civil embroilment whilk he may findmost convenient for his own peculiar. Loyalty is your pass-word, my lord--Liberty, roars another chield from the other side ofthe strath--the King, shouts one war-cry--the Parliament, roarsanother--Montrose, for ever, cries Donald, waving his bonnet--Argyleand Leven, cries a south-country Saunders, vapouring with his hatand feather. Fight for the bishops, says a priest, with his gown androchet--Stand stout for the Kirk, cries a minister, in a Geneva cap andband. --Good watchwords all--excellent watchwords. Whilk cause is thebest I cannot say. But sure am I, that I have fought knee-deep in bloodmany a day for one that was ten degrees worse than the worst of themall. "

"And pray, Captain Dalgetty, " said his lordship, "since the pretensionsof both parties seem to you so equal, will you please to inform us bywhat circumstances your preference will be determined?"

"Simply upon two considerations, my lord, " answered the soldier. "Being, first, on which side my services would be in most honourablerequest;--And, secondly, whilk is a corollary of the first, by whilkparty they are likely to be most gratefully requited. And, to dealplainly with you, my lord, my opinion at present doth on both pointsrather incline to the side of the Parliament. "

"Your reasons, if you please, " said Lord Menteith, "and perhaps I may beable to meet them with some others which are more powerful. "

"Sir, I shall be amenable to reason, " said Captain Dalgetty, "supposingit addresses itself to my honour and my interest. Well, then, my lord, here is a sort of Highland host assembled, or expected to assemble, inthese wild hills, in the King's behalf. Now, sir, you know the nature ofour Highlanders. I will not deny them to be a people stout in bodyand valiant in heart, and courageous enough in their own wild way offighting, which is as remote from the usages and discipline of war asever was that of the ancient Scythians, or of the salvage Indians ofAmerica that now is, They havena sae mickle as a German whistle, or adrum, to beat a march, an alarm, a charge, a retreat, a reveille, or thetattoo, or any other point of war; and their damnable skirlin' pipes, whilk they themselves pretend to understand, are unintelligible to theears of any cavaliero accustomed to civilised warfare. So that, were Iundertaking to discipline such a breechless mob, it were impossible forme to be understood; and if I were understood, judge ye, my lord, whatchance I had of being obeyed among a band of half salvages, who areaccustomed to pay to their own lairds and chiefs, allenarly, thatrespect and obedience whilk ought to be paid to commissionate officers. If I were teaching them to form battalia by extracting the square root, that is, by forming your square battalion of equal number of men of rankand file, corresponding to the square root of the full number present, what return could I expect for communicating this golden secret ofmilitary tactic, except it may be a dirk in my wame, on placing someM'Alister More M'Shemei or Capperfae, in the flank or rear, when heclaimed to be in the van?--Truly, well saith holy writ, 'if ye castpearls before swine, they will turn again and rend ye. '"

"I believe, Anderson, " said Lord Menteith, looking back to one ofhis servants, for both were close behind him, "you can assure thisgentleman, we shall have more occasion for experienced officers, and bemore disposed to profit by their instructions, than he seems to be awareof. "

"With your honour's permission, " said Anderson, respectfully raising hiscap, "when we are joined by the Irish infantry, who are expected, andwho should be landed in the West Highlands before now, we shall haveneed of good soldiers to discipline our levies. "

"And I should like well--very well, to be employed in such service, "said Dalgetty; "the Irish are pretty fellows--very pretty fellows--Idesire to see none better in the field. I once saw a brigade of Irish, at the taking of Frankfort upon the Oder, stand to it with sword andpike until they beat off the blue and yellow Swedish brigades, esteemedas stout as any that fought under the immortal Gustavus. And althoughstout Hepburn, valiant Lumsdale, courageous Monroe, with myself andother cavaliers, made entry elsewhere at point of pike, yet, had we allmet with such opposition, we had returned with great loss and littleprofit. Wherefore these valiant Irishes, being all put to the sword, as is usual in such cases, did nevertheless gain immortal praise andhonour; so that, for their sakes, I have always loved and honoured thoseof that nation next to my own country of Scotland. "

"A command of Irish, " said Menteith, "I think I could almost promiseyou, should you be disposed to embrace the royal cause. "

"And yet, " said Captain Dalgetty, "my second and greatest difficultyremains behind; for, although I hold it a mean and sordid thing for asoldado to have nothing in his mouth but pay and gelt, like the basecullions, the German lanz-knechts, whom I mentioned before; and althoughI will maintain it with my sword, that honour is to be preferred beforepay, free quarters, and arrears, yet, EX CONTRARIO, a soldier's paybeing the counterpart of his engagement of service, it becomes a wiseand considerate cavalier to consider what remuneration he is to receivefor his service, and from what funds it is to be paid. And truly, my lord, from what I can see and hear, the Convention are thepurse-masters. The Highlanders, indeed, may be kept in humour, byallowing them to steal cattle; and for the Irishes, your lordship andyour noble associates may, according to the practice of the wars insuch cases, pay them as seldom or as little as may suit your pleasure orconvenience; but the same mode of treatment doth not apply to a cavalierlike me, who must keep up his horses, servants, arms, and equipage, andwho neither can, nor will, go to warfare upon his own charges. "

Anderson, the domestic who had before spoken now respectfully addressedhis master. --"I think, my lord, " he said, "that, under your lordship'sfavour, I could say something to remove Captain Dalgetty's secondobjection also. He asks us where we are to collect our pay; now, in mypoor mind, the resources are as open to us as to the Covenanters. Theytax the country according to their pleasure, and dilapidate the estatesof the King's friends; now, were we once in the Lowlands, with ourHighlanders and our Irish at our backs, and our swords in our hands, we can find many a fat traitor, whose ill-gotten wealth shall fill ourmilitary chest and satisfy our soldiery. Besides, confiscations willfall in thick; and, in giving donations of forfeited lands to everyadventurous cavalier who joins his standard, the King will at oncereward his friends and punish his enemies. In short, he that joins theseRoundhead dogs may get some miserable pittance of pay--he that joins ourstandard has a chance to be knight, lord, or earl, if luck serve him. "

"Have you ever served, my good friend?" said the Captain to thespokesman. 

"A little, sir, in these our domestic quarrels, " answered the man, modestly. 

"But never in Germany or the Low Countries?" said Dalgetty. 

"I never had the honour, " answered Anderson. 

"I profess, " said Dalgetty, addressing Lord Menteith, "your lordship'sservant has a sensible, natural, pretty idea of military matters;somewhat irregular, though, and smells a little too much of selling thebear's skin before he has hunted him. --I will take the matter, however, into my consideration. "

"Do so, Captain, " said Lord Menteith; "you will have the night to thinkof it, for we are now near the house, where I hope to ensure you ahospitable reception. "

"And that is what will be very welcome, " said the Captain, "for I havetasted no food since daybreak but a farl of oatcake, which I dividedwith my horse. So I have been fain to draw my sword-belt three borestighter for very extenuation, lest hunger and heavy iron should make thegird slip. "

CHAPTER IV. 

 Once on a time, no matter when, Some Glunimies met in a glen; As deft and tight as ever wore A durk, a targe, and a claymore, Short hose, and belted plaid or trews, In Uist, Lochaber, Skye, or Lewes, Or cover'd hard head with his bonnet; Had you but known them, you would own it. --MESTON. 

A hill was now before the travellers, covered with an ancient forestof Scottish firs, the topmost of which, flinging their scathed branchesacross the western horizon, gleamed ruddy in the setting sun. In thecentre of this wood rose the towers, or rather the chimneys, of thehouse, or castle, as it was called, destined for the end of theirjourney. 

As usual at that period, one or two high-ridged narrow buildings, intersecting and crossing each other, formed the CORPS DE LOGIS. Aprotecting bartizan or two, with the addition of small turrets at theangles, much resembling pepper-boxes, had procured for Darnlinvarach thedignified appellation of a castle. It was surrounded by a low court-yardwall, within which were the usual offices. 

As the travellers approached more nearly, they discovered marks ofrecent additions to the defences of the place, which had been suggested, doubtless, by the insecurity of those troublesome times. Additionalloop-holes for musketry were struck out in different parts of thebuilding, and of its surrounding wall. The windows had just beencarefully secured by stancheons of iron, crossing each other athwart andend-long, like the grates of a prison. The door of the court-yard wasshut; and it was only after cautious challenge that one of its leaveswas opened by two domestics, both strong Highlanders, and both underarms, like Bitias and Pandarus in the AEneid, ready to defend theentrance if aught hostile had ventured an intrusion. 

When the travellers were admitted into the court, they found additionalpreparations for defence. The walls were scaffolded for the use offire-arms, and one or two of the small guns, called sackers, or falcons, were mounted at the angles and flanking turrets. 

More domestics, both in the Highland and Lowland dress, instantly rushedfrom the anterior of the mansion, and some hastened to take the horsesof the strangers, while others waited to marshal them a way into thedwelling-house. But Captain Dalgetty refused the proffered assistanceof those who wished to relieve him of the charge of his horse. "It is mycustom, my friends, to see Gustavus (for so I have called him, aftermy invincible master) accommodated myself; we are old friends andfellow-travellers, and as I often need the use of his legs, I alwayslend him in my turn the service of my tongue, to call for whatever hehas occasion for;" and accordingly he strode into the stable after hissteed without farther apology. 

Neither Lord Menteith nor his attendants paid the same attention totheir horses, but, leaving them to the proffered care of the servants ofthe place, walked forward into the house, where a sort of dark vaultedvestibule displayed, among other miscellaneous articles, a huge barrelof two-penny ale, beside which were ranged two or three wooden queichs, or bickers, ready, it would appear, for the service of whoever thoughtproper to employ them. Lord Menteith applied himself to the spigot, drank without ceremony, and then handed the stoup to Anderson, whofollowed his master's example, but not until he had flung out the dropof ale which remained, and slightly rinsed the wooden cup. 

"What the deil, man, " said an old Highland servant belonging to thefamily, "can she no drink after her ain master without washing the cupand spilling the ale, and be tamned to her!"

"I was bred in France, " answered Anderson, "where nobody drinks afteranother out of the same cup, unless it be after a young lady. "

"The teil's in their nicety!" said Donald; "and if the ale be gude, fatthe waur is't that another man's beard's been in the queich before ye?"

Anderson's companion drank without observing the ceremony which hadgiven Donald so much offence, and both of them followed their masterinto the low-arched stone hall, which was the common rendezvous of aHighland family. A large fire of peats in the huge chimney at the upperend shed a dim light through the apartment, and was rendered necessaryby the damp, by which, even during the summer, the apartment wasrendered uncomfortable. Twenty or thirty targets, as many claymores, with dirks, and plaids, and guns, both match-lock and fire-lock, andlong-bows, and cross-bows, and Lochaber axes, and coats of plate armour, and steel bonnets, and headpieces, and the more ancient haborgeons, orshirts of reticulated mail, with hood and sleeves corresponding to it, all hung in confusion about the walls, and would have formed a month'samusement to a member of a modern antiquarian society. But such thingswere too familiar, to attract much observation on the part of thepresent spectators. 

There was a large clumsy oaken table, which the hasty hospitality of thedomestic who had before spoken, immediately spread with milk, butter, goat-milk cheese, a flagon of beer, and a flask of usquebae, designedfor the refreshment of Lord Menteith; while an inferior servant madesimilar preparations at the bottom of the table for the benefit of hisattendants. The space which intervened between them was, according tothe manners of the times, sufficient distinction between master andservant, even though the former was, as in the present instance, of highrank. Meanwhile the guests stood by the fire--the young nobleman underthe chimney, and his servants at some little distance. 

"What do you think, Anderson, " said the former, "of ourfellow-traveller?"

"A stout fellow, " replied Anderson, "if all be good that is upcome. I wish we had twenty such, to put our Teagues into some sort ofdiscipline. "

"I differ from you, Anderson, " said Lord Menteith; "I think this fellowDalgetty is one of those horse-leeches, whose appetite for blood beingonly sharpened by what he has sucked in foreign countries, he is nowreturned to batten upon that of his own. Shame on the pack of thesemercenary swordmen! they have made the name of Scot through all Europeequivalent to that of a pitiful mercenary, who knows neither honournor principle but his month's pay, who transfers his allegiance fromstandard to standard, at the pleasure of fortune or the highest bidder;and to whose insatiable thirst for plunder and warm quarters we owe muchof that civil dissension which is now turning our swords against our ownbowels. I had scarce patience with the hired gladiator, and yet couldhardly help laughing at the extremity of his impudence. "

"Your lordship will forgive me, " said Anderson, "if I recommend toyou, in the present circumstances, to conceal at least a part of thisgenerous indignation; we cannot, unfortunately, do our work without theassistance of those who act on baser motives than our own. We cannotspare the assistance of such fellows as our friend the soldado. To usethe canting phrase of the saints in the English Parliament, the sons ofZeruiah are still too many for us. "

"I must dissemble, then, as well as I can, " said Lord Menteith, "as Ihave hitherto done, upon your hint. But I wish the fellow at the devilwith all my heart. "

"Ay, but still you must remember, my lord, " resumed Anderson, "thatto cure the bite of a scorpion, you must crush another scorpion on thewound--But stop, we shall be overheard. "

From a side-door in the hall glided a Highlander into the apartment, whose lofty stature and complete equipment, as well as the eagle'sfeather in his bonnet, and the confidence of his demeanour, announced tobe a person of superior rank. He walked slowly up to the table, and madeno answer to Lord Menteith, who, addressing him by the name of Allan, asked him how he did. 

"Ye manna speak to her e'en now, " whispered the old attendant. 

The tall Highlander, sinking down upon the empty settle next the fire, fixed his eyes upon the red embers and the huge heap of turf, and seemedburied in profound abstraction. His dark eyes, and wild and enthusiasticfeatures, bore the air of one who, deeply impressed with his ownsubjects of meditation, pays little attention to exterior objects. An air of gloomy severity, the fruit perhaps of ascetic and solitaryhabits, might, in a Lowlander, have been ascribed to religiousfanaticism; but by that disease of the mind, then so common both inEngland and the Lowlands of Scotland, the Highlanders of thisperiod were rarely infected. They had, however, their own peculiarsuperstitions, which overclouded the mind with thick-coming fancies, ascompletely as the puritanism of their neighbours. 

"His lordship's honour, " said the Highland servant sideling up to LordMenteith, and speaking in a very low tone, "his lordship manna speak toAllan even now, for the cloud is upon his mind. "

Lord Menteith nodded, and took no farther notice of the reservedmountaineer. 

"Said I not, " asked the latter, suddenly raising his stately personupright, and looking at the domestic--"said I not that four were tocome, and here stand but three on the hall floor?"

"In troth did ye say sae, Allan, " said the old Highlander, "and here'sthe fourth man coming clinking in at the yett e'en now from the stable, for he's shelled like a partan, wi' airn on back and breast, haunch andshanks. And am I to set her chair up near the Menteith's, or down wi'the honest gentlemen at the foot of the table?"

Lord Menteith himself answered the enquiry, by pointing to a seat besidehis own. 

"And here she comes, " said Donald, as Captain Dalgetty entered the hall;"and I hope gentlemens will all take bread and cheese, as we say in theglens, until better meat be ready, until the Tiernach comes back fraethe hill wi' the southern gentlefolk, and then Dugald Cook will showhimself wi' his kid and hill venison. "

In the meantime, Captain Dalgetty had entered the apartment, and walkingup to the seat placed next Lord Menteith, was leaning on the back of itwith his arms folded. Anderson and his companion waited at the bottomof the table, in a respectful attitude, until they should receivepermission to seat themselves; while three or four Highlanders, underthe direction of old Donald, ran hither and thither to bring additionalarticles of food, or stood still to give attendance upon the guests. 

In the midst of these preparations, Allan suddenly started up, andsnatching a lamp from the hand of an attendant, held it close toDalgetty's face, while he perused his features with the most heedful andgrave attention. 

"By my honour, " said Dalgetty, half displeased, as, mysteriously shakinghis head, Allan gave up the scrutiny--"I trow that lad and I will keneach other when we meet again. "

Meanwhile Allan strode to the bottom of the table, and having, bythe aid of his lamp, subjected Anderson and his companion to the sameinvestigation, stood a moment as if in deep reflection; then, touchinghis forehead, suddenly seized Anderson by the arm, and before he couldoffer any effectual resistance, half led and half dragged him to thevacant seat at the upper end, and having made a mute intimation thathe should there place himself, he hurried the soldado with the sameunceremonious precipitation to the bottom of the table. The Captain, exceedingly incensed at this freedom, endeavoured to shake Allan fromhim with violence; but, powerful as he was, he proved in the struggleinferior to the gigantic mountaineer, who threw him off with suchviolence, that after reeling a few paces, he fell at full length, andthe vaulted hall rang with the clash of his armour. When he arose, hisfirst action was to draw his sword and to fly at Allan, who, with foldedarms, seemed to await his onset with the most scornful indifference. Lord Menteith and his attendants interposed to preserve peace, while theHighlanders, snatching weapons from the wall, seemed prompt to increasethe broil. 

"He is mad, " whispered Lord Menteith, "he is perfectly mad; there is nopurpose in quarrelling with him. "

"If your lordship is assured that he is NON COMPOS MENTIS, " said CaptainDalgetty, "the whilk his breeding and behaviour seem to testify, thematter must end here, seeing that a madman can neither give an affront, nor render honourable satisfaction. But, by my saul, if I had myprovstnt and a bottle of Rhenish under my belt, I should hive stoodotherways up to him. And yet it's a pity he should be sae weak in theintellectuals, being a strong proper man of body, fit to handle pike, morgenstern, or any other military implement whatsoever. " [This wasa sort of club or mace, used in the earlier part of the seventeenthcentury in the defence of breaches and walls. When the Germans insulteda Scotch regiment then besieged in Trailsund, saying they heard therewas a ship come from Denmark to them laden with tobacco pipes, "One ofour soldiers, " says Colonel Robert Munro, "showing them over the work amorgenstern, made of a large stock banded with iron, like the shaft ofa halberd, with a round globe at the end with cross iron pikes, saith, 'Here is one of the tobacco pipes, wherewith we will beat out yourbrains when you intend to storm us. '"]

Peace was thus restored, and the party seated themselves agreeably totheir former arrangement, with which Allan, who had now returned to hissettle by the fire, and seemed once more immersed in meditation, didnot again interfere. Lord Menteith, addressing the principal domestic, hastened to start some theme of conversation which might obliterate allrecollection of the fray that had taken place. "The laird is at the hillthen, Donald, I understand, and some English strangers with him?"

"At the hill he is, an it like your honour, and two Saxon calabalerosare with him sure eneugh; and that is Sir Miles Musgrave and ChristopherHall, both from the Cumraik, as I think they call their country. "

"Hall and Musgrave?" said Lord Menteith, looking at his attendants, "thevery men that we wished to see. "

"Troth, " said Donald, "an' I wish I had never seen them between the een, for they're come to herry us out o' house and ha'. "

"Why, Donald, " said Lord Menteith, "you did not use to be so churlish ofyour beef and ale; southland though they be, they'll scarce eat up allthe cattle that's going on the castle mains. "

"Teil care an they did, " said Donald, "an that were the warst o't, forwe have a wheen canny trewsmen here that wadna let us want if there wasa horned beast atween this and Perth. But this is a warse job--it's naeless than a wager. "

"A wager!" repeated Lord Menteith, with some surprise. 

"Troth, " continued Donald, to the full as eager to tell his news as LordMenteith was curious to hear them, "as your lordship is a friend andkinsman o' the house, an' as ye'll hear eneugh o't in less than an hour, I may as weel tell ye mysell. Ye sall be pleased then to know, that whenour Laird was up in England where he gangs oftener than his friends canwish, he was biding at the house o' this Sir Miles Musgrave, an' therewas putten on the table six candlesticks, that they tell me were twiceas muckle as the candlesticks in Dunblane kirk, and neither airn, brass, nor tin, but a' solid silver, nae less;--up wi' their English pride, hassae muckle, and kens sae little how to guide it! Sae they began to jeerthe Laird, that he saw nae sic graith in his ain poor country; andthe Laird, scorning to hae his country put down without a word for itscredit, swore, like a gude Scotsman, that he had mair candlesticks, andbetter candlesticks, in his ain castle at hame, than were ever lightedin a hall in Cumberland, an Cumberland be the name o' the country. "

"That was patriotically said, " observed Lord Menteith. 

"Fary true, " said Donald; "but her honour had better hae hauden hertongue: for if ye say ony thing amang the Saxons that's a wee byordinar, they clink ye down for a wager as fast as a Lowland smith wouldhammer shoon on a Highland shelty. An' so the Laird behoved either togae back o' his word, or wager twa hunder merks; and sa he e'en tock thewager, rather than be shamed wi' the like o' them. And now he's like toget it to pay, and I'm thinking that's what makes him sae swear to comehame at e'en. "

"Indeed, " said Lord Menteith, "from my idea of your family plate, Donald, your master is certain to lose such a wager. "

"Your honour may swear that; an' where he's to get the siller I kenna, although he borrowed out o' twenty purses. I advised him to pit the twaSaxon gentlemen and their servants cannily into the pit o' the towertill they gae up the bagain o' free gude-will, but the Laird winna hearreason. "

Allan here started up, strode forward, and interrupted the conversation, saying to the domestic in a voice like thunder, "And how dared you togive my brother such dishonourable advice? or how dare you to say hewill lose this or any other wager which it is his pleasure to lay?"

"Troth, Allan M'Aulay, " answered the old man, "it's no for my father'sson to gainsay what your father's son thinks fit to say, an' so theLaird may no doubt win his wager. A' that I ken against it is, that theteil a candlestick, or ony thing like it, is in the house, except theauld airn branches that has been here since Laird Kenneth's time, andthe tin sconces that your father gard be made by auld Willie Winkie thetinkler, mair be token that deil an unce of siller plate is about thehouse at a', forby the lady's auld posset dish, that wants the cover andane o' the lugs. "

"Peace, old man!" said Allan, fiercely; "and do you, gentlemen, if yourrefection is finished, leave this apartment clear; I must prepare it forthe reception of these southern guests. "

"Come away, " said the domestic, pulling Lord Menteith by the sleeve;"his hour is on him, " said he, looking towards Allan, "and he will notbe controlled. "

They left the hall accordingly, Lord Menteith and the Captain beingushered one way by old Donald, and the two attendants conductedelsewhere by another Highlander. The former had scarcely reached asort of withdrawing apartment ere they were joined by the lord of themansion, Angus M'Aulay by name, and his English guests. Great joy wasexpressed by all parties, for Lord Menteith and the English gentlemenwere well known to each other; and on Lord Menteith's introduction, Captain Dalgetty was well received by the Laird. But after the firstburst of hospitable congratulation was over, Lord Menteith could observethat there was a shade of sadness on the brow of his Highland friend. 

"You must have heard, " said Sir Christopher Hall, "that our fineundertaking in Cumberland is all blown up. The militia would not marchinto Scotland, and your prick-ear'd Covenanters have been too hard forour friends in the southern shires. And so, understanding there is somestirring work here, Musgrave and I, rather than sit idle at home, arecome to have a campaign among your kilts and plaids. "

"I hope you have brought arms, men, and money with you, " said LordMenteith, smiling. 

"Only some dozen or two of troopers, whom we left at the last Lowlandvillage, " said Musgrave, "and trouble enough we had to get them so far. "

"As for money, " said his companion, "We expect a small supply from ourfriend and host here. "

The Laird now, colouring highly, took Menteith a little apart, andexpressed to him his regret that he had fallen into a foolish blunder. 

"I heard it from Donald, " said Lord Menteith, scarce able to suppress asmile. 

"Devil take that old man, " said M'Aulay, "he would tell every thing, were it to cost one's life; but it's no jesting matter to you neither, my lord, for I reckon on your friendly and fraternal benevolence, as anear kinsman of our house, to help me out with the money due to thesepock-puddings; or else, to be plain wi' ye, the deil a M'Aulay willthere be at the muster, for curse me if I do not turn Covenanter ratherthan face these fellows without paying them; and, at the best, I shallbe ill enough off, getting both the scaith and the scorn. "

"You may suppose, cousin, " said Lord Menteith, "I am not too well equiptjust now; but you may be assured I shall endeavour to help you as wellas I can, for the sake of old kindred, neighbourhood, and alliance. "

"Thank ye--thank ye--thank ye, " reiterated M'Aulay; "and as they are tospend the money in the King's service, what signifies whether you, they, or I pay it?--we are a' one man's bairns, I hope? But you must help meout too with some reasonable excuse, or else I shall be for taking toAndrew Ferrara; for I like not to be treated like a liar or a braggartat my own board-end, when, God knows, I only meant to support my honour, and that of my family and country. "

Donald, as they were speaking, entered, with rather a blither face thanhe might have been expected to wear, considering the impending fate ofhis master's purse and credit. "Gentlemens, her dinner is ready, and HERCANDLES ARE LIGHTED TOO, " said Donald, with a strong guttural emphasison the last clause of his speech. 

"What the devil can he mean?" said Musgrave, looking to his countryman. 

Lord Menteith put the same question with his eyes to the Laird, whichM'Aulay answered by shaking his head. 

A short dispute about precedence somewhat delayed their leaving theapartment. Lord Menteith insisted upon yielding up that which belongedto his rank, on consideration of his being in his own country, and ofhis near connexion with the family in which they found themselves. Thetwo English strangers, therefore, were first ushered into the hall, where an unexpected display awaited them. The large oaken table wasspread with substantial joints of meat, and seats were placed inorder for the guests. Behind every seat stood a gigantic Highlander, completely dressed and armed after the fashion of his country, holdingin his right hand his drawn sword, with the point turned downwards, andin the left a blazing torch made of the bog-pine. This wood, found inthe morasses, is so full of turpentine, that, when split and dried, itis frequently used in the Highlands instead of candles. The unexpectedand somewhat startling apparition was seen by the red glare ofthe torches, which displayed the wild features, unusual dress, andglittering arms of those who bore them, while the smoke, eddying up tothe roof of the hall, over-canopied them with a volume of vapour. Erethe strangers had recovered from their surprise, Allan stept forward, and pointing with his sheathed broadsword to the torch-bearers, said, in a deep and stern tone of voice, "Behold, gentlemen cavaliers, thechandeliers of my brother's house, the ancient fashion of our ancientname; not one of these men knows any law but their Chiefs command--Wouldyou dare to compare to THEM in value the richest ore that ever was dugout of the mine? How say you, cavaliers?--is your wager won or lost?"

"Lost; lost, " said Musgrave, gaily--"my own silver candlesticks are allmelted and riding on horseback by this time, and I wish the fellowsthat enlisted were half as trusty as these. --Here, sir, " he added to theChief, "is your money; it impairs Hall's finances and mine somewhat, butdebts of honour must be settled. "

"My father's curse upon my father's son, " said Allan, interrupting him, "if he receive from you one penny! It is enough that you claim no rightto exact from him what is his own. "

Lord Menteith eagerly supported Allan's opinion, and the elder M'Aulayreadily joined, declaring the whole to be a fool's business, andnot worth speaking more about. The Englishmen, after some courteousopposition, were persuaded to regard the whole as a joke. 

"And now, Allan, " said the Laird, "please to remove your candles; for, since the Saxon gentlemen have seen them, they will eat their dinneras comfortably by the light of the old tin sconces, without scomfishingthem with so much smoke. "

Accordingly, at a sign from Allan, the living chandeliers, recoveringtheir broadswords, and holding the point erect, marched out of the hall, and left the guests to enjoy their refreshment. [Such a bet as thatmentioned in the text is said to have been taken by MacDonald ofKeppoch, who extricated himself in the manner there narrated. ]

CHAPTER V. 

 Thareby so fearlesse and so fell he grew, That his own syre and maister of his guise Did often tremble at his horrid view; And if for dread of hurt would him advise, The angry beastes not rashly to despise, Nor too much to provoke; for he would learne The lion stoup to him in lowly wise, (A lesson hard, ) and make the libbard sterne Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did earne. --SPENSER. 

Notwithstanding the proverbial epicurism of the English, --proverbial, that is to say, in Scotland at the period, --the English visitors madeno figure whatever at the entertainment, compared with the portentousvoracity of Captain Dalgetty, although that gallant soldier had alreadydisplayed much steadiness and pertinacity in his attack upon the lighterrefreshment set before them at their entrance, by way of forlorn hope. He spoke to no one during the time of his meal; and it was not untilthe victuals were nearly withdrawn from the table, that he gratifiedthe rest of the company, who had watched him with some surprise, with anaccount of the reasons why he ate so very fast and so very long. 

"The former quality, " he said, "he had acquired, while he filled a placeat the bursar's table at the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen; when, " saidhe; "if you did not move your jaws as fast as a pair of castanets, youwere very unlikely to get any thing to put between them. And as for thequantity of my food, be it known to this honourable company, " continuedthe Captain, "that it's the duty of every commander of a fortress, onall occasions which offer, to secure as much munition and vivers astheir magazines can possibly hold, not knowing when they may have tosustain a siege or a blockade. Upon which principle, gentlemen, " saidhe, "when a cavalier finds that provant is good and abundant, he will, in my estimation, do wisely to victual himself for at least three days, as there is no knowing when he may come by another meal. "

The Laird expressed his acquiescence in the prudence of this principle, and recommended to the veteran to add a tass of brandy and a flagon ofclaret to the substantial provisions he had already laid in, to whichproposal the Captain readily agreed. 

When dinner was removed, and the servants had withdrawn, excepting theLaird's page, or henchman, who remained in the apartment to call for orbring whatever was wanted, or, in a word, to answer the purposes of amodern bell-wire, the conversation began to turn upon politics, andthe state of the country; and Lord Menteith enquired anxiously andparticularly what clans were expected to join the proposed muster of theKing's friends. 

"That depends much, my lord, on the person who lifts the banner, " saidthe Laird; "for you know we Highlanders, when a few clans are assembled, are not easily commanded by one of our own Chiefs, or, to say the truth, by any other body. We have heard a rumour, indeed, that Colkitto--thatis, young Colkitto, or Alaster M'Donald, is come over the Kyle fromIreland, with a body of the Earl of Antrim's people, and that they hadgot as far as Ardnamurchan. They might have been here before now, but, Isuppose, they loitered to plunder the country as they came along. "

"Will Colkitto not serve you for a leader, then?" said Lord Menteith. 

"Colkitto?" said Allan M'Aulay, scornfully; "who talks ofColkitto?--There lives but one man whom we will follow, and that isMontrose. "

"But Montrose, sir, " said Sir Christopher Hall, "has not been heard ofsince our ineffectual attempt to rise in the north of England. It isthought he has returned to the King at Oxford for farther instructions. "

"Returned!" said Allan, with a scornful laugh; "I could tell ye, but itis not worth my while; ye will know soon enough. "

"By my honour, Allan, " said Lord Menteith, "you will weary out yourfriends with this intolerable, froward, and sullen humour--But I knowthe reason, " added he, laughing; "you have not seen Annot Lyle to-day. "

"Whom did you say I had not seen?" said Allan, sternly. 

"Annot Lyle, the fairy queen of song and minstrelsy, " said LordMenteith. 

"Would to God I were never to see her again, " said Allan, sighing, "Oncondition the same weird were laid on you!"

"And why on me?" said Lord Menteith, carelessly. 

"Because, " said Allan, "it is written on your forehead, that you are tobe the ruin of each other. " So saying, he rose up and left the room. 

"Has he been long in this way?" asked Lord Menteith, addressing hisbrother. 

"About three days, " answered Angus; "the fit is wellnigh over, he willbe better to-morrow. --But come, gentlemen, don't let the tappit-henscraugh to be emptied. The King's health, King Charles's health! andmay the covenanting dog that refuses it, go to Heaven by the road of theGrassmarket!"

The health was quickly pledged, and as fast succeeded by another, andanother, and another, all of a party cast, and enforced in an earnestmanner. Captain Dalgetty, however, thought it necessary to enter aprotest. 

"Gentlemen cavaliers, " he said, "I drink these healths, PRIMO, both outof respect to this honourable and hospitable roof-tree, and, SECUNDO, because I hold it not good to be preceese in such matters, INTER POCULA;but I protest, agreeable to the warrandice granted by this honourablelord, that it shall be free to me, notwithstanding my presentcomplaisance, to take service with the Covenanters to-morrow, providingI shall be so minded. "

M'Aulay and his English guests stared at this declaration, which wouldhave certainly bred new disturbance, if Lord Menteith had not taken upthe affair, and explained the circumstances and conditions. "I trust, "he concluded, "we shall be able to secure Captain Dalgetty's assistanceto our own party. "

"And if not, " said the Laird, "I protest, as the Captain says, thatnothing that has passed this evening, not even his having eaten my breadand salt, and pledged me in brandy, Bourdeaux, or usquebaugh, shallprejudice my cleaving him to the neck-bone. "

"You shall be heartily welcome, " said the Captain, "providing my swordcannot keep my head, which it has done in worse dangers than your fendis likely to make for me. "

Here Lord Menteith again interposed, and the concord of the companybeing with no small difficulty restored, was cemented by some deepcarouses. Lord Menteith, however, contrived to break up the partyearlier than was the usage of the Castle, under pretence of fatigue andindisposition. This was somewhat to the disappointment of the valiantCaptain, who, among other habits acquired in the Low countries, hadacquired both a disposition to drink, and a capacity to bear, anexorbitant quantity of strong liquors. 

Their landlord ushered them in person to a sort of sleeping gallery, inwhich there was a four-post bed, with tartan curtains, and a numberof cribs, or long hampers, placed along the wall, three of which, well stuffed with blooming heather, were prepared for the reception ofguests. 

"I need not tell your lordship, " said M'Aulay to Lord Menteith, a littleapart, "our Highland mode of quartering. Only that, not liking youshould sleep in the room alone with this German land-louper, I havecaused your servants' beds to be made here in the gallery. By G--d, mylord, these are times when men go to bed with a throat hale and sound asever swallowed brandy, and before next morning it may be gaping like anoyster-shell. "

Lord Menteith thanked him sincerely, saying, "It was just thearrangement he would have requested; for, although he had not the leastapprehension of violence from Captain Dalgetty, yet Anderson was abetter kind of person, a sort of gentleman, whom he always liked to havenear his person. "

"I have not seen this Anderson, " said M'Aulay; "did you hire him inEngland?"

"I did so, " said Lord Menteith; "you will see the man to-morrow; in themeantime I wish you good-night. "

His host left the apartment after the evening salutation, and was aboutto pay the same compliment to Captain Dalgetty, but observing him deeplyengaged in the discussion of a huge pitcher filled with brandy posset, he thought it a pity to disturb him in so laudable an employment, andtook his leave without farther ceremony. 

Lord Menteith's two attendants entered the apartment almost immediatelyafter his departure. The good Captain, who was now somewhat encumberedwith his good cheer, began to find the undoing of the clasps of hisarmour a task somewhat difficult, and addressed Anderson in these words, interrupted by a slight hiccup, --"Anderson, my good friend, you mayread in Scripture, that he that putteth off his armour should not boasthimself like he that putteth it on--I believe that is not the rightword of command; but the plain truth of it is, I am like to sleep in mycorslet, like many an honest fellow that never waked again, unless youunloose this buckle. "

"Undo his armour, Sibbald, " said Anderson to the other servant. 

"By St. Andrew!" exclaimed the Captain, turning round in greatastonishment, "here's a common fellow--a stipendiary with four poundsa-year and a livery cloak, thinks himself too good to serve Ritt-masterDugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket, who has studied humanity at theMareschal-College of Aberdeen, and served half the princes of Europe!"

"Captain Dalgetty, " said Lord Menteith, whose lot it was to standpeacemaker throughout the evening, "please to understand that Andersonwaits upon no one but myself; but I will help Sibbald to undo yourcorslet with much pleasure. "

"Too much trouble for you, my lord, " said Dalgetty; "and yet it would doyou no harm to practise how a handsome harness is put on and put off. I can step in and out of mine like a glove; only to-night, although notEBRIUS, I am, in the classic phrase, VINO CIBOQUE GRAVATUS. "

By this time he was unshelled, and stood before the fire musing with aface of drunken wisdom on the events of the evening. What seemed chieflyto interest him, was the character of Allan M'Aulay. "To come overthe Englishmen so cleverly with his Highland torch-bearers--eightbare-breeched Rories for six silver candlesticks!--it was amaster-piece--a TOUR DE PASSE--it was perfect legerdemain--and to be amadman after all!--I doubt greatly, my lord" (shaking his head), "thatI must allow him, notwithstanding his relationship to your lordship, theprivileges of a rational person, and either batoon him sufficiently toexpiate the violence offered to my person, or else bring it to a matterof mortal arbitrement, as becometh an insulted cavalier. "

"If you care to hear a long story, " said Lord Menteith, "at this time ofnight, I can tell you how the circumstances of Allan's birth account sowell for his singular character, as to put such satisfaction entirelyout of the question. "

"A long story, my lord, " said Captain Dalgetty, "is, next to a goodevening draught and a warm nightcap, the best shoeinghorn for drawing ona sound sleep. And since your lordship is pleased to take the trouble totell it, I shall rest your patient and obliged auditor. "

"Anderson, " said Lord Menteith, "and you, Sibbald, are dying to hear, I suppose, of this strange man too! and I believe I must indulge yourcuriosity, that you may know how to behave to him in time of need. Youhad better step to the fire then. "

Having thus assembled an audience about him, Lord Menteith sat down uponthe edge of the four-post bed, while Captain Dalgetty, wiping the relicsof the posset from his beard and mustachoes, and repeating the firstverse of the Lutheran psalm, ALLE GUTER GEISTER LOBEN DEN HERRN, etc. Rolled himself into one of the places of repose, and thrusting his shockpate from between the blankets, listened to Lord Menteith's relation ina most luxurious state, between sleeping and waking. 

"The father, " said Lord Menteith, "of the two brothers, Angus and AllanM'Aulay, was a gentleman of consideration and family, being the chiefof a Highland clan, of good account, though not numerous; his lady, themother of these young men, was a gentlewoman of good family, if I may bepermitted to say so of one nearly connected with my own. Her brother, anhonourable and spirited young man, obtained from James the Sixth a grantof forestry, and other privileges, over a royal chase adjacent tothis castle; and, in exercising and defending these rights, he was sounfortunate as to involve himself in a quarrel with some of our Highlandfreebooters or caterans, of whom I think, Captain Dalgetty, you musthave heard. "

"And that I have, " said the Captain, exerting himself to answer theappeal. "Before I left the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen, Dugald Garrwas playing the devil in the Garioch, and the Farquharsons on Dee-side, and the Clan Chattan on the Gordons' lands, and the Grants and Cameronsin Moray-land. And since that, I have seen the Cravats and Pandours inPannonia and Transylvania, and the Cossacks from the Polish frontier, and robbers, banditti, and barbarians of all countries besides, so thatI have a distinct idea of your broken Highlandmen. "

"The clan, " said Lord Menteith, "with whom the maternal uncle of theM'Aulays had been placed in feud, was a small sept of banditti, called, from their houseless state, and their incessantly wandering among themountains and glens, the Children of the Mist. They are a fierce andhardy people, with all the irritability, and wild and vengeful passions, proper to men who have never known the restraint of civilized society. A party of them lay in wait for the unfortunate Warden of the Forest, surprised him while hunting alone and unattended, and slew him withevery circumstance of inventive cruelty. They cut off his head, and resolved, in a bravado, to exhibit it at the castle of hisbrother-in-law. The laird was absent, and the lady reluctantly receivedas guests, men against whom, perhaps, she was afraid to shut her gates. Refreshments were placed before the Children of the Mist, who took anopportunity to take the head of their victim from the plaid in whichit was wrapt, placed it on the table, put a piece of bread between thelifeless jaws, bidding them do their office now, since many a good mealthey had eaten at that table. The lady, who had been absent for somehousehold purpose, entered at this moment, and, upon beholding herbrother's head, fled like an arrow out of the house into the woods, uttering shriek upon shriek. The ruffians, satisfied with this savagetriumph, withdrew. The terrified menials, after overcoming the alarmto which they had been subjected, sought their unfortunate mistress inevery direction, but she was nowhere to be found. The miserable husbandreturned next day, and, with the assistance of his people, undertook amore anxious and distant search, but to equally little purpose. Itwas believed universally, that, in the ecstasy of her terror, she musteither have thrown herself over one of the numerous precipices whichoverhang the river, or into a deep lake about a mile from the castle. Her loss was the more lamented, as she was six months advanced inher pregnancy; Angus M'Aulay, her eldest son, having been born abouteighteen months before. --But I tire you, Captain Dalgetty, and you seeminclined to sleep. "

"By no means, " answered the soldier; "I am no whit somnolent; I alwayshear best with my eyes shut. It is a fashion I learned when I stoodsentinel. "

"And I daresay, " said Lord Menteith, aside to Anderson, "the weight ofthe halberd of the sergeant of the rounds often made him open them. "

Being apparently, however, in the humour of story-telling, the youngnobleman went on, addressing himself chiefly to his servants, withoutminding the slumbering veteran. 

"Every baron in the country, " said he, "now swore revenge for thisdreadful crime. They took arms with the relations and brother-in-law ofthe murdered person, and the Children of the Mist were hunted down, I believe, with as little mercy as they had themselves manifested. Seventeen heads, the bloody trophies of their vengeance, weredistributed among the allies, and fed the crows upon the gates of theircastles. The survivors sought out more distant wildernesses, to whichthey retreated. "

"To your right hand, counter-march and retreat to your former ground, "said Captain Dalgetty; the military phrase having produced thecorrespondent word of command; and then starting up, professed he hadbeen profoundly atttentive to every word that had been spoken. 

"It is the custom in summer, " said Lord Menteith, without attendingto his apology, "to send the cows to the upland pastures to have thebenefit of the grass; and the maids of the village, and of the family, go there to milk them in the morning and evening. While thus employed, the females of this family, to their great terror, perceived that theirmotions were watched at a distance by a pale, thin, meagre figure, bearing a strong resemblance to their deceased mistress, and passing, of course, for her apparition. When some of the boldest resolved toapproach this faded form, it fled from them into the woods with a wildshriek. The husband, informed of this circumstance, came up to the glenwith some attendants, and took his measures so well as to interceptthe retreat of the unhappy fugitive, and to secure the person of hisunfortunate lady, though her intellect proved to be totally deranged. How she supported herself during her wandering in the woods could not beknown--some supposed she lived upon roots and wild-berries, with whichthe woods at that season abounded; but the greater part of the vulgarwere satisfied that she must have subsisted upon the milk of the wilddoes, or been nourished by the fairies, or supported in some mannerequally marvellous. Her re-appearance was more easily accounted for. Shehad seen from the thicket the milking of the cows, to superintend whichhad been her favourite domestic employment, and the habit had prevailedeven in her deranged state of mind. 

"In due season the unfortunate lady was delivered of a boy, who not onlyshowed no appearance of having suffered from his mother's calamities, but appeared to be an infant of uncommon health and strength. Theunhappy mother, after her confinement, recovered her reason--at leastin a great measure, but never her health and spirits. Allan was her onlyjoy. Her attention to him was unremitting; and unquestionably she musthave impressed upon his early mind many of those superstitious ideas towhich his moody and enthusiastic temper gave so ready a reception. Shedied when he was about ten years old. Her last words were spoken to himin private; but there is little doubt that they conveyed an injunctionof vengeance upon the Children of the Mist, with which he has sinceamply complied. 

"From this moment, the habits of Allan M'Aulay were totally changed. He had hitherto been his mother's constant companion, listening toher dreams, and repeating his own, and feeding his imagination, which, probably from the circumstances preceding his birth, wasconstitutionally deranged, with all the wild and terrible superstitionsso common to the mountaineers, to which his unfortunate mother hadbecome much addicted since her brother's death. By living in thismanner, the boy had gotten a timid, wild, startled look, loved to seekout solitary places in the woods, and was never so much terrified, asby the approach of children of the same age. I remember, although someyears younger, being brought up here by my father upon a visit, nor canI forget the astonishment with which I saw this infant-hermit shun everyattempt I made to engage him in the sports natural to our age. I canremember his father bewailing his disposition to mine, and alleging, atthe same time, that it was impossible for him to take from his wifethe company of the boy, as he seemed to be the only consolation thatremained to her in this world, and as the amusement which Allan'ssociety afforded her seemed to prevent the recurrence, at least in itsfull force, of that fearful malady by which she had been visited. But, after the death of his mother, the habits and manners of the boy seemedat once to change. It is true he remained as thoughtful and serious asbefore; and long fits of silence and abstraction showed plainly thathis disposition, in this respect, was in no degree altered. But at othertimes, he sought out the rendezvous of the youth of the clan, whichhe had hitherto seemed anxious to avoid. He took share in all theirexercises; and, from his very extraordinary personal strength, soonexcelled his brother and other youths, whose age considerably exceededhis own. They who had hitherto held him in contempt, now feared, if theydid not love him; and, instead of Allan's being esteemed a dreaming, womanish, and feeble-minded boy, those who encountered him in sports ormilitary exercise, now complained that, when heated by the strife, hewas too apt to turn game into earnest, and to forget that he was onlyengaged in a friendly trial of strength. --But I speak to regardlessears, " said Lord Menteith, interrupting himself, for the Captain's nosenow gave the most indisputable signs that he was fast locked in the armsof oblivion. 

"If you mean the ears of that snorting swine, my lord, " said Anderson, "they are, indeed, shut to anything that you can say; nevertheless, thisplace being unfit for more private conference, I hope you will have thegoodness to proceed, for Sibbald's benefit and for mine. The history ofthis poor young fellow has a deep and wild interest in it. "

"You must know, then, " proceeded Lord Menteith, "that Allan continued toincrease in strength and activity, till his fifteenth year, about whichtime he assumed a total independence of character, and impatience ofcontrol, which much alarmed his surviving parent. He was absent in thewoods for whole days and nights, under pretence of hunting, though hedid not always bring home game. His father was the more alarmed, becauseseveral of the Children of the Mist, encouraged by the increasingtroubles of the state, had ventured back to their old haunts, nor didhe think it altogether safe to renew any attack upon them. The riskof Allan, in his wanderings, sustaining injury from these vindictivefreebooters, was a perpetual source of apprehension. 

"I was myself upon a visit to the castle when this matter was broughtto a crisis. Allan had been absent since day-break in the woods, whereI had sought for him in vain; it was a dark stormy night, and he did notreturn. His father expressed the utmost anxiety, and spoke of detachinga party at the dawn of morning in quest of him; when, as we were sittingat the supper-table, the door suddenly opened, and Allan entered theroom with a proud, firm, and confident air. His intractability oftemper, as well as the unsettled state of his mind, had such aninfluence over his father, that he suppressed all other tokens ofdispleasure, excepting the observation that I had killed a fat buck, andhad returned before sunset, while he supposed Allan, who had been onthe hill till midnight, had returned with empty hands. 'Are you sure ofthat?' said Allan, fiercely; 'here is something will tell you anothertale. '

"We now observed his hands were bloody, and that there were spots ofblood on his face, and waited the issue with impatience; when suddenly, undoing the corner of his plaid, he rolled down on the table a humanhead, bloody and new severed, saying at the same time, 'Lie thou wherethe head of a better man lay before ye. ' From the haggard features, and matted red hair and beard, partly grizzled with age, his father andothers present recognised the head of Hector of the Mist, a well-knownleader among the outlaws, redoubted for strength and ferocity, who hadbeen active in the murder of the unfortunate Forester, uncle to Allan, and had escaped by a desperate defence and extraordinary agility, when so many of his companions were destroyed. We were all, it maybe believed, struck with surprise, but Allan refused to gratify ourcuriosity; and we only conjectured that he must have overcome the outlawafter a desperate struggle, because we discovered that he had sustainedseveral wounds from the contest. All measures were now taken to ensurehim against the vengeance of the freebooters; but neither his wounds, nor the positive command of his father, nor even the locking of thegates of the castle and the doors of his apartment, were precautionsadequate to prevent Allan from seeking out the very persons to whom hewas peculiarly obnoxious. He made his escape by night from the window ofthe apartment, and laughing at his father's vain care, produced on oneoccasion the head of one, and upon another those of two, of the Childrenof the Mist. At length these men, fierce as they were, became appalledby the inveterate animosity and audacity with which Allan sought outtheir recesses. As he never hesitated to encounter any odds, theyconcluded that he must bear a charmed life, or fight under theguardianship of some supernatural influence. Neither gun, dirk, nordourlach [DOURLACH--quiver; literally, satchel--of arrows. ], theysaid, availed aught against him. They imputed this to the remarkablecircumstances under which he was born; and at length five or six of thestoutest caterans of the Highlands would have fled at Allan's halloo, orthe blast of his horn. 

"In the meanwhile, however, the Children of the Mist carried on theirold trade, and did the M'Aulays, as well as their kinsmen and allies, as much mischief as they could. This provoked another expedition againstthe tribe, in which I had my share; we surprised them effectually, bybesetting at once the upper and under passes of the country, and madesuch clean work as is usual on these occasions, burning and slayingright before us. In this terrible species of war, even the females andthe helpless do not always escape. One little maiden alone, who smiledupon Allan's drawn dirk, escaped his vengeance upon my earnest entreaty. She was brought to the castle, and here bred up under the name of AnnotLyle, the most beautiful little fairy certainly that ever danced upon aheath by moonlight. It was long ere Allan could endure the presenceof the child, until it occurred to his imagination, from her featuresperhaps, that she did not belong to the hated blood of his enemies, buthad become their captive in some of their incursions; a circumstancenot in itself impossible, but in which he believes as firmly as in holywrit. He is particularly delighted by her skill in music, which is soexquisite, that she far exceeds the best performers in this country inplaying on the clairshach, or harp. It was discovered that this producedupon the disturbed spirits of Allan, in his gloomiest moods, beneficialeffects, similar to those experienced by the Jewish monarch of old; andso engaging is the temper of Annot Lyle, so fascinating the innocenceand gaiety of her disposition, that she is considered and treated in thecastle rather as the sister of the proprietor, than as a dependent uponhis charity. Indeed, it is impossible for any one to see her withoutbeing deeply interested by the ingenuity, liveliness, and sweetness ofher disposition. "

"Take care, my lord, " said Anderson, smiling; "there is danger in suchviolent commendations. Allan M'Aulay, as your lordship describes him, would prove no very safe rival. "

"Pooh! pooh!" said Lord Menteith, laughing, yet blushing at the sametime; "Allan is not accessible to the passion of love; and for myself, "said he, more gravely; "Annot's unknown birth is a sufficient reasonagainst serious designs, and her unprotected state precludes everyother. "

"It is spoken like yourself, my lord, " said Anderson. --"But I trust youwill proceed with your interesting story. "

"It is wellnigh finished, " said Lord Menteith; "I have only to add, thatfrom the great strength and courage of Allan M'Aulay, from hisenergetic and uncontrollable disposition, and from an opinion generallyentertained and encouraged by himself that he holds communion withsupernatural beings, and can predict future events, the clan pay a muchgreater degree of deference to him than even to his brother, who is abold-hearted rattling Highlander, but with nothing which can possiblyrival the extraordinary character of his younger brother. "

"Such a character, " said Anderson, "cannot but have the deepest effecton the minds of a Highland host. We must secure Allan, my lord, at allevents. What between his bravery and his second sight--"

"Hush!" said Lord Menteith, "that owl is awaking. "

"Do you talk of the second sight, or DEUTERO-SCOPIA?" said the soldier;"I remember memorable Major Munro telling me how Murdoch Mackenzie, born in Assint, a private gentleman in a company, and a pretty soldier, foretold the death of Donald Tough, a Lochaber man, and certain otherpersons, as well as the hurt of the major himself at a sudden onfall atthe siege of Trailsund. "

"I have often heard of this faculty, " observed Anderson, "but I havealways thought those pretending to it were either enthusiasts orimpostors. "

"I should be loath, " said Lord Menteith, "to apply either characterto my kinsman, Allan M'Aulay. He has shown on many occasions too muchacuteness and sense, of which you this night had an instance, for thecharacter of an enthusiast; and his high sense of honour, and manlinessof disposition, free him from the charge of imposture. "

"Your lordship, then, " said Anderson, "is a believer in his supernaturalattributes?"

"By no means, " said the young nobleman; "I think that he persuadeshimself that the predictions which are, in reality, the result ofjudgment and reflection, are supernatural impressions on his mind, justas fanatics conceive the workings of their own imagination to be divineinspiration--at least, if this will not serve you, Anderson, I have nobetter explanation to give; and it is time we were all asleep after thetoilsome journey of the day. "

CHAPTER VI. 

 Coming events cast their shadows before. --CAMPBELL. 

At an early hour in the morning the guests of the castle sprung fromtheir repose; and, after a moment's private conversation with hisattendants, Lord Menteith addressed the soldier, who was seated in acorner burnishing his corslet with rot-stone and chamois-leather, whilehe hummed the old song in honour of the victorious Gustavus Adolphus:--

 When cannons are roaring, and bullets are flying, The lad that would have honour, boys, must never fear dying. 

"Captain Dalgetty, " said Lord Menteith, "the time is come that we mustpart, or become comrades in service. "

"Not before breakfast, I hope?" said Captain Dalgetty. 

"I should have thought, " replied his lordship, "that your garrison wasvictualled for three days at least. "

"I have still some stowage left for beef and bannocks, " said theCaptain; "and I never miss a favourable opportunity of renewing mysupplies. "

"But, " said Lord Menteith, "no judicious commander allows either flagsof truce or neutrals to remain in his camp longer than is prudent; andtherefore we must know your mind exactly, according to which you shalleither have a safe-conduct to depart in peace, or be welcome to remainwith us. "

"Truly, " said the Captain, "that being the case, I will not attemptto protract the capitulation by a counterfeited parley, (a thingexcellently practised by Sir James Ramsay at the siege of Hannau, in theyear of God 1636, ) but I will frankly own, that if I like your pay aswell as your provant and your company, I care not how soon I take theoath to your colours. "

"Our pay, " said Lord Menteith, "must at present be small, since itis paid out of the common stock raised by the few amongst us who cancommand some funds--As major and adjutant, I dare not promise CaptainDalgetty more than half a dollar a-day. "

"The devil take all halves and quarters!" said the Captain; "were it inmy option, I could no more consent to the halving of that dollar, thanthe woman in the Judgment of Solomon to the disseverment of the child ofher bowels. "

"The parallel will scarce hold, Captain Dalgetty, for I think you wouldrather consent to the dividing of the dollar, than give it up entire toyour competitor. However, in the way of arrears, I may promise you theother half-dollar at the end of the campaign. "

"Ah! these arrearages!" said Captain Dalgetty, "that are alwayspromised, and always go for nothing! Spain, Austria, and Sweden, all sing one song. Oh! long life to the Hoganmogans! if they were noofficers of soldiers, they were good paymasters. --And yet, my lord, ifI could but be made certiorate that my natural hereditament ofDrumthwacket had fallen into possession of any of these loons ofCovenanters, who could be, in the event of our success, convenientlymade a traitor of, I have so much value for that fertile and pleasantspot, that I would e'en take on with you for the campaign. "

"I can resolve Captain Dalgetty's question, " said Sibbald, LordMenteith's second attendant; "for if his estate of Drumthwacket be, asI conceive, the long waste moor so called, that lies five miles south ofAberdeen, I can tell him it was lately purchased by Elias Strachan, asrank a rebel as ever swore the Covenant. "

"The crop-eared hound!" said Captain Dalgetty, in a rage; "What thedevil gave him the assurance to purchase the inheritance of a family offour hundred years standing?--CYNTHIUS AUREM VELLET, as we used to sayat Mareschal-College; that is to say, I will pull him out of my father'shouse by the ears. And so, my Lord Menteith, I am yours, hand andsword, body and soul, till death do us part, or to the end of the nextcampaign, whichever event shall first come to pass. "

"And I, " said the young nobleman, "rivet the bargain with a month's payin advance. "

"That is more than necessary, " said Dalgetty, pocketing the moneyhowever. "But now I must go down, look after my war-saddle andabuilziements, and see that Gustavus has his morning, and tell him wehave taken new service. "

"There goes your precious recruit, " said Lord Menteith to Anderson, asthe Captain left the room; "I fear we shall have little credit of him. "

"He is a man of the times, however, " said Anderson; "and without such weshould hardly be able to carry on our enterprise. "

"Let us go down, " answered Lord Menteith, "and see how our muster islikely to thrive, for I hear a good deal of bustle in the castle. "

When they entered the hall, the domestics keeping modestly in thebackground, morning greetings passed between Lord Menteith, AngusM'Aulay, and his English guests, while Allan, occupying the same settlewhich he had filled the preceding evening, paid no attention whatever toany one. Old Donald hastily rushed into the apartment. "A message fromVich Alister More; [The patronymic of MacDonell of Glengarry. ] he iscoming up in the evening. "

"With how many attendants?" said M'Aulay. 

"Some five-and-twenty or thirty, " said Donald, "his ordinary retinue. "

"Shake down plenty of straw in the great barn, " said the Laird. 

Another servant here stumbled hastily in, announcing the expectedapproach of Sir Hector M'Lean, "who is arriving with a large following. "

"Put them in the malt-kiln, " said M'Aulay; "and keep the breadth of themiddenstead between them and the M'Donalds; they are but unfriends toeach other. "

Donald now re-entered, his visage considerably lengthened--"The tell'si' the folk, " he said; "the haill Hielands are asteer, I think. EvanDhu, of Lochiel, will be here in an hour, with Lord kens how manygillies. "

"Into the great barn with them beside the M'Donalds, " said the Laird. 

More and more chiefs were announced, the least of whom would haveaccounted it derogatory to his dignity to stir without a retinue of sixor seven persons. To every new annunciation, Angus M'Aulay answeredby naming some place of accommodation, --the stables, the loft, thecow-house, the sheds, every domestic office, were destined for the nightto some hospitable purpose or other. At length the arrival of M'Dougalof Lorn, after all his means of accommodation were exhausted, reducedhim to some perplexity. "What the devil is to be done, Donald?" saidhe; "the great barn would hold fifty more, if they would lie headsand thraws; but there would be drawn dirks amang them which should lieupper-most, and so we should have bloody puddings before morning!"

"What needs all this?" said Allan, starting up, and coming forward withthe stern abruptness of his usual manner; "are the Gael to-day of softerflesh or whiter blood than their fathers were? Knock the head out ofa cask of usquebae; let that be their night-gear--their plaidstheir bed-clothes--the blue sky their canopy, and the heather theircouch. --Come a thousand more, and they would not quarrel on the broadheath for want of room!"

"Allan is right, " said his brother; "it is very odd how Allan, who, between ourselves, " said he to Musgrave, "is a little wowf, [WOWF, i. E. Crazed. ] seems at times to have more sense than us all put together. Observe him now. "

"Yes, " continued Allan, fixing his eyes with a ghastly stare upon theopposite side of the hall, "they may well begin as they are to end; manya man will sleep this night upon the heath, that when the Martinmas windshalt blow shall lie there stark enough, and reck little of cold or lackof covering. "

"Do not forespeak us, brother, " said Angus; "that is not lucky. "

"And what luck is it then that you expect?" said Allan; and straininghis eyes until they almost started from their sockets, he fell with aconvulsive shudder into the arms of Donald and his brother, who, knowingthe nature of his fits, had come near to prevent his fall. They seatedhim upon a bench, and supported him until he came to himself, and wasabout to speak. 

"For God's sake, Allan, " said his brother, who knew the impression hismystical words were likely to make on many of the guests, "say nothingto discourage us. "

"Am I he who discourages you?" said Allan; "let every man face his worldas I shall face mine. That which must come, will come; and we shallstride gallantly over many a field of victory, ere we reach yon fatalslaughter-place, or tread yon sable scaffolds. "

"What slaughter-place? what scaffolds?" exclaimed several voices; forAllan's renown as a seer was generally established in the Highlands. 

"You will know that but too soon, " answered Allan. "Speak to me no more, I am weary of your questions. " He then pressed his hand against hisbrow, rested his elbow upon his knee, and sunk into a deep reverie. 

"Send for Annot Lyle, and the harp, " said Angus, in a whisper, to hisservant; "and let those gentlemen follow me who do not fear a Highlandbreakfast. "

All accompanied their hospitable landlord excepting only Lord Menteith, who lingered in one of the deep embrasures formed by the windows of thehall. Annot Lyle shortly after glided into the room, not ill describedby Lord Menteith as being the lightest and most fairy figure that evertrode the turf by moonlight. Her stature, considerably less than theordinary size of women, gave her the appearance of extreme youth, insomuch, that although she was near eighteen, she might have passedfor four years younger. Her figure, hands, and feet, were formed upon amodel of exquisite symmetry with the size and lightness of herperson, so that Titania herself could scarce have found a more fittingrepresentative. Her hair was a dark shade of the colour usually termedflaxen, whose clustering ringlets suited admirably with her faircomplexion, and with the playful, yet simple, expression of herfeatures. When we add to these charms, that Annot, in her orphan state, seemed the gayest and happiest of maidens, the reader must allow us toclaim for her the interest of almost all who looked on her. In fact, itwas impossible to find a more universal favourite, and she oftencame among the rude inhabitants of the castle, as Allan himself, ina poetical mood, expressed it, "like a sunbeam on a sullen sea, "communicating to all others the cheerfulness that filled her own mind. 

Annot, such as we have described her, smiled and blushed, when, onentering the apartment, Lord Menteith came from his place of retirement, and kindly wished her good-morning. 

"And good-morning to you, my lord, " returned she, extending her hand toher friend; "we have seldom seen you of late at the castle, and now Ifear it is with no peaceful purpose. "

"At least, let me not interrupt your harmony, Annot, " said LordMenteith, "though my arrival may breed discord elsewhere. My cousinAllan needs the assistance of your voice and music. "

"My preserver, " said Annot Lyle, "has a right to my poor exertions; andyou, too, my lord, --you, too, are my preserver, and were the mostactive to save a life that is worthless enough, unless it can benefit myprotectors. "

So saying, she sate down at a little distance upon the bench on whichAllan M'Aulay was placed, and tuning her clairshach, a small harp, aboutthirty inches in height, she accompanied it with her voice. The air wasan ancient Gaelic melody, and the words, which were supposed to be veryold, were in the same language; but we subjoin a translation of them, by Secundus Macpherson, Esq. Of Glenforgen, which, although submitted tothe fetters of English rhythm, we trust will be found nearly as genuineas the version of Ossian by his celebrated namesake. 

 "Birds of omen dark and foul, Night-crow, raven, bat, and owl, Leave the sick man to his dream-- All night long he heard your scream-- Haste to cave and ruin'd tower, Ivy, tod, or dingled bower, There to wink and mope, for, hark! In the mid air sings the lark. 

 "Hie to moorish gills and rocks, Prowling wolf and wily fox, -- Hie you fast, nor turn your view, Though the lamb bleats to the ewe. Couch your trains, and speed your flight, Safety parts with parting night; And on distant echo borne, Comes the hunter's early horn. 

 "The moon's wan crescent scarcely gleams, Ghost-like she fades in morning beams; Hie hence each peevish imp and fay, That scare the pilgrim on his way:-- Quench, kelpy! quench, in bog and fen, Thy torch that cheats benighted men; Thy dance is o'er, thy reign is done, For Benyieglo hath seen the sun. 

 "Wild thoughts, that, sinful, dark, and deep, O'erpower the passive mind in sleep, Pass from the slumberer's soul away, Like night-mists from the brow of day: Foul hag, whose blasted visage grim Smothers the pulse, unnerves the limb, Spur thy dark palfrey, and begone! Thou darest not face the godlike sun. "

As the strain proceeded, Allan M'Aulay gradually gave signs ofrecovering his presence of mind, and attention to the objects aroundhim. The deep-knit furrows of his brow relaxed and smoothed themselves;and the rest of his features, which had seemed contorted with internalagony, relapsed into a more natural state. When he raised his headand sat upright, his countenance, though still deeply melancholy, was divested of its wildness and ferocity; and in its composed state, although by no means handsome, the expression of his features wasstriking, manly, and even noble. His thick, brown eyebrows, which hadhitherto been drawn close together, were now slightly separated, as inthe natural state; and his grey eyes, which had rolled and flashedfrom under them with an unnatural and portentous gleam, now recovered asteady and determined expression. 

"Thank God!" he said, after sitting silent for about a minute, untilthe very last sounds of the harp had ceased to vibrate, "my soul is nolonger darkened--the mist hath passed from my spirit. "

"You owe thanks, cousin Allan, " said Lord Menteith, coming forward, "to Annot Lyle, as well as to heaven, for this happy change in yourmelancholy mood. "

"My noble cousin Menteith, " said Allan, rising and greeting him veryrespectfully, as well as kindly, "has known my unhappy circumstances solong, that his goodness will require no excuse for my being thus late inbidding him welcome to the castle. "

"We are too old acquaintances, Allan, " said Lord Menteith, "and too goodfriends, to stand on the ceremonial of outward greeting; but half theHighlands will be here to-day, and you know, with our mountain Chiefs, ceremony must not be neglected. What will you give little Annot formaking you fit company to meet Evan Dhu, and I know not how many bonnetsand feathers?"

"What will he give me?" said Annot, smiling; "nothing less, I hope, thanthe best ribbon at the Fair of Doune. "

"The Fair of Doune, Annot?" said Allan sadly; "there will be bloody workbefore that day, and I may never see it; but you have well reminded meof what I have long intended to do. "

Having said this, he left the room. 

"Should he talk long in this manner, " said Lord Menteith, "you must keepyour harp in tune, my dear Annot. "

"I hope not, " said Annot, anxiously; "this fit has been a long one, andprobably will not soon return. It is fearful to see a mind, naturallygenerous and affectionate, afflicted by this constitutional malady. "

As she spoke in a low and confidential tone, Lord Menteith naturallydrew close, and stooped forward, that he might the better catch thesense of what she said. When Allan suddenly entered the apartment, they as naturally drew back from each other with a manner expressive ofconsciousness, as if surprised in a conversation which they wished tokeep secret from him. This did not escape Allan's observation; he stoptshort at the door of the apartment--his brows were contracted--his eyesrolled; but it was only the paroxysm of a moment. He passed his broadsinewy hand across his brow, as if to obliterate these signs of emotion, and advanced towards Annot, holding in his hand a very small box madeof oakwood, curiously inlaid. "I take you to witness, " he said, "cousinMenteith, that I give this box and its contents to Annot Lyle. Itcontains a few ornaments that belonged to my poor mother--of triflingvalue, you may guess, for the wife of a Highland laird has seldom a richjewel-casket. "

"But these ornaments, " said Annot Lyle, gently and timidly refusing thebox, "belong to the family--I cannot accept--"

"They belong to me alone, Annot, " said Allan, interrupting her; "theywere my mother's dying bequest. They are all I can call my own, exceptmy plaid and my claymore. Take them, therefore--they are to me valuelesstrinkets--and keep them for my sake--should I never return from thesewars. "

So saying, he opened the case, and presented it to Annot. "If, " said he, "they are of any value, dispose of them for your own support, when thishouse has been consumed with hostile fire, and can no longer affordyou protection. But keep one ring in memory of Allan, who has done, torequite your kindness, if not all he wished, at least all he could. "

Annot Lyle endeavoured in vain to restrain the gathering tears, whenshe said, "ONE ring, Allan, I will accept from you as a memorial ofyour goodness to a poor orphan, but do not press me to take more; for Icannot, and will not, accept a gift of such disproportioned value. "

"Make your choice, then, " said Allan; "your delicacy may be wellfounded; the others will assume a shape in which they may be more usefulto you. "

"Think not of it, " said Annot, choosing from the contents of the casketa ring, apparently the most trifling in value which it contained; "keepthem for your own, or your brother's bride. --But, good heavens!" shesaid, interrupting herself, and looking at the ring, "what is this thatI have chosen?"

Allan hastened to look upon it, with eyes of gloomy apprehension; itbore, in enamel, a death's head above two crossed daggers. When Allanrecognised the device, he uttered a sigh so deep, that she dropped thering from her hand, which rolled upon the floor. Lord Menteith picked itup, and returned it to the terrified Annot. 

"I take God to witness, " said Allan, in a solemn tone, "that your hand, young lord, and not mine, has again delivered to her this ill-omenedgift. It was the mourning ring worn by my mother in memorial of hermurdered brother. "

"I fear no omens, " said Annot, smiling through her tears; "and nothingcoming through the hands of my two patrons, " so she was wont to callLord Menteith and Allan, "can bring bad luck to the poor orphan. "

She put the ring on her finger, and, turning to her harp, sung, to alively air, the following verses of one of the fashionable songs ofthe period, which had found its way, marked as it was with the quainthyperbolical taste of King Charles's time, from some court masque to thewilds of Perthshire:--

 "Gaze not upon the stars, fond sage, In them no influence lies; To read the fate of youth or age, Look on my Helen's eyes. 

 "Yet, rash astrologer, refrain! Too dearly would be won The prescience of another's pain, If purchased by thine own. "

"She is right, Allan, " said Lord Menteith; "and this end of an old songis worth all we shall gain by our attempt to look into futurity. "

"She is WRONG, my lord, " said Allan, sternly, "though you, who treatwith lightness the warnings I have given you, may not live to see theevent of the omen. --laugh not so scornfully, " he added, interruptinghimself "or rather laugh on as loud and as long as you will; your termof laughter will find a pause ere long. "

"I care not for your visions, Allan, " said Lord Menteith; "however shortmy span of life, the eye of no Highland seer can see its termination. "

"For heaven's sake, " said Annot Lyle, interrupting him, "you know hisnature, and how little he can endure--"

"Fear me not, " said Allan, interrupting her, --"my mind is now constantand calm. --But for you, young lord, " said he, turning to Lord Menteith, "my eye has sought you through fields of battle, where Highlanders andLowlanders lay strewed as thick as ever the rooks sat on those ancienttrees, " pointing to a rookery which was seen from the window--"my eyesought you, but your corpse was not there--my eye sought you among atrain of unresisting and disarmed captives, drawn up within the boundingwalls of an ancient and rugged fortress;--flash after flash--platoonafter platoon--the hostile shot fell amongst them, They dropped likethe dry leaves in autumn, but you were not among their ranks;--scaffoldswere prepared--blocks were arranged, saw-dust was spread--the priest wasready with his book, the headsman with his axe--but there, too, mine eyefound you not. "

"The gibbet, then, I suppose, must be my doom?" said Lord Menteith. "YetI wish they had spared me the halter, were it but for the dignity of thepeerage. "

He spoke this scornfully, yet not without a sort of curiosity, anda wish to receive an answer; for the desire of prying into futurityfrequently has some influence even on the minds of those who disavow allbelief in the possibility of such predictions. 

"Your rank, my lord, will suffer no dishonour in your person, or by themanner of your death. Three times have I seen a Highlander plant hisdirk in your bosom--and such will be your fate. "

"I wish you would describe him to me, " said Lord Menteith, "and Ishall save him the trouble of fulfilling your prophecy, if his plaid bepassible to sword or pistol. "

"Your weapons, " said Allan, "would avail you little; nor can I give youthe information you desire. The face of the vision has been ever avertedfrom me. "

"So be it then, " said Lord Menteith, "and let it rest in the uncertaintyin which your augury has placed it. I shall dine not the less merrilyamong plaids, and dirks, and kilts to-day. "

"It may be so, " said Allan; "and, it may be, you do well to enjoy thesemoments, which to me are poisoned by auguries of future evil. But I, " hecontinued--"I repeat to you, that this weapon--that is, such a weapon asthis, " touching the hilt of the dirk which he wore, "carries your fate. ""In the meanwhile, " said Lord Menteith, "you, Allan, have frightenedthe blood from the cheeks of Annot Lyle--let us leave this discourse, my friend, and go to see what we both understand, --the progress of ourmilitary preparations. "

They joined Angus M'Aulay and his English guests, and, in the militarydiscussions which immediately took place, Allan showed a clearnessof mind, strength of judgment, and precision of thought, totallyinconsistent with the mystical light in which his character has beenhitherto exhibited. 

CHAPTER VII. 

 When Albin her claymore indignantly draws, When her bonneted chieftains around her shall crowd, Clan-Ranald the dauntless, and Moray the proud, All plaided and plumed in their tartan array--LOCHEIL'S WARNING. 

Whoever saw that morning, the Castle of Darnlinvarach, beheld a busy anda gallant sight. 

The various Chiefs, arriving with their different retinues, which, notwithstanding their numbers, formed no more than their usual equipageand body-guard upon occasions of solemnity, saluted the lord of thecastle and each other with overflowing kindness, or with haughty anddistant politeness, according to the circumstances of friendship orhostility in which their clans had recently stood to each other. Each Chief, however small his comparative importance, showed the fulldisposition to exact from the rest the deference due to a separate andindependent prince; while the stronger and more powerful, divided amongthemselves by recent contentions or ancient feuds, were constrained inpolicy to use great deference to the feelings of their less powerfulbrethren, in order, in case of need, to attach as many well-wishers asmight be to their own interest and standard. Thus the meeting of Chiefsresembled not a little those ancient Diets of the Empire, where thesmallest FREY-GRAF, who possessed a castle perched upon a barren crag, with a few hundred acres around it, claimed the state and honours of asovereign prince, and a seat according to his rank among the dignitariesof the Empire. 

The followers of the different leaders were separately arranged andaccommodated, as room and circumstances best permitted, each retaininghowever his henchman, who waited, close as the shadow, upon his person, to execute whatever might be required by his patron. 

The exterior of the castle afforded a singular scene. The Highlanders, from different islands, glens, and straths, eyed each other at adistance with looks of emulation, inquisitive curiosity, or hostilemalevolence; but the most astounding part of the assembly, at least toa Lowland ear, was the rival performance of the bagpipers. These warlikeminstrels, who had the highest opinion, each, of the superiority ofhis own tribe, joined to the most overweening idea of the importanceconnected with his profession, at first, performed their variouspibrochs in front each of his own clan. At length, however, as theblack-cocks towards the end of the season, when, in sportsman'slanguage, they are said to flock or crowd, attracted together by thesound of each others' triumphant crow, even so did the pipers, swellingtheir plaids and tartans in the same triumphant manner in which thebirds ruffle up their feathers, begin to approach each other withinsuch distance as might give to their brethren a sample of their skill. Walking within a short interval, and eyeing each other with looks inwhich self-importance and defiance might be traced, they strutted, puffed, and plied their screaming instruments, each playing his ownfavourite tune with such a din, that if an Italian musician had lainburied within ten miles of them, he must have risen from the dead to runout of hearing. 

The Chieftains meanwhile had assembled in close conclave in thegreat hall of the castle. Among them were the persons of the greatestconsequence in the Highlands, some of them attracted by zeal for theroyal cause, and many by aversion to that severe and general dominationwhich the Marquis of Argyle, since his rising to such influence inthe state, had exercised over his Highland neighbours. That statesman, indeed, though possessed of considerable abilities, and great power, hadfailings, which rendered him unpopular among the Highland chiefs. Thedevotion which he professed was of a morose and fanatical character; hisambition appeared to be insatiable, and inferior chiefs complainedof his want of bounty and liberality. Add to this, that although aHighlander, and of a family distinguished for valour before and since, Gillespie Grumach [GRUMACH--ill-favored. ] (which, from an obliquity inhis eyes, was the personal distinction he bore in the Highlands, wheretitles of rank are unknown) was suspected of being a better man in thecabinet than in the field. He and his tribe were particularly obnoxiousto the M'Donalds and the M'Leans, two numerous septs, who, thoughdisunited by ancient feuds, agreed in an intense dislike to theCampbells, or, as they were called, the Children of Diarmid. 

For some time the assembled Chiefs remained silent, until some oneshould open the business of the meeting. At length one of the mostpowerful of them commenced the diet by saying, --"We have been summonedhither, M'Aulay, to consult of weighty matters concerning the King'saffairs, and those of the state; and we crave to know by whom they areto be explained to us?"

M'Aulay, whose strength did not lie in oratory, intimated his wishthat Lord Menteith should open the business of the council. With greatmodesty, and at the same time with spirit, that young lord said, "hewished what he was about to propose had come from some person of betterknown and more established character. Since, however, it lay with himto be spokesman, he had to state to the Chiefs assembled, that those whowished to throw off the base yoke which fanaticism had endeavoured towreath round their necks, had not a moment to lose. 'The Covenanters, '"he said, "after having twice made war upon their sovereign, and havingextorted from him every request, reasonable or unreasonable, whichthey thought proper to demand--after their Chiefs had been loaded withdignities and favours--after having publicly declared, when his Majesty, after a gracious visit to the land of his nativity, was upon hisreturn to England, that he returned a contented king from a contentedpeople, --after all this, and without even the pretext for a nationalgrievance, the same men have, upon doubts and suspicions, equallydishonourable to the King, and groundless in themselves, detached astrong army to assist his rebels in England, in a quarrel with whichScotland had no more to do than she has with the wars in Germany. It waswell, " he said, "that the eagerness with which this treasonable purposewas pursued, had blinded the junta who now usurped the government ofScotland to the risk which they were about to incur. The army which theyhad dispatched to England under old Leven comprehended their veteransoldiers, the strength of those armies which had been levied in Scotlandduring the two former wars--"

Here Captain Dalgetty endeavoured to rise, for the purpose of explaininghow many veteran officers, trained in the German wars, were, to hiscertain knowledge, in the army of the Earl of Leven. But Allan M'Aulayholding him down in his seat with one hand, pressed the fore-finger ofthe other upon his own lips, and, though with some difficulty, preventedhis interference. Captain Dalgetty looked upon him with a very scornfuland indignant air, by which the other's gravity was in no way moved, andLord Menteith proceeded without farther interruption. 

"The moment, " he said, "was most favourable for all true-hearted andloyal Scotchmen to show, that the reproach their country had latelyundergone arose from the selfish ambition of a few turbulent andseditious men, joined to the absurd fanaticism which, disseminated fromfive hundred pulpits, had spread like a land-flood over the Lowlands ofScotland. He had letters from the Marquis of Huntly in the north, whichhe should show to the Chiefs separately. That nobleman, equally loyaland powerful was determined to exert his utmost energy in the commoncause, and the powerful Earl of Seaforth was prepared to join the samestandard. From the Earl of Airly, and the Ogilvies in Angusshire, he hadhad communications equally decided; and there was no doubt that these, who, with the Hays, Leiths, Burnets, and other loyal gentlemen, would besoon on horseback, would form a body far more than sufficient to overawethe northern Covenanters, who had already experienced their valour inthe well-known rout which was popularly termed the Trot of Turiff. Southof Forth and Tay, " he said, "the King had many friends, who, oppressedby enforced oaths, compulsatory levies, heavy taxes, unjustly imposedand unequally levied, by the tyranny of the Committee of Estates, andthe inquisitorial insolence of the Presbyterian divines, waited but thewaving of the royal banner to take up arms. Douglas, Traquair, Roxburgh, Hume, all friendly to the royal cause, would counterbalance, " he said, "the covenanting interest in the south; and two gentlemen, of name andquality, here present, from the north of England, would answer for thezeal of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Northumberland. Against so manygallant gentlemen the southern Covenanters could but arm raw levies; theWhigamores of the western shires, and the ploughmen and mechanics ofthe Low-country. For the West Highlands, he knew no interest which theCovenanters possessed there, except that of one individual, as wellknown as he was odious. But was there a single man, who, on casting hiseye round this hall, and recognising the power, the gallantry, and thedignity of the chiefs assembled, could entertain a moment's doubt oftheir success against the utmost force which Gillespie Grumach couldcollect against them? He had only farther to add, that considerablefunds, both of money and ammunition, had been provided for thearmy"--(Here Dalgetty pricked up his ears)--"that officers of abilityand experience in the foreign wars, one of whom was now present, " (theCaptain drew himself up, and looked round, ) "had engaged to train suchlevies as might require to be disciplined;--and that a numerous bodyof auxiliary forces from Ireland, having been detached from the Earl ofAntrim, from Ulster, had successfully accomplished their descent uponthe main land, and, with the assistance of Clanranald's people, havingtaken and fortified the Castle of Mingarry, in spite of Argyle'sattempts to intercept them, were in full march to this place ofrendezvous. It only remained, " he said, "that the noble Chiefsassembled, laying aside every lesser consideration, should unite, heartand hand, in the common cause; send the fiery cross through their clans, in order to collect their utmost force, and form their junction withsuch celerity as to leave the enemy no time, either for preparation, orrecovery from the panic which would spread at the first sound of theirpibroch. He himself, " he said, "though neither among the richest nor themost powerful of the Scottish nobility, felt that he had to supportthe dignity of an ancient and honourable house, the independence of anancient and honourable nation, and to that cause he was determinedto devote both life and fortune. If those who were more powerful wereequally prompt, he trusted they would deserve the thanks of their King, and the gratitude of posterity. "

Loud applause followed this speech of Lord Menteith, and testifiedthe general acquiescence of all present in the sentiments which hehad expressed; but when the shout had died away, the assembled Chiefscontinued to gaze upon each other as if something yet remained to besettled. After some whispers among themselves, an aged man, whom his greyhairs rendered respectable, although he was not of the highest order ofChiefs, replied to what had been said. 

"Thane of Menteith, " he said, "you have well spoken; nor is there one ofus in whose bosom the same sentiments do not burn like fire. But it isnot strength alone that wins the fight; it is the head of the commander, as well as the arm of the soldier, that brings victory. I ask of you whois to raise and sustain the banner under which we are invited to riseand muster ourselves? Will it be expected that we should risk ourchildren, and the flower of our kinsmen, ere we know to whose guidancethey are to be intrusted? This were leading those to slaughter, whom, bythe laws of God and man, it is our duty to protect. Where is the royalcommission, under which the lieges are to be convocated in arms? Simpleand rude as we may be deemed, we know something of the established rulesof war, as well as of the laws of our country; nor will we arm ourselvesagainst the general peace of Scotland, unless by the express commandsof the King, and under a leader fit to command such men as are hereassembled. "

"Where would you find such a leader, " said another Chief, starting up, "saving the representative of the Lord of the Isles, entitled by birthand hereditary descent to lead forth the array of every clan of theHighlands; and where is that dignity lodged, save in the house of VichAlister More?"

"I acknowledge, " said another Chief, eagerly interrupting the speaker, "the truth in what has been first said, but not the inference. If VichAlister More desires to be held representative of the Lord of the Isles, let him first show his blood is redder than mine. "

"That is soon tried, " said Vich Alister More, laying his hand upon thebasket hilt of his claymore. Lord Menteith threw himself betweenthem, entreating and imploring each to remember that the interests ofScotland, the liberty of their country, and the cause of their King, ought to be superior in their eyes to any personal disputes respectingdescent, rank, and precedence. Several of the Highland Chiefs, who hadno desire to admit the claims of either chieftain, interfered to thesame purpose, and none with more emphasis than the celebrated Evan Dhu. 

"I have come from my lakes, " he said, "as a stream descends from thehills, not to turn again, but to accomplish my course. It is not bylooking back to our own pretensions that we shall serve Scotland or KingCharles. My voice shall be for that general whom the King shall name, who will doubtless possess those qualities which are necessary tocommand men like us. High-born he must be, or we shall lose our rank inobeying him--wise and skilful, or we shall endanger the safety ofour people--bravest among the brave, or we shall peril our ownhonour--temperate, firm, and manly, to keep us united. Such is the manthat must command us. Are you prepared, Thane of Menteith, to say wheresuch a general is to be found?"

"There is but ONE, " said Allan M'Aulay; "and here, " he said, layinghis hand upon the shoulder of Anderson, who stood behind Lord Menteith, "here he stands!"

The general surprise of the meeting was expressed by an impatientmurmur; when Anderson, throwing back the cloak in which his face wasmuffled, and stepping forward, spoke thus:--"I did not long intend to bea silent spectator of this interesting scene, although my hasty friendhas obliged me to disclose myself somewhat sooner than was my intention. Whether I deserve the honour reposed in me by this parchment will bestappear from what I shall be able to do for the King's service. It is acommission under the great seal, to James Graham, Earl of Montrose, tocommand those forces which are to be assembled for the service of hisMajesty in this kingdom. "

A loud shout of approbation burst from the assembly. There was, in fact, no other person to whom, in point of rank, these proud mountaineerswould have been disposed to submit. His inveterate and hereditaryhostility to the Marquis of Argyle insured his engaging in the war withsufficient energy, while his well-known military talents, and histried valour, afforded every hope of his bringing it to a favourableconclusion. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

 Our plot is a good plot as ever was laid; our friends true and constant: a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation: an excellent plot, very good friends. --HENRY IV Part I. 

No sooner had the general acclamation of joyful surprise subsided, thansilence was eagerly demanded for reading the royal commission; and thebonnets, which hitherto each Chief had worn, probably because unwillingto be the first to uncover, were now at once vailed in honour ofthe royal warrant. It was couched in the most full and ample terms, authorizing the Earl of Montrose to assemble the subjects in arms, for the putting down the present rebellion, which divers traitorsand seditious persons had levied against the King, to the manifestforfaulture, as it stated, of their allegiance, and to the breach ofthe pacification between the two kingdoms. It enjoined all subordinateauthorities to be obedient and assisting to Montrose in his enterprise;gave him the power of making ordinances and proclamations, punishingmisdemeanours, pardoning criminals, placing and displacing governors andcommanders. In fine, it was as large and full a commission as any withwhich a prince could intrust a subject. As soon as it was finished, a shout burst from the assembled Chiefs, in testimony of their readysubmission to the will of their sovereign. Not contented with generallythanking them for a reception so favourable, Montrose hastened toaddress himself to individuals, The most important Chiefs had alreadybeen long personally known to him, but even to those of inferiorconsequence he now introduced himself and by the acquaintance hedisplayed with their peculiar designations, and the circumstances andhistory of their clans, he showed how long he must have studied thecharacter of the mountaineers, and prepared himself for such a situationas he now held. 

While he was engaged in these acts of courtesy, his graceful manner, expressive features, and dignity of deportment, made a singular contrastwith the coarseness and meanness of his dress. Montrose possessed thatsort of form and face, in which the beholder, at the first glance, seesnothing extraordinary, but of which the interest becomes more impressivethe longer we gaze upon them. His stature was very little above themiddle size, but in person he was uncommonly well-built, and capableboth of exerting great force, and enduring much fatigue. In fact, he enjoyed a constitution of iron, without which he could not havesustained the trials of his extraordinary campaigns, through all ofwhich he subjected himself to the hardships of the meanest soldier. He was perfect in all exercises, whether peaceful or martial, andpossessed, of course, that graceful ease of deportment proper to thoseto whom habit has rendered all postures easy. 

His long brown hair, according to the custom of men of quality among theRoyalists, was parted on the top of his head, and trained to hang downon each side in curled locks, one of which, descending two or threeinches lower than the others, intimated Montrose's compliance with thatfashion against which it pleased Mr. Prynne, the puritan, to write atreatise, entitled, THE UNLOVELINESS OF LOVE-LOCKS. The features whichthese tresses enclosed, were of that kind which derive their interestfrom the character of the man, rather than from the regularity of theirform. But a high nose, a full, decided, well-opened, quick grey eye, anda sanguine complexion, made amends for some coarseness and irregularityin the subordinate parts of the face; so that, altogether, Montrosemight be termed rather a handsome, than a hard-featured man. But thosewho saw him when his soul looked through those eyes with all the energyand fire of genius--those who heard him speak with the authority oftalent, and the eloquence of nature, were impressed with an opinioneven of his external form, more enthusiastically favourable than theportraits which still survive would entitle us to ascribe to it. Such, at least, was the impression he made upon the assembled Chiefs of themountaineers, over whom, as upon all persons in their state of society, personal appearance has no small influence. 

In the discussions which followed his discovering himself, Montroseexplained the various risks which he had run in his present undertaking. His first attempt had been to assemble a body of loyalists in the northof England, who, in obedience to the orders of the Marquis of Newcastle, he expected would have marched into Scotland; but the disinclination ofthe English to cross the Border, and the delay of the Earl of Antrim, who was to have landed in the Solway Frith with his Irish army, prevented his executing this design. Other plans having in like mannerfailed, he stated that he found himself under the necessity of assuminga disguise to render his passage secure through the Lowlands, in whichhe had been kindly assisted by his kinsman of Menteith. By what meansAllan M'Aulay had come to know him, he could not pretend to explain. Those who knew Allan's prophetic pretensions, smiled mysteriously;but he himself only replied, that "the Earl of Montrose need not besurprised if he was known to thousands, of whom he himself could retainno memory. "

"By the honour of a cavalier, " said Captain Dalgetty, finding at lengthan opportunity to thrust in his word, "I am proud and happy in having anopportunity of drawing a sword under your lordship's command; and I doforgive all grudge, malecontent, and malice of my heart, to Mr. AllanM'Aulay, for having thrust me down to the lowest seat of the boardyestreen. Certes, he hath this day spoken so like a man having fullcommand of his senses, that I had resolved in my secret purpose that hewas no way entitled to claim the privilege of insanity. But since Iwas only postponed to a noble earl, my future commander-in-chief, I do, before you all, recognise the justice of the preference, and heartilysalute Allan as one who is to be his BON-CAMARADO. "

Having made this speech, which was little understood or attended to, without putting off his military glove, he seized on Allan's hand, and began to shake it with violence, which Allan, with a gripe like asmith's vice, returned with such force, as to drive the iron splents ofthe gauntlet into the hand of the wearer. 

Captain Dalgetty might have construed this into a new affront, had nothis attention, as he stood blowing and shaking the injured member, beensuddenly called by Montrose himself. 

"Hear this news, " he said, "Captain Dalgetty--I should say MajorDalgetty, --the Irish, who are to profit by your military experience, arenow within a few leagues of us. "

"Our deer-stalkers, " said Angus M'Aulay, "who were abroad to bring invenison for this honourable party, have heard of a band of strangers, speaking neither Saxon nor pure Gaelic, and with difficulty makingthemselves understood by the people of the country, who are marchingthis way in arms, under the leading, it is said, of Alaster M'Donald, who is commonly called Young Colkitto. "

"These must be our men, " said Montrose; "we must hasten to sendmessengers forward, both to act as guides and to relieve their wants. "

"The last, " said Angus M'Aulay, "will be no easy matter; for I aminformed, that, excepting muskets and a very little ammunition, theywant everything that soldiers should have; and they are particularlydeficient in money, in shoes, and in raiment. "

"There is at least no use in saying so, " said Montrose, "in so louda tone. The puritan weavers of Glasgow shall provide them plenty ofbroad-cloth, when we make a descent from the Highlands; and if theministers could formerly preach the old women of the Scottish boroughsout of their webs of napery, to make tents to the fellows on Dunse Law, [The Covenanters encamped on Dunse Law, during the troubles of 1639. ] Iwill try whether I have not a little interest both to make these godlydames renew their patriotic gift, and the prick-eared knaves, theirhusbands, open their purses. "

"And respecting arms, " said Captain Dalgetty, "if your lordship willpermit an old cavalier to speak his mind, so that the one-third havemuskets, my darling weapon would be the pike for the remainder, whetherfor resisting a charge of horse, or for breaking the infantry. A commonsmith will make a hundred pike-heads in a day; here is plenty of woodfor shafts; and I will uphold, that, according to the best usages ofwar, a strong battalion of pikes, drawn up in the fashion of the Lion ofthe North, the immortal Gustavus, would beat the Macedonian phalanx, of which I used to read in the Mareschal-College, when I studied in theancient town of Bon-accord; and further, I will venture to predicate--"

The Captain's lecture upon tactics was here suddenly interrupted byAllan M'Aulay, who said, hastily, --"Room for an unexpected and unwelcomeguest!"

At the same moment, the door of the hall opened, and a grey-haired man, of a very stately appearance, presented himself to the assembly. Therewas much dignity, and even authority, in his manner. His stature wasabove the common size, and his looks such as were used to command. Hecast a severe, and almost stern glance upon the assembly of Chiefs. Those of the higher rank among them returned it with scornfulindifference; but some of the western gentlemen of inferior power, looked as if they wished themselves elsewhere. 

"To which of this assembly, " said the stranger, "am I to address myselfas leader? or have you not fixed upon the person who is to hold anoffice at least as perilous as it is honourable?"

"Address yourself to me, Sir Duncan Campbell, " said Montrose, steppingforward. 

"To you!" said Sir Duncan Campbell, with some scorn. 

"Yes, --to me, " repeated Montrose, --"to the Earl of Montrose, if you haveforgot him. "

"I should now, at least, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "have had somedifficulty in recognising him in the disguise of a groom. --and yet Imight have guessed that no evil influence inferior to your lordship's, distinguished as one who troubles Israel, could have collected togetherthis rash assembly of misguided persons. "

"I will answer unto you, " said Montrose, "in the manner of your ownPuritans. I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house. But let us leave an altercation, which is of little consequence butto ourselves, and hear the tidings you have brought from your Chief ofArgyle; for I must conclude that it is in his name that you have come tothis meeting. "

"It is in the name of the Marquis of Argyle, " said Sir DuncanCampbell, --"in the name of the Scottish Convention of Estates, thatI demand to know the meaning of this singular convocation. If it isdesigned to disturb the peace of the country, it were but acting likeneighbours, and men of honour, to give us some intimation to stand uponour guard. "

"It is a singular, and new state of affairs in Scotland, " said Montrose, turning from Sir Duncan Campbell to the assembly, "when Scottish men ofrank and family cannot meet in the house of a common friend without aninquisitorial visit and demand, on the part of our rulers, to know thesubject of our conference. Methinks our ancestors were accustomed tohold Highland huntings, or other purposes of meeting, without askingthe leave either of the great M'Callum More himself, or any of hisemissaries or dependents. "

"The times have been such in Scotland, " answered one of the WesternChiefs, "and such they will again be, when the intruders on ourancient possessions are again reduced to be Lairds of Lochow instead ofoverspreading us like a band of devouring locusts. "

"Am I to understand, then, " said Sir Duncan, "that it is against my namealone that these preparations are directed? or are the race of Diarmidonly to be sufferers in common with the whole of the peaceful andorderly inhabitants of Scotland?"

"I would ask, " said a wild-looking Chief, starting hastily up, "onequestion of the Knight of Ardenvohr, ere he proceeds farther in hisdaring catechism. --Has he brought more than one life to this castle, that he ventures to intrude among us for the purposes of insult?"

"Gentlemen, " said Montrose, "let me implore your patience; a messengerwho comes among us for the purpose of embassy, is entitled to freedom ofspeech and safe-conduct. And since Sir Duncan Campbell is so pressing, Icare not if I inform him, for his guidance, that he is in an assemblyof the King's loyal subjects, convoked by me, in his Majesty's name andauthority, and as empowered by his Majesty's royal commission. "

"We are to have, then, I presume, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "a civilwar in all its forms? I have been too long a soldier to view itsapproach with anxiety; but it would have been for my Lord of Montrose'shonour, if, in this matter, he had consulted his own ambition less, andthe peace of the country more. "

"Those consulted their own ambition and self-interest, Sir Duncan, "answered Montrose, "who brought the country to the pass in which itnow stands, and rendered necessary the sharp remedies which we are nowreluctantly about to use. "

"And what rank among these self-seekers, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "weshall assign to a noble Earl, so violently attached to the Covenant, that he was the first, in 1639, to cross the Tyne, wading middle deep atthe head of his regiment, to charge the royal forces? It was the same, I think, who imposed the Covenant upon the burgesses and colleges ofAberdeen, at the point of sword and pike. "

"I understand your sneer, Sir Duncan, " said Montrose, temperately; "andI can only add, that if sincere repentance can make amends for youthfulerror, and for yielding to the artful representation of ambitioushypocrites, I shall be pardoned for the crimes with which you taunt me. I will at least endeavour to deserve forgiveness, for I am here, withmy sword in my hand, willing to spend the best blood of my body to makeamends for my error; and mortal man can do no more. "

"Well, my lord, " said Sir Duncan, "I shall be sorry to carry back thislanguage to the Marquis of Argyle. I had it in farther charge from theMarquis, that, to prevent the bloody feuds which must necessarily followa Highland war, his lordship will be contented if terms of truce couldbe arranged to the north of the Highland line, as there is ground enoughin Scotland to fight upon, without neighbours destroying each other'sfamilies and inheritances. "

"It is a peaceful proposal, " said Montrose, smiling, "such as itshould be, coming from one whose personal actions have always been morepeaceful than his measures. Yet, if the terms of such a truce could beequally fixed, and if we can obtain security, for that, Sir Duncan, isindispensable, --that your Marquis will observe these terms with strictfidelity, I, for my part, should be content to leave peace behind us, since we must needs carry war before us. But, Sir Duncan, you are tooold and experienced a soldier for us to permit you to remain in ourleaguer, and witness our proceedings; we shall therefore, when you haverefreshed yourself, recommend your speedy return to Inverary, and weshall send with you a gentleman on our part to adjust the terms ofthe Highland armistice, in case the Marquis shall be found serious inproposing such a measure. " Sir Duncan Campbell assented by a bow. 

"My Lord of Menteith, " continued Montrose, "will you have the goodnessto attend Sir Duncan Campbell of Ardenvohr, while we determine who shallreturn with him to his Chief? M'Aulay will permit us to request that hebe entertained with suitable hospitality. "

"I will give orders for that, " said Allan M'Aulay, rising and comingforward. "I love Sir Duncan Campbell; we have been joint sufferers informer days, and I do not forget it now. "

"My Lord of Menteith, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "I am grieved tosee you, at your early age, engaged in such desperate and rebelliouscourses. "

"I am young, " answered Menteith, "yet old enough to distinguish betweenright and wrong, between loyalty and rebellion; and the sooner a goodcourse is begun, the longer and the better have I a chance of runningit. "

"And you too, my friend, Allan M'Aulay, " said Sir Duncan, taking hishand, "must we also call each other enemies, that have been so oftenallied against a common foe?" Then turning round to the meeting, hesaid, "Farewell, gentlemen; there are so many of you to whom I wishwell, that your rejection of all terms of mediation gives me deepaffliction. May Heaven, " he said, looking upwards, "judge between ourmotives, and those of the movers of this civil commotion!"

"Amen, " said Montrose; "to that tribunal we all submit us. "

Sir Duncan Campbell left the hall, accompanied by Allan M'Aulay and LordMenteith. "There goes a true-bred Campbell, " said Montrose, as the envoydeparted, "for they are ever fair and false. "

"Pardon me, my lord, " said Evan Dhu; "hereditary enemy as I am to theirname, I have ever found the Knight of Ardenvohr brave in war, honest inpeace, and true in council. "

"Of his own disposition, " said Montrose, "such he is undoubtedly; buthe now acts as the organ or mouth-piece of his Chief, the Marquis, thefalsest man that ever drew breath. And, M'Aulay, " he continued in awhisper to his host, "lest he should make some impression upon theinexperience of Menteith, or the singular disposition of your brother, you had better send music into their chamber, to prevent his inveiglingthem into any private conference. "

"The devil a musician have I, " answered M'Aulay, "excepting the piper, who has nearly broke his wind by an ambitious contention for superioritywith three of his own craft; but I can send Annot Lyle and her harp. "And he left the apartment to give orders accordingly. 

Meanwhile a warm discussion took place, who should undertake theperilous task of returning with Sir Duncan to Inverary. To the higherdignitaries, accustomed to consider themselves upon an equality evenwith M'Callum More, this was an office not to be proposed; unto otherswho could not plead the same excuse, it was altogether unacceptable. Onewould have thought Inverary had been the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the inferior chiefs showed such reluctance to approach it. After aconsiderable hesitation, the plain reason was at length spokenout, namely, that whatever Highlander should undertake an office sodistasteful to M'Callum More, he would be sure to treasure the offencein his remembrance, and one day or other to make him bitterly repent ofit. 

In this dilemma, Montrose, who considered the proposed armistice asa mere stratagem on the part of Argyle, although he had not venturedbluntly to reject it in presence of those whom it concerned so nearly, resolved to impose the danger and dignity upon Captain Dalgetty, who hadneither clan nor estate in the Highlands upon which the wrath of Argylecould wreak itself. 

"But I have a neck though, " said Dalgetty, bluntly; "and what if hechooses to avenge himself upon that? I have known a case where anhonourable ambassador has been hanged as a spy before now. Neither didthe Romans use ambassadors much more mercifully at the siege of Capua, although I read that they only cut off their hands and noses, put outtheir eyes, and suffered them to depart in peace. "

"By my honour Captain Dalgetty, " said Montrose, "should the Marquis, contrary to the rules of war, dare to practise any atrocity against you, you may depend upon my taking such signal vengeance that all Scotlandshall ring of it. "

"That will do but little for Dalgetty, " returned the Captain; "butcorragio! as the Spaniard says. With the Land of Promise full inview, the Moor of Drumthwacket, MEA PAUPERA REGNA, as we said atMareschal-College, I will not refuse your Excellency's commission, being conscious it becomes a cavalier of honour to obey his commander'sorders, in defiance both of gibbet and sword. "

"Gallantly resolved, " said Montrose; "and if you will come apart withme, I will furnish you with the conditions to be laid before M'CallumMore, upon which we are willing to grant him a truce for his Highlanddominions. "

With these we need not trouble our readers. They were of an evasivenature, calculated to meet a proposal which Montrose considered to havebeen made only for the purpose of gaining time. When he had put CaptainDalgetty in complete possession of his instructions, and when thatworthy, making his military obeisance, was near the door of hisapartment, Montrose made him a sign to return. 

"I presume, " said he, "I need not remind an officer who has served underthe great Gustavus, that a little more is required of a person sent witha flag of truce than mere discharge of his instructions, and that hisgeneral will expect from him, on his return, some account of the stateof the enemy's affairs, as far as they come under his observation. Inshort, Captain Dalgetty, you must be UN PEU CLAIR-VOYANT. "

"Ah ha! your Excellency, " said the Captain, twisting his hard featuresinto an inimitable expression of cunning and intelligence, "if they donot put my head in a poke, which I have known practised upon honourablesoldados who have been suspected to come upon such errands as thepresent, your Excellency may rely on a preceese narration of whateverDugald Dalgetty shall hear or see, were it even how many turns of tunethere are in M'Callum More's pibroch, or how many checks in the sett ofhis plaid and trews. "

"Enough, " answered Montrose; "farewell, Captain Dalgetty: and as theysay that a lady's mind is always expressed in her postscript, so I wouldhave you think that the most important part of your commission lies inwhat I have last said to you. "

Dalgetty once more grinned intelligence, and withdrew to victual hischarger and himself, for the fatigues of his approaching mission. 

At the door of the stable, for Gustavus always claimed his firstcare, --he met Angus M'Aulay and Sir Miles Musgrave, who had been lookingat his horse; and, after praising his points and carriage, both unitedin strongly dissuading the Captain from taking an animal of such valuewith him upon his present very fatiguing journey. 

Angus painted in the most alarming colours the roads, or ratherwild tracks, by which it would be necessary for him to travel intoArgyleshire, and the wretched huts or bothies where he would becondemned to pass the night, and where no forage could be procured forhis horse, unless he could eat the stumps of old heather. In short, he pronounced it absolutely impossible, that, after undertaking such apilgrimage, the animal could be in any case for military service. TheEnglishman strongly confirmed all that Angus had said, and gave himself, body and soul, to the devil, if he thought it was not an act littleshort of absolute murder to carry a horse worth a farthing into such awaste and inhospitable desert. Captain Dalgetty for an instant lookedsteadily, first at one of the gentlemen and next at the other, and thenasked them, as if in a state of indecision, what they would advise himto do with Gustavus under such circumstances. 

"By the hand of my father, my dear friend, " answered M'Aulay, "if youleave the beast in my keeping, you may rely on his being fed and sortedaccording to his worth and quality, and that upon your happy return, youwill find him as sleek as an onion boiled in butter. "

"Or, " said Sir Miles Musgrave, "if this worthy cavalier chooses to partwith his charger for a reasonable sum, I have some part of the silvercandlesticks still dancing the heys in my purse, which I shall be verywilling to transfer to his. "

"In brief, mine honourable friends, " said Captain Dalgetty, again eyeingthem both with an air of comic penetration, "I find it would not bealtogether unacceptable to either of you, to have some token to rememberthe old soldier by, in case it shall please M'Callum More to hang himup at the gate of his own castle. And doubtless it would be no smallsatisfaction to me, in such an event, that a noble and loyal cavalierlike Sir Miles Musgrave, or a worthy and hospitable chieftain like ourexcellent landlord, should act as my executor. "

Both hastened to protest that they had no such object, and insistedagain upon the impassable character of the Highland paths. AngusM'Aulay mumbled over a number of hard Gaellic names, descriptive of thedifficult passes, precipices, corries, and beals, through which hesaid the road lay to Inverary, when old Donald, who had now entered, sanctioned his master's account of these difficulties, by holding up hishands, and elevating his eyes, and shaking his head, at every grutturalwhich M'Aulay pronounced. But all this did not move the inflexibleCaptain. 

"My worthy friends, " said he, "Gustavus is not new to the dangers oftravelling, and the mountains of Bohemia; and (no disparagement to thebeals and corries Mr. Angus is pleased to mention, and of which SirMiles, who never saw them, confirms the horrors, ) these mountains maycompete with the vilest roads in Europe. In fact, my horse hath a mostexcellent and social quality; for although he cannot pledge in my cup, yet we share our loaf between us, and it will be hard if he suffersfamine where cakes or bannocks are to be found. And, to cut this mattershort, I beseech you, my good friends, to observe the state of SirDuncan Campbell's palfrey, which stands in that stall before us, fatand fair; and, in return for your anxiety an my account, I give youmy honest asseveration, that while we travel the same road, both thatpalfrey and his rider shall lack for food before either Gustavus or I. "

Having said this he filled a large measure with corn, and walked up withit to his charger, who, by his low whinnying neigh, his pricked ears, and his pawing, showed how close the alliance was betwixt him and hisrider. Nor did he taste his corn until he had returned his master'scaresses, by licking his hands and face. After this interchange ofgreeting, the steed began to his provender with an eager dispatch, whichshowed old military habits; and the master, after looking on the animalwith great complacency for about five minutes, said, --"Much good may itdo your honest heart, Gustavus;--now must I go and lay in provant myselffor the campaign. "

He then departed, having first saluted the Englishman and Angus M'Aulay, who remained looking at each other for some time in silence, and thenburst out into a fit of laughter. 

"That fellow, " said Sir Miles Musgrave, "is formed to go through theworld. "

"I shall think so too, " said M'Aulay, "if he can slip through M'CallumMore's fingers as easily as he has done through ours. "

"Do you think, " said the Englishman, "that the Marquis will not respect, in Captain Dalgetty's person, the laws of civilized war?"

"No more than I would respect a Lowland proclamation, " said AngusM'Aulay. --"But come along, it is time I were returning to my guests. "

CHAPTER IX. 

 . . . . In a rebellion, When what's not meet, but what must be, was law, Then were they chosen, in a better hour, Let what is meet be said it must be meet, And throw their power i' the dust. --CORIOLANUS. In a small apartment, remote from the rest of the guests assembled atthe castle, Sir Duncan Campbell was presented with every species ofrefreshment, and respectfully attended by Lord Menteith, and by AllanM'Aulay. His discourse with the latter turned upon a sort of huntingcampaign, in which they had been engaged together against the Childrenof the Mist, with whom the Knight of Ardenvohr, as well as the M'Aulays, had a deadly and irreconcilable feud. Sir Duncan, however, speedilyendeavoured to lead back the conversation to the subject of his presenterrand to the castle of Darnlinvarach. 

"It grieved him to the very heart, " he said, "to see that friends andneighbours, who should stand shoulder to shoulder, were likely to beengaged hand to hand in a cause which so little concerned them. Whatsignifies it, " he said, "to the Highland Chiefs, whether King orParliament got uppermost? Were it not better to let them settle theirown differences without interference, while the Chiefs, in the meantime, took the opportunity of establishing their own authority in a mannernot to be called in question hereafter by either King or Parliament?"He reminded Allan M'Aulay that the measures taken in the last reignto settle the peace, as was alleged, of the Highlands, were in factlevelled at the patriarchal power of the Chieftains; and he mentionedthe celebrated settlement of the Fife Undertakers, as they werecalled, in the Lewis, as part of a deliberate plan, formed to introducestrangers among the Celtic tribes, to destroy by degrees their ancientcustoms and mode of government, and to despoil them of the inheritanceof their fathers. [In the reign of James VI. , an attempt of rather anextraordinary kind was made to civilize the extreme northern part of theHebridean Archipelago. That monarch granted the property of the Islandof Lewis, as if it had been an unknown and savage country, to a numberof Lowland gentlemen, called undertakers, chiefly natives of the shireof Fife, that they might colonize and settle there. The enterprisewas at first successful, but the natives of the island, MacLeods andMacKenzies, rose on the Lowland adventurers, and put most of them tothe sword. ] "And yet, " he continued, addressing Allan, "it is forthe purpose of giving despotic authority to the monarch by whom thesedesigns have been nursed, that so many Highland Chiefs are uponthe point of quarrelling with, and drawing the sword against, theirneighbours, allies, and ancient confederates. " "It is to my brother, "said Allan, "it is to the eldest son of my father's house, that theKnight of Ardenvohr must address these remonstrances. I am, indeed, thebrother of Angus; but in being so, I am only the first of his clansmen, and bound to show an example to the others by my cheerful and readyobedience to his commands. "

"The cause also, " said Lord Menteith, interposing, "is far more generalthan Sir Duncan Campbell seems to suppose it. It is neither limitedto Saxon nor to Gael, to mountain nor to strath, to Highlands nor toLowlands. The question is, if we will continue to be governed by theunlimited authority assumed by a set of persons in no respect superiorto ourselves, instead of returning to the natural government of thePrince against whom they have rebelled. And respecting the interest ofthe Highlands in particular, " he added, "I crave Sir Duncan Campbell'spardon for my plainness; but it seems very clear to me, that the onlyeffect produced by the present usurpation, will be the aggrandisementof one overgrown clan at the expense of every independent Chief in theHighlands. "

"I will not reply to you, my lord, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "becauseI know your prejudices, and from whom they are borrowed; yet you willpardon my saying, that being at the head of a rival branch of the Houseof Graham, I have both read of and known an Earl of Menteith, whowould have disdained to have been tutored in politics, or to have beencommanded in war, by an Earl of Montrose. "

"You will find it in vain, Sir Duncan, " said Lord Menteith, haughtily, "to set my vanity in arms against my principles. The King gave myancestors their title and rank; and these shall never prevent my acting, in the royal cause, under any one who is better qualified than myselfto be a commander-in-chief. Least of all, shall any miserable jealousyprevent me from placing my hand and sword under the guidance of thebravest, the most loyal, the most heroic spirit among our Scottishnobility. "

"Pity, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "that you cannot add to this panegyricthe farther epithets of the most steady, and the most consistent. But Ihave no purpose of debating these points with you, my lord, " wavinghis hand, as if to avoid farther discussion; "the die is cast with you;allow me only to express my sorrow for the disastrous fate to whichAngus M'Aulay's natural rashness, and your lordship's influence, aredragging my gallant friend Allan here, with his father's clan, and manya brave man besides. "

"The die is cast for us all, Sir Duncan, " replied Allan, looking gloomy, and arguing on his own hypochondriac feelings; "the iron hand of destinybranded our fate upon our forehead long ere we could form a wish, orraise a finger in our own behalf. Were this otherwise, by what meansdoes the Seer ascertain the future from those shadowy presages whichhaunt his waking and his sleeping eye? Nought can be foreseen but thatwhich is certain to happen. "

Sir Duncan Campbell was about to reply, and the darkest and mostcontested point of metaphysics might have been brought into discussionbetwixt two Highland disputants, when the door opened, and Annot Lyle, with her clairshach in her hand, entered the apartment. The freedom ofa Highland maiden was in her step and in her eye; for, bred up in theclosest intimacy with the Laird of M'Aulay and his brother, withLord Menteith, and other young men who frequented Darnlinvarach, shepossessed none of that timidity which a female, educated chiefly amongher own sex, would either have felt, or thought necessary to assume, onan occasion like the present. 

Her dress partook of the antique, for new fashions seldom penetratedinto the Highlands, nor would they easily have found their way to acastle inhabited chiefly by men, whose sole occupation was war and thechase. Yet Annot's garments were not only becoming, but even rich. Heropen jacket, with a high collar, was composed of blue cloth, richlyembroidered, and had silver clasps to fasten, when it pleased thewearer. Its sleeves, which were wide, came no lower than the elbow, andterminated in a golden fringe; under this upper coat, if it can be sotermed, she wore an under dress of blue satin, also richly embroidered, but which was several shades lighter in colour than the upper garment. The petticoat was formed of tartan silk, in the sett, or pattern, ofwhich the colour of blue greatly predominated, so as to remove thetawdry effect too frequently produced in tartan, by the mixture andstrong opposition of colours. An antique silver chain hung roundher neck, and supported the WREST, or key, with which she turned herinstrument. A small ruff rose above her collar, and was secured by abrooch of some value, an old keepsake from Lord Menteith. Her profusionof light hair almost hid her laughing eyes, while, with a smile and ablush, she mentioned that she had M'Aulay's directions to ask them ifthey chose music. Sir Duncan Campbell gazed with considerable surpriseand interest at the lovely apparition, which thus interrupted his debatewith Allan M'Aulay. 

"Can this, " he said to him in a whisper, "a creature so beautiful and soelegant, be a domestic musician of your brother's establishment?"

"By no means, " answered Allan, hastily, yet with some hesitation; "sheis a--a--near relation of our family--and treated, " he added, morefirmly, "as an adopted daughter of our father's house. "

As he spoke thus, he arose from his seat, and with that air of courtesywhich every Highlander can assume when it suits him to practise it, heresigned it to Annot, and offered to her, at the same time, whateverrefreshments the table afforded, with an assiduity which was probablydesigned to give Sir Duncan an impression of her rank and consequence. If such was Allan's purpose, however, it was unnecessary. Sir Duncankept his eyes fixed upon Annot with an expression of much deeperinterest than could have arisen from any impression that she wasa person of consequence. Annot even felt embarrassed under the oldknight's steady gaze; and it was not without considerable hesitation, that, tuning her instrument, and receiving an assenting look from LordMenteith and Allan, she executed the following ballad, which our friend, Mr. Secundus M'Pherson, whose goodness we had before to acknowledge, hasthus translated into the English tongue:

THE ORPHAN MAID. 

 November's hail-cloud drifts away, November's sunbeam wan Looks coldly on the castle grey, When forth comes Lady Anne. 

 The orphan by the oak was set, Her arms, her feet, were bare, The hail-drops had not melted yet, Amid her raven hair. 

 "And, Dame, " she said, "by all the ties That child and mother know, Aid one who never knew these joys, Relieve an orphan's woe. "

 The Lady said, "An orphan's state Is hard and sad to bear; Yet worse the widow'd mother's fate, Who mourns both lord and heir. 

 "Twelve times the rolling year has sped, Since, when from vengeance wild Of fierce Strathallan's Chief I fled, Forth's eddies whelm'd my child. "

 "Twelve times the year its course has born, " The wandering maid replied, "Since fishers on St. Bridget's morn Drew nets on Campsie side. 

 "St. Bridget sent no scaly spoil;-- An infant, wellnigh dead, They saved, and rear'd in want and toil, To beg from you her bread. "

 That orphan maid the lady kiss'd-- "My husband's looks you bear; St. Bridget and her morn be bless'd! You are his widow's heir. "

 They've robed that maid, so poor and pale, In silk and sandals rare; And pearls, for drops of frozen hail, Are glistening in her hair. 

The admirers of pure Celtic antiquity, notwithstanding the elegance ofthe above translation, may be desirous to see a literal version from theoriginal Gaelic, which we therefore subjoin; and have only to add, thatthe original is deposited with Mr. Jedediah Cleishbotham. 

LITERAL TRANSLATION. 

 The hail-blast had drifted away upon the wings of the gale of autumn. The sun looked from between the clouds, pale as the wounded hero who rears his head feebly on the heath when the roar of battle hath passed over him. 

 Finele, the Lady of the Castle, came forth to see her maidens pass to the herds with their leglins [Milk-pails]. 

 There sat an orphan maiden beneath the old oak-tree of appointment. The withered leaves fell around her, and her heart was more withered than they. 

 The parent of the ice [poetically taken from the frost] still congealed the hail-drops in her hair; they were like the specks of white ashes on the twisted boughs of the blackened and half-consumed oak that blazes in the hall. 

 And the maiden said, "Give me comfort, Lady, I am an orphan child. " And the Lady replied, "How can I give that which I have not? I am the widow of a slain lord, --the mother of a perished child. When I fled in my fear from the vengeance of my husband's foes, our bark was overwhelmed in the tide, and my infant perished. This was on St. Bridget's morn, near the strong Lyns of Campsie. May ill luck light upon the day. " And the maiden answered, "It was on St. Bridget's morn, and twelve harvests before this time, that the fishermen of Campsie drew in their nets neither grilse nor salmon, but an infant half dead, who hath since lived in misery, and must die, unless she is now aided. " And the Lady answered, "Blessed be Saint Bridget and her morn, for these are the dark eyes and the falcon look of my slain lord; and thine shall be the inheritance of his widow. " And she called for her waiting attendants, and she bade them clothe that maiden in silk, and in samite; and the pearls which they wove among her black tresses, were whiter than the frozen hail-drops. 

While the song proceeded, Lord Menteith observed, with some surprise, that it appeared to produce a much deeper effect upon the mind of SirDuncan Campbell, than he could possibly have anticipated from hisage and character. He well knew that the Highlanders of that periodpossessed a much greater sensibility both for tale and song than wasfound among their Lowland neighbours; but even this, he thought, hardlyaccounted for the embarrassment with which the old man withdrew his eyesfrom the songstress, as if unwilling to suffer them to rest on an objectso interesting. Still less was it to be expected, that features whichexpressed pride, stern common sense, and the austere habit of authority, should have been so much agitated by so trivial a circumstance. As theChief's brow became clouded, he drooped his large shaggy grey eyebrowsuntil they almost concealed his eyes, on the lids of which somethinglike a tear might be seen to glisten. He remained silent and fixed inthe same posture for a minute or two, after the last note had ceased tovibrate. He then raised his head, and having looked at Annot Lyle, as ifpurposing to speak to her, he as suddenly changed that purpose, and wasabout to address Allan, when the door opened, and the Lord of the Castlemade his appearance. 

CHAPTER X. 

 Dark on their journey lour'd the gloomy day, Wild were the hills, and doubtful grew the way; More dark, more gloomy, and more doubtful, show'd The mansion, which received them from the road. --THE TRAVELLERS, A ROMANCE. 

Angus M'Aulay was charged with a message which he seemed to find somedifficulty in communicating; for it was not till after he had framed hisspeech several different ways, and blundered them all, that he succeededin letting Sir Duncan Campbell know, that the cavalier who was toaccompany him was waiting in readiness, and that all was prepared forhis return to Inverary. Sir Duncan Campbell rose up very indignantly;the affront which this message implied immediately driving out of hisrecollection the sensibility which had been awakened by the music. 

"I little expected this, " he said, looking indignantly at Angus M'Aulay. "I little thought that there was a Chief in the West Highlands, who, atthe pleasure of a Saxon, would have bid the Knight of Ardenvohr leavehis castle, when the sun was declining from the meridian, and ere thesecond cup had been filled. But farewell, sir, the food of a churl doesnot satisfy the appetite; when I next revisit Darnlinvarach, it shall bewith a naked sword in one hand, and a firebrand in the other. "

"And if you so come, " said Angus, "I pledge myself to meet you fairly, though you brought five hundred Campbells at your back, and to affordyou and them such entertainment, that you shall not again complain ofthe hospitality of Darnlinvarach. "

"Threatened men, " said Sir Duncan, "live long. Your turn forgasconading, Laird of M'Aulay, is too well known, that men of honourshould regard your vaunts. To you, my lord, and to Allan, who havesupplied the place of my churlish host, I leave my thanks. --And to you, pretty mistress, " he said, addressing Annot Lyle, "this little token, for having opened a fountain which hath been dry for many a year. "So saying, he left the apartment, and commanded his attendants to besummoned. Angus M'Aulay, equally embarrassed and incensed at thecharge of inhospitality, which was the greatest possible affront to aHighlander, did not follow Sir Duncan to the court-yard, where, mountinghis palfrey, which was in readiness, followed by six mounted attendants, and accompanied by the noble Captain Dalgetty, who had also awaited him, holding Gustavus ready for action, though he did not draw his girths andmount till Sir Duncan appeared, the whole cavalcade left the castle. 

The journey was long and toilsome, but without any of the extremeprivations which the Laird of M'Aulay had prophesied. In truth, SirDuncan was very cautious to avoid those nearer and more secret paths, by means of which the county of Argyle was accessible from the eastward;for his relation and chief, the Marquis, was used to boast, that hewould not for a hundred thousand crowns any mortal should know thepasses by which an armed force could penetrate into his country. 

Sir Duncan Campbell, therefore, rather shunned the Highlands, andfalling into the Low-country, made for the nearest seaport in thevicinity, where he had several half-decked galleys, or birlings, asthey were called, at his command. In one of these they embarked, withGustavus in company, who was so seasoned to adventure, that land and seaseemed as indifferent to him as to his master. 

The wind being favourable, they pursued their way rapidly with sails andoars; and early the next morning it was announced to Captain Dalgetty, then in a small cabin beneath the hall-deck, that the galley was underthe walls of Sir Duncan Campbell's castle. 

Ardenvohr, accordingly, rose high above him, when he came upon the deckof the galley. It was a gloomy square tower, of considerable size andgreat height, situated upon a headland projecting into the salt-waterlake, or arm of the sea, which they had entered on the precedingevening. A wall, with flanking towers at each angle, surrounded thecastle to landward; but, towards the lake, it was built so near thebrink of the precipice as only to leave room for a battery of sevenguns, designed to protect the fortress from any insult from that side, although situated too high to be of any effectual use according to themodern system of warfare. 

The eastern sun, rising behind the old tower, flung its shadow far onthe lake, darkening the deck of the galley, on which Captain Dalgettynow walked, waiting with some impatience the signal to land. Sir DuncanCampbell, as he was informed by his attendants, was already within thewalls of the castle; but no one encouraged the Captain's proposal offollowing him ashore, until, as they stated, they should receive thedirect permission or order of the Knight of Ardenvohr. 

In a short time afterwards the mandate arrived, while a boat, with apiper in the bow, bearing the Knight of Ardenvohr's crest in silver uponhis left arm, and playing with all his might the family march, entitled"The Campbells are coming, " approached to conduct the envoy of Montroseto the castle of Ardenvohr. The distance between the galley and thebeach was so short as scarce to require the assistance of the eightsturdy rowers, in bonnets, short coats, and trews, whose efforts sentthe boat to the little creek in which they usually landed, before onecould have conceived that it had left the side of the birling. Two ofthe boatmen, in spite of Dalgetty's resistance, horsed the Captain onthe back of a third Highlander, and, wading through the surf with him, landed him high and dry upon the beach beneath the castle rock. Inthe face of this rock there appeared something like the entrance of alow-browed cavern, towards which the assistants were preparing to hurryour friend Dalgetty, when, shaking himself loose from them with somedifficulty, he insisted upon seeing Gustavus safely landed before heproceeded one step farther. The Highlanders could not comprehend what hemeant, until one who had picked up a little English, or rather LowlandScotch, exclaimed, "Houts! it's a' about her horse, ta useless baste. "Farther remonstrance on the part of Captain Dalgetty was interruptedby the appearance of Sir Duncan Campbell himself, from the mouth ofthe cavern which we have described, for the purpose of inviting CaptainDalgetty to accept of the hospitality of Ardenvohr, pledging his honour, at the same time, that Gustavus should be treated as became the herofrom whom he derived his name, not to mention the important personto whom he now belonged. Notwithstanding this satisfactory guarantee, Captain Dalgetty would still have hesitated, such was his anxiety towitness the fate of his companion Gustavus, had not two Highlandersseized him by the arms, two more pushed him on behind, while a fifthexclaimed, "Hout awa wi' the daft Sassenach! does she no hear the Lairdbidding her up to her ain castle, wi' her special voice, and isna thatvery mickle honour for the like o' her?"

Thus impelled, Captain Dalgetty could only for a short space keep areverted eye towards the galley in which he had left the partner of hismilitary toils. In a few minutes afterwards he found himself involved inthe total darkness of a staircase, which, entering from the low-browedcavern we have mentioned, winded upwards through the entrails of theliving rock. 

"The cursed Highland salvages!" muttered the Captain, half aloud; "whatis to become of me, if Gustavus, the namesake of the invincible Lion ofthe Protestant League, should be lamed among their untenty hands!"

"Have no fear of that, " said the voice of Sir Duncan, who was nearer tohim than he imagined; "my men are accustomed to handle horses, both inembarking and dressing them, and you will soon see Gustavus as safe aswhen you last dismounted from his back. "

Captain Dalgetty knew the world too well to offer any fartherremonstrance, whatever uneasiness he might suppress within his ownbosom. A step or two higher up the stair showed light and a door, andan iron-grated wicket led him out upon a gallery cut in the open faceof the rock, extending a space of about six or eight yards, until hereached a second door, where the path re-entered the rock, and which wasalso defended by an iron portcullis. "An admirable traverse, " observedthe Captain; "and if commanded by a field-piece, or even a few muskets, quite sufficient to ensure the place against a storming party. "

Sir Duncan Campbell made no answer at the time; but, the momentafterwards, when they had entered the second cavern, he struck with thestick which he had in his hand, first on the one side, and then on theother of the wicket, and the sullen ringing sound which replied to theblows, made Captain Dalgetty sensible that there was a gun placed oneach side, for the purpose of raking the gallery through which they hadpassed, although the embrasures, through which they might be fired onoccasion, were masked on the outside with sods and loose stones. Havingascended the second staircase, they found themselves again on an openplatform and gallery, exposed to a fire both of musketry and wall-guns, if, being come with hostile intent, they had ventured farther. A thirdflight of steps, cut in the rock like the former, but not caverned over, led them finally into the battery at the foot of the tower. This laststair also was narrow and steep, and, not to mention the fire whichmight be directed on it from above, one or two resolute men, with pikesand battle-axes, could have made the pass good against hundreds; for thestaircase would not admit two persons abreast, and was not secured byany sort of balustrade, or railing, from the sheer and abrupt precipice, on the foot of which the tide now rolled with a voice of thunder. Sothat, under the jealous precautions used to secure this ancient Celticfortress, a person of weak nerves, and a brain liable to become dizzy, might have found it something difficult to have achieved the entrance tothe castle, even supposing no resistance had been offered. 

Captain Dalgetty, too old a soldier to feel such tremors, had no soonerarrived in the court-yard, than he protested to God, the defences of SirDuncan's castle reminded him more of the notable fortress of Spandau, situated in the March of Brandenburg, than of any place whilk it hadbeen his fortune to defend in the course of his travels. Nevertheless, he criticised considerably the mode of placing the guns on the batterywe have noticed, observing, that "where cannon were perched, like toscarts or sea-gulls on the top of a rock, he had ever observed thatthey astonished more by their noise than they dismayed by the skaith ordamage which they occasioned. "

Sir Duncan, without replying, conducted the soldier into the tower; thedefences of which were a portcullis and ironclenched oaken door, thethickness of the wall being the space between them. He had no soonerarrived in a hall hung with tapestry, than the Captain prosecuted hismilitary criticism. It was indeed suspended by the sight of an excellentbreakfast, of which he partook with great avidity; but no sooner had hesecured this meal, than he made the tour of the apartment, examining theground around the Castle very carefully from each window in the room. He then returned to his chair, and throwing himself back into it at hislength, stretched out one manly leg, and tapping his jack-boot with theriding-rod which he carried in his hand, after the manner of a half-bredman who affects ease in the society of his betters, he delivered hisunasked opinion as follows:--"This house of yours, now, Sir Duncan, is avery pretty defensible sort of a tenement, and yet it is hardly such asa cavaliero of honour would expect to maintain his credit by holding outfor many days. For, Sir Duncan, if it pleases you to notice, your houseis overcrowed, and slighted, or commanded, as we military men say, byyonder round hillock to the landward, whereon an enemy might stellsuch a battery of cannon as would make ye glad to beat a chamade withinforty-eight hours, unless it pleased the Lord extraordinarily to showmercy. "

"There is no road, " replied Sir Duncan, somewhat shortly, "by whichcannon can be brought against Ardenvohr. The swamps and morasses aroundmy house would scarce carry your horse and yourself, excepting by suchpaths as could be rendered impassable within a few hours. "

"Sir Duncan, " said the Captain, "it is your pleasure to suppose so; andyet we martial men say, that where there is a sea-coast there is alwaysa naked side, seeing that cannon and munition, where they cannot betransported by land, may be right easily brought by sea near to theplace where they are to be put in action. Neither is a castle, howeversecure in its situation, to be accounted altogether invincible, or, asthey say, impregnable; for I protest t'ye, Sir Duncan, that I have knowntwenty-five men, by the mere surprise and audacity of the attack, win, at point of pike, as strong a hold as this of Ardenvohr, and put to thesword, captivate, or hold to the ransom, the defenders, being ten timestheir own number. "

Notwithstanding Sir Duncan Campbell's knowledge of the world, and hispower of concealing his internal emotion, he appeared piqued and hurtat these reflections, which the Captain made with the most unconsciousgravity, having merely selected the subject of conversation as one uponwhich he thought himself capable of shining, and, as they say, of layingdown the law, without exactly recollecting that the topic might not beequally agreeable to his landlord. 

"To cut this matter short, " said Sir Duncan, with an expression of voiceand countenance somewhat agitated, "it is unnecessary for you totell me, Captain Dalgetty, that a castle may be stormed if it is notvalorously defended, or surprised if it is not heedfully watched. I trust this poor house of mine will not be found in any of thesepredicaments, should even Captain Dalgetty himself choose to beleaguerit. "

"For all that, Sir Duncan, " answered the persevering commander, "I wouldpremonish you, as a friend, to trace out a sconce upon that roundhill, with a good graffe, or ditch, whilk may be easily accomplished bycompelling the labour of the boors in the vicinity; it being the customof the valorous Gustavus Adolphus to fight as much by the spade andshovel, as by sword, pike, and musket. Also, I would advise you tofortify the said sconce, not only by a foussie, or graffe, but also bycertain stackets, or palisades. "--(Here Sir Duncan, becoming impatient, left the apartment, the Captain following him to the door, and raisinghis voice as he retreated, until he was fairly out of hearing. )--"Thewhilk stackets, or palisades, should be artificially framed withre-entering angles and loop-holes, or crenelles, for musketry, whereofit shall arise that the foeman--The Highland brute! the old Highlandbrute! They are as proud as peacocks, and as obstinate as tups--and herehe has missed an opportunity of making his house as pretty an irregularfortification as an invading army ever broke their teeth upon. --But Isee, " he continued, looking own from the window upon the bottom of theprecipice, "they have got Gustavus safe ashore--Proper fellow! I wouldknow that toss of his head among a whole squadron. I must go to see whatthey are to make of him. "

He had no sooner reached, however, the court to the seaward, and puthimself in the act of descending the staircase, than two Highlandsentinels, advancing their Lochaber axes, gave him to understand thatthis was a service of danger. 

"Diavolo!" said the soldier, "and I have got no pass-word. I could notspeak a syllable of their salvage gibberish, an it were to save me fromthe provost-marshal. "

"I will be your surety, Captain Dalgetty, " said Sir Duncan, who hadagain approached him without his observing from whence; "and we will gotogether, and see how your favourite charger is accommodated. "

He conducted him accordingly down the staircase to the beach, and fromthence by a short turn behind a large rock, which concealed the stablesand other offices belonging to the castle, Captain Dalgetty becamesensible, at the same time, that the side of the castle to the land wasrendered totally inaccessible by a ravine, partly natural and partlyscarped with great care and labour, so as to be only passed by adrawbridge. Still, however, the Captain insisted, not withstanding thetriumphant air with which Sir Duncan pointed out his defences, that asconce should be erected on Drumsnab, the round eminence to the east ofthe castle, in respect the house might be annoyed from thence by burningbullets full of fire, shot out of cannon, according to the curiousinvention of Stephen Bathian, King of Poland, whereby that princeutterly ruined the great Muscovite city of Moscow. This invention, Captain Dalgetty owned, he had not yet witnessed, but observed, "thatit would give him particular delectation to witness the same put tothe proof against Ardenvohr, or any other castle of similar strength;"observing, "that so curious an experiment could not but afford thegreatest delight to all admirers of the military art. "

Sir Duncan Campbell diverted this conversation by carrying the soldierinto his stables, and suffering him to arrange Gustavus according tohis own will and pleasure. After this duty had been carefully performed, Captain Dalgetty proposed to return to the castle, observing, it was hisintention to spend the time betwixt this and dinner, which, he presumed, would come upon the parade about noon, in burnishing his armour, whichhaving sustained some injury from the sea-air, might, he was afraid, seem discreditable in the eyes of M'Callum More. Yet, while they werereturning to the castle, he failed not to warn Sir Duncan Campbellagainst the great injury he might sustain by any sudden onfall of anenemy, whereby his horses, cattle, and granaries, might be cut off andconsumed, to his great prejudice; wherefore he again strongly conjuredhim to construct a sconce upon the round hill called Drumsnab, andoffered his own friendly services in lining out the same. To thisdisinterested advice Sir Duncan only replied by ushering his guest tohis apartment, and informing him that the tolling of the castle bellwould make him aware when dinner was ready. 

CHAPTER XI. 

 Is this thy castle, Baldwin? Melancholy Displays her sable banner from the donjon, Darkening the foam of the whole surge beneath. Were I a habitant, to see this gloom Pollute the face of nature, and to hear The ceaseless sound of wave, and seabird's scream, I'd wish me in the hut that poorest peasant E'er framed, to give him temporary shelter. --BROWN. 

The gallant Ritt-master would willingly have employed his leisure instudying the exterior of Sir Duncan's castle, and verifying his ownmilitary ideas upon the nature of its defences. But a stout sentinel, who mounted guard with a Lochaber-axe at the door of his apartment, gavehim to understand, by very significant signs, that he was in a sort ofhonourable captivity. 

It is strange, thought the Ritt-master to himself, how well thesesalvages understand the rules and practique of war. Who should havepre-supposed their acquaintance with the maxim of the great and godlikeGustavus Adolphus, that a flag of truce should be half a messenger halfa spy?--And, having finished burnishing his arms, he sate down patientlyto compute how much half a dollar per diem would amount to at the end ofa six-months' campaign; and, when he had settled that problem, proceededto the more abstruse calculations necessary for drawing up a brigade oftwo thousand men on the principle of extracting the square root. 

From his musings, he was roused by the joyful sound of the dinner bell, on which the Highlander, lately his guard, became his gentleman-usher, and marshalled him to the hall, where a table with four covers boreample proofs of Highland hospitality. Sir Duncan entered, conducting hislady, a tall, faded, melancholy female, dressed in deep mourning. Theywere followed by a Presbyterian clergyman, in his Geneva cloak, andwearing a black silk skull-cap, covering his short hair so closely, thatit could scarce be seen at all, so that the unrestricted ears had anundue predominance in the general aspect. This ungraceful fashion wasuniversal at the time, and partly led to the nicknames of roundheads, prick-eared curs, and so forth, which the insolence of the cavaliersliberally bestowed on their political enemies. 

Sir Duncan presented his military guest to his lady, who received histechnical salutation with a stiff and silent reverence, in which itcould scarce be judged whether pride or melancholy had the greatershare. The churchman, to whom he was next presented, eyed him with aglance of mingled dislike and curiosity. 

The Captain, well accustomed to worse looks from more dangerous persons, cared very little either for those of the lady or of the divine, butbent his whole soul upon assaulting a huge piece of beef, which smokedat the nether end of the table. But the onslaught, as he would havetermed it, was delayed, until the conclusion of a very long grace, betwixt every section of which Dalgetty handled his knife and fork, ashe might have done his musket or pike when going upon action, and asoften resigned them unwillingly when the prolix chaplain commencedanother clause of his benediction. Sir Duncan listened with decency, though he was supposed rather to have joined the Covenanters out ofdevotion to his chief, than real respect for the cause either of libertyor of Presbytery. His lady alone attended to the blessing, with symptomsof deep acquiescence. 

The meal was performed almost in Carthusian silence; for it was none ofCaptain Dalgetty's habits to employ his mouth in talking, while it couldbe more profitably occupied. Sir Duncan was absolutely silent, and thelady and churchman only occasionally exchanged a few words, spoken low, and indistinctly. 

But, when the dishes were removed, and their place supplied by liquorsof various sorts, Captain Dalgetty no longer had, himself, the sameweighty reasons for silence, and began to tire of that of the restof the company. He commenced a new attack upon his landlord, upon theformer ground. 

"Touching that round monticle, or hill, or eminence, termed Drumsnab, Iwould be proud to hold some dialogue with you, Sir Duncan, on the natureof the sconce to be there constructed; and whether the anglesthereof should be acute or obtuse--anent whilk I have heard the greatVelt-Mareschal Bannier hold a learned argument with General Tiefenbachduring a still-stand of arms. "

"Captain Dalgetty, " answered Sir Duncan very dryly, "it is not ourHighland usage to debate military points with strangers. This castleis like to hold out against a stronger enemy than any force which theunfortunate gentlemen we left at Darnlinvarach are able to bring againstit. "

A deep sigh from the lady accompanied the conclusion of her husband'sspeech, which seemed to remind her of some painful circumstance. 

"He who gave, " said the clergyman, addressing her in a solemn tone, "hath taken away. May you, honourable lady, be long enabled to say, Blessed be his name!"

To this exhortation, which seemed intended for her sole behoof, thelady answered by an inclination of her head, more humble than CaptainDalgetty had yet observed her make. Supposing he should now find her ina more conversible humour, he proceeded to accost her. 

"It is indubitably very natural that your ladyship should be downcastat the mention of military preparations, whilk I have observed to spreadperturbation among women of all nations, and almost all conditions. Nevertheless, Penthesilea, in ancient times, and also Joan of Arc, and others, were of a different kidney. And, as I have learned whileI served the Spaniard, the Duke of Alva in former times had theleaguer-lasses who followed his camp marshalled into TERTIAS (whilkme call regiments), and officered and commanded by those of their ownfeminine gender, and regulated by a commander-in chief, called in GermanHureweibler, or, as we would say vernacularly, Captain of the Queans. True it is, they were persons not to be named as parallel to yourladyship, being such QUAE QUAESTUM CORPORIBUS FACIEBANT, as we saidof Jean Drochiels at Mareschal-College; the same whom the French termCURTISANNES, and we in Scottish--"

"The lady will spare you the trouble of further exposition, CaptainDalgetty, " said his host, somewhat sternly; to which the clergymanadded, "that such discourse better befitted a watch-tower guardedby profane soldiery than the board of an honourable person, and thepresence of a lady of quality. "

"Craving your pardon, Dominie, or Doctor, AUT QUOCUNQUE ALIO NOMINEGAUDES, for I would have you to know I have studied polite letters, "said the unabashed envoy, filling a great cup of wine, "I see no groundfor your reproof, seeing I did not speak of those TURPES PERSONAE, as iftheir occupation or character was a proper subject of conversationfor this lady's presence, but simply PAR ACCIDENS, as illustratingthe matter in hand, namely, their natural courage and audacity, muchenhanced, doubtless, by the desperate circumstances of their condition. "

"Captain Dalgetty, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "to break short thisdiscourse, I must acquaint you, that I have some business to dispatchto-night, in order to enable me to ride with you to-morrow towardsInverary; and therefore--"

"To ride with this person to-morrow!" exclaimed his lady; "such cannotbe your purpose, Sir Duncan, unless you have forgotten that the morrowis a sad anniversary, and dedicated to as sad a solemnity. "

"I had not forgotten, " answered Sir Duncan; "how is it possible I canever forget? but the necessity of the times requires I should send thisofficer onward to Inverary, without loss of time. "

"Yet, surely, not that you should accompany him in person?" enquired thelady. 

"It were better I did, " said Sir Duncan; "yet I can write to theMarquis, and follow on the subsequent day. --Captain Dalgetty, I willdispatch a letter for you, explaining to the Marquis of Argyle yourcharacter and commission, with which you will please to prepare totravel to Inverary early to-morrow morning. "

"Sir Duncan Campbell, " said Dalgetty, "I am doubtless at yourdiscretionary disposal in this matter; not the less, I pray you toremember the blot which will fall upon your own escutcheon, if you doin any way suffer me, being a commissionate flag of truce, to becircumvented in this matter, whether CLAM, VI, VEL PRECARIO; I do notsay by your assent to any wrong done to me, but even through absence ofany due care on your part to prevent the same. "

"You are under the safeguard of my honour, sir, " answered Sir DuncanCampbell, "and that is more than a sufficient security. And now, "continued he, rising, "I must set the example of retiring. "

Dalgetty saw himself under the necessity of following the hint, thoughthe hour was early; but, like a skilful general, he availed himself ofevery instant of delay which circumstances permitted. "Trusting toyour honourable parole, " said he, filling his cup, "I drink to you, SirDuncan, and to the continuance of your honourable-house. " A sighfrom Sir Duncan was the only reply. "Also, madam, " said the soldier, replenishing the quaigh with all possible dispatch, "I drink to yourhonourable health, and fulfilment of all your virtuous desires--and, reverend sir" (not forgetting to fit the action to the words), "I fillthis cup to the drowning of all unkindness betwixt you and CaptainDalgetty--I should say Major--and, in respect the flagon contains butone cup more, I drink to the health of all honourable cavaliers andbrave soldados--and, the flask being empty, I am ready, Sir Duncan, toattend your functionary or sentinel to my place of private repose. "

He received a formal permission to retire, and an assurance, that asthe wine seemed to be to his taste, another measure of the same vintageshould attend him presently, in order to soothe the hours of hissolitude. 

No sooner had the Captain reached the apartment than this promise wasfulfilled; and, in a short time afterwards, the added comforts of apasty of red-deer venison rendered him very tolerant both of confinementand want of society. The same domestic, a sort of chamberlain, whoplaced this good cheer in his apartment, delivered to Dalgetty a packet, sealed and tied up with a silken thread, according to the custom ofthe time, addressed with many forms of respect to the High and MightyPrince, Archibald, Marquis of Argyle, Lord of Lorne, and so forth. Thechamberlain at the same time apprized the Ritt-master, that he musttake horse at an early hour for Inverary, where the packet of Sir Duncanwould be at once his introduction and his passport. Not forgetting thatit was his object to collect information as well as to act as an envoy, and desirous, for his own sake, to ascertain Sir Duncan's reasons forsending him onward without his personal attendance, the Ritt-masterenquired the domestic, with all the precaution that his experiencesuggested, what were the reasons which detained Sir Duncan at home onthe succeeding day. The man, who was from the Lowlands, replied, "thatit was the habit of Sir Duncan and his lady to observe as a day ofsolemn fast and humiliation the anniversary on which their castle hadbeen taken by surprise, and their children, to the number of four, destroyed cruelly by a band of Highland freebooters during Sir Duncan'sabsence upon an expedition which the Marquis of Argyle had undertakenagainst the Macleans of the Isle of Mull. "

"Truly, " said the soldier, "your lord and lady have some cause for fastand humiliation. Nevertheless, I will venture to pronounce, that if hehad taken the advice of any experienced soldier, having skill in thepractiques of defending places of advantage, he would have built asconce upon the small hill which is to the left of the draw-brigg. Andthis I can easily prove to you, mine honest friend; for, holding thatpasty to be the castle--What's your name, friend?"

"Lorimer, sir, " replied the man. 

"Here is to your health, honest Lorimer. --I say, Lorimer--holding thatpasty to be the main body or citadel of the place to be defended, andtaking the marrow-bone for the sconce to be erected--"

"I am sorry, sir, " said Lorimer, interrupting him, "that I cannot stayto hear the rest of your demonstration; but the bell will presentlyring. As worthy Mr. Graneangowl, the Marquis's own chaplain, does familyworship, and only seven of our household out of sixty persons understandthe Scottish tongue, it would misbecome any one of them to be absent, and greatly prejudice me in the opinion of my lady. There are pipes andtobacco, sir, if you please to drink a whiff of smoke, and if you wantanything else, it shall be forthcoming two hours hence, when prayers areover. " So saying, he left the apartment. 

No sooner was he gone, than the heavy toll of the castle-bell summonedits inhabitants together; and was answered by the shrill clamour of thefemales, mixed with the deeper tones of the men, as, talking Earse atthe top of their throats, they hurried from different quarters by a longbut narrow gallery, which served as a communication to many rooms, and, among others, to that in which Captain Dalgetty was stationed. Therethey go as if they were beating to the roll-call, thought the soldier tohimself; if they all attend the parade, I will look out, take a mouthfulof fresh air, and make mine own observations on the practicabilities ofthis place. 

Accordingly, when all was quiet, he opened his chamber door, andprepared to leave it, when he saw his friend with the axe advancingtowards him from the distant end of the gallery, half whistling, aGaelic tune. To have shown any want of confidence, would have been atonce impolitic, and unbecoming his military character; so the Captain, putting the best face upon his situation he could, whistled a Swedishretreat, in a tone still louder than the notes of his sentinel; andretreating pace by pace, with an air of indifference, as if his onlypurpose had been to breathe a little fresh air, he shut the door in theface of his guard, when the fellow had approached within a few paces ofhim. 

It is very well, thought the Ritt-master to himself; he annuls my paroleby putting guards upon me, for, as we used to say at Mareschal-College, FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA [See Note I]; and if he does not trust myword, I do not see how I am bound to keep it, if any motive should occurfor my desiring to depart from it. Surely the moral obligation of theparole is relaxed, in as far as physical force is substituted insteadthereof. 

Thus comforting himself in the metaphysical immunities which he deducedfrom the vigilance of his sentinel, Ritt-master Dalgetty retired to hisapartment, where, amid the theoretical calculations of tactics, and theoccasional more practical attacks on the flask and pasty, he consumedthe evening until it was time to go to repose. He was summoned byLorimer at break of day, who gave him to understand, that, when he hadbroken his fast, for which he produced ample materials, his guide andhorse were in attendance for his journey to Inverary. After complyingwith the hospitable hint of the chamberlain, the soldier proceededto take horse. In passing through the apartments, he observed thatdomestics were busily employed in hanging the great hall with blackcloth, a ceremony which, he said, he had seen practised when theimmortal Gustavus Adolphus lay in state in the Castle of Wolgast, andwhich, therefore, he opined, was a testimonial of the strictest anddeepest mourning. 

When Dalgetty mounted his steed, he found himself attended, or perhapsguarded, by five or six Campbells, well armed, commanded by one, who, from the target at his shoulder, and the short cock's feather in hisbonnet, as well as from the state which he took upon himself, claimedthe rank of a Dunniewassel, or clansman of superior rank; and indeed, from his dignity of deportment, could not stand in a more distant degreeof relationship to Sir Duncan, than that of tenth or twelfth cousin atfarthest. But it was impossible to extract positive information on thisor any other subject, inasmuch as neither this commander nor any ofhis party spoke English. The Captain rode, and his military attendantswalked; but such was their activity, and so numerous the impedimentswhich the nature of the road presented to the equestrian mode oftravelling, that far from being retarded by the slowness of their pace, his difficulty was rather in keeping up with his guides. He observedthat they occasionally watched him with a sharp eye, as if they werejealous of some effort to escape; and once, as he lingered behind atcrossing a brook, one of the gillies began to blow the match of hispiece, giving him to understand that he would run some risk in case ofan attempt to part company. Dalgetty did not augur much good from theclose watch thus maintained upon his person; but there was no remedy, for an attempt to escape from his attendants in an impervious andunknown country, would have been little short of insanity. He thereforeplodded patiently on through a waste and savage wilderness, treadingpaths which were only known to the shepherds and cattle-drivers, andpassing with much more of discomfort than satisfaction many of thosesublime combinations of mountainous scenery which now draw visitors fromevery corner of England, to feast their eyes upon Highland grandeur, andmortify their palates upon Highland fare. 

At length they arrived on the southern verge of that noble lake uponwhich Inverary is situated; and a bugle, which the Dunniewassel windedtill rock and greenwood rang, served as a signal to a well-mannedgalley, which, starting from a creek where it lay concealed, receivedthe party on board, including Gustavus; which sagacious quadruped, anexperienced traveller both by water and land, walked in and out of theboat with the discretion of a Christian. 

Embarked on the bosom of Loch Fine, Captain Dalgetty might have admiredone of the grandest scenes which nature affords. He might have noticedthe rival rivers Aray and Shiray, which pay tribute to the lake, eachissuing from its own dark and wooded retreat. He might have marked, onthe soft and gentle slope that ascends from the shores, the noble oldGothic castle, with its varied outline, embattled walls, towers, andouter and inner courts, which, so far as the picturesque is concerned, presented an aspect much more striking than the present massive anduniform mansion. He might have admired those dark woods which for manya mile surrounded this strong and princely dwelling, and his eye mighthave dwelt on the picturesque peak of Duniquoich, starting abruptly fromthe lake, and raising its scathed brow into the mists of middle sky, while a solitary watch-tower, perched on its top like an eagle's nest, gave dignity to the scene by awakening a sense of possible danger. All these, and every other accompaniment of this noble scene, CaptainDalgetty might have marked, if he had been so minded. But, to confessthe truth, the gallant Captain, who had eaten nothing since daybreak, was chiefly interested by the smoke which ascended from the castlechimneys, and the expectations which this seemed to warrant of hisencountering an abundant stock of provant, as he was wont to callsupplies of this nature. 

The boat soon approached the rugged pier, which abutted into the lochfrom the little town of Inverary, then a rude assemblage of huts, with avery few stone mansions interspersed, stretching upwards from the banksof Loch Fine to the principal gate of the castle, before which a scenepresented itself that might easily have quelled a less stout heart, and turned a more delicate stomach, than those of Ritt-master DugaldDalgetty, titular of Drumthwacket. 

CHAPTER XII. 

 For close designs and crooked counsels fit, Sagacious, bold, and turbulent of wit, Restless, unfix'd in principle and place, In power unpleased, impatient in disgrace. --ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL. 

The village of Inverary, now a neat country town, then partook of therudeness of the seventeenth century, in the miserable appearance of thehouses, and the irregularity of the unpaved street. But a stronger andmore terrible characteristic of the period appeared in the market-place, which was a space of irregular width, half way betwixt the harbour, orpier, and the frowning castle-gate, which terminated with its gloomyarchway, portcullis, and flankers, the upper end of the vista. Midwaythis space was erected a rude gibbet, on which hung five dead bodies, two of which from their dress seemed to have been Lowlanders, and theother three corpses were muffled in their Highland plaids. Two or threewomen sate under the gallows, who seemed to be mourning, and singingthe coronach of the deceased in a low voice. But the spectacle wasapparently of too ordinary occurrence to have much interest for theinhabitants at large, who, while they thronged to look at the militaryfigure, the horse of an unusual size, and the burnished panoply ofCaptain Dalgetty, seemed to bestow no attention whatever on the piteousspectacle which their own market-place afforded. 

The envoy of Montrose was not quite so indifferent; and, hearing a wordor two of English escape from a Highlander of decent appearance, heimmediately halted Gustavus and addressed him, "The Provost-Marshal hasbeen busy here, my friend. May I crave of you what these delinquentshave been justified for?"

He looked towards the gibbet as he spoke; and the Gael, comprehendinghis meaning rather by his action than his words, immediately replied, "Three gentlemen caterans, --God sain them, " (crossing himself)--"twaSassenach bits o' bodies, that wadna do something that M'Callum Morebade them;" and turning from Dalgetty with an air of indifference, awayhe walked, staying no farther question. 

Dalgetty shrugged his shoulders and proceeded, for Sir Duncan Campbell'stenth or twelfth cousin had already shown some signs of impatience. 

At the gate of the castle another terrible spectacle of feudal powerawaited him. Within a stockade or palisade, which seemed lately to havebeen added to the defences of the gate, and which was protected by twopieces of light artillery, was a small enclosure, where stood a hugeblock, on which lay an axe. Both were smeared with recent blood, anda quantity of saw-dust strewed around, partly retained and partlyobliterated the marks of a very late execution. 

As Dalgetty looked on this new object of terror, his principal guidesuddenly twitched him by the skirt of his jerkin, and having thusattracted his attention, winked and pointed with his finger to apole fixed on the stockade, which supported a human head, being that, doubtless, of the late sufferer. There was a leer on the Highlander'sface, as he pointed to this ghastly spectacle, which seemed to hisfellow-traveller ominous of nothing good. 

Dalgetty dismounted from his horse at the gateway, and Gustavus wastaken from him without his being permitted to attend him to the stable, according to his custom. 

This gave the soldier a pang which the apparatus of death had notconveyed. --"Poor Gustavus!" said he to himself, "if anything but goodhappens to me, I had better have left him at Darnlinvarach than broughthim here among these Highland salvages, who scarce know the head ofa horse from his tail. But duty must part a man from his nearest anddearest--

 "When the cannons are roaring, lads, and the colours are flying, The lads that seek honour must never fear dying; Then, stout cavaliers, let us toil our brave trade in, And fight for the Gospel and the bold King of Sweden. "

Thus silencing his apprehensions with the but-end of a military ballad, he followed his guide into a sort of guard-room filled with armedHighlanders. It was intimated to him that he must remain here until hisarrival was communicated to the Marquis. To make this communicationthe more intelligible, the doughty Captain gave to the Dunniewassel SirDuncan Campbell's packet, desiring, as well as he could, by signs, thatit should be delivered into the Marquis's own hand. His guide nodded, and withdrew. 

The Captain was left about half an hour in this place, to endure withindifference, or return with scorn, the inquisitive, and, at the sametime, the inimical glances of the armed Gael, to whom his exterior andequipage were as much subject of curiosity, as his person and countryseemed matter of dislike. All this he bore with military nonchalance, until, at the expiration of the above period, a person dressed in blackvelvet, and wearing a gold chain like a modern magistrate of Edinburgh, but who was, in fact, steward of the household to the Marquis of Argyle, entered the apartment, and invited, with solemn gravity, the Captain tofollow him to his master's presence. 

The suite of apartments through which he passed, were filled withattendants or visitors of various descriptions, disposed, perhaps, withsome ostentation, in order to impress the envoy of Montrose with an ideaof the superior power and magnificence belonging to the rival house ofArgyle. One ante-room was filled with lacqueys, arrayed in brown andyellow, the colours of the family, who, ranged in double file, gazed insilence upon Captain Dalgetty as he passed betwixt their ranks. Anotherwas occupied by Highland gentlemen and chiefs of small branches, whowere amusing themselves with chess, backgammon, and other games, whichthey scarce intermitted to gaze with curiosity upon the stranger. Athird was filled with Lowland gentlemen and officers, who seemed alsoin attendance; and, lastly, the presence-chamber of the Marquis himselfshowed him attended by a levee which marked his high importance. 

This apartment, the folding doors of which were opened for the receptionof Captain Dalgetty, was a long gallery, decorated with tapestry andfamily portraits, and having a vaulted ceiling of open wood-work, theextreme projections of the beams being richly carved and gilded. Thegallery was lighted by long lanceolated Gothic casements, dividedby heavy shafts, and filled with painted glass, where the sunbeamsglimmered dimly through boars'-heads, and galleys, and batons, andswords, armorial bearings of the powerful house of Argyle, and emblemsof the high hereditary offices of Justiciary of Scotland, and Master ofthe Royal Household, which they long enjoyed. At the upper end of thismagnificent gallery stood the Marquis himself, the centre of a splendidcircle of Highland and Lowland gentlemen, all richly dressed, among whomwere two or three of the clergy, called in, perhaps, to be witnesses ofhis lordship's zeal for the Covenant. 

The Marquis himself was dressed in the fashion of the period, whichVandyke has so often painted, but his habit was sober and uniformin colour, and rather rich than gay. His dark complexion, furrowedforehead, and downcast look, gave him the appearance of one frequentlyengaged in the consideration of important affairs, and who has acquired, by long habit, an air of gravity and mystery, which he cannot shake offeven where there is nothing to be concealed. The cast with his eyes, which had procured him in the Highlands the nickname of GillespieGrumach (or the grim), was less perceptible when he looked downward, which perhaps was one cause of his having adopted that habit. In person, he was tall and thin, but not without that dignity of deportment andmanners, which became his high rank. Something there was cold in hisaddress, and sinister in his look, although he spoke and behaved withthe usual grace of a man of such quality. He was adored by his own clan, whose advancement he had greatly studied, although he was in proportiondisliked by the Highlanders of other septs, some of whom he had alreadystripped of their possessions, while others conceived themselves indanger from his future schemes, and all dreaded the height to which hewas elevated. 

We have already noticed, that in displaying himself amidst hiscouncillors, his officers of the household, and his train of vassals, allies, and dependents, the Marquis of Argyle probably wished to makean impression on the nervous system of Captain Dugald Dalgetty. But thatdoughty person had fought his way, in one department or another, throughthe greater part of the Thirty Years' War in Germany, a period when abrave and successful soldier was a companion for princes. The King ofSweden, and, after his example, even the haughty Princes of the Empire, had found themselves fain, frequently to compound with their dignity, and silence, when they could not satisfy the pecuniary claims of theirsoldiers, by admitting them to unusual privileges and familiarity. Captain Dugald Dalgetty had it to boast, that he had sate with princesat feasts made for monarchs, and therefore was not a person to bebrow-beat even by the dignity which surrounded M'Callum More. Indeed, hewas naturally by no means the most modest man in the world, but, on thecontrary, had so good an opinion of himself, that into whatever companyhe chanced to be thrown, he was always proportionally elevated in hisown conceit; so that he felt as much at ease in the most exalted societyas among his own ordinary companions. In this high opinion of his ownrank, he was greatly fortified by his ideas of the military profession, which, in his phrase, made a valiant cavalier a camarade to an emperor. 

When introduced, therefore, into the Marquis's presence-chamber, headvanced to the upper end with an air of more confidence than grace, andwould have gone close up to Argyle's person before speaking, had notthe latter waved his hand, as a signal to him to stop short. CaptainDalgetty did so accordingly, and having made his military congee witheasy confidence, he thus accosted the Marquis: "Give you good morrow, mylord--or rather I should say, good even; BESO A USTED LOS MANOS, as theSpaniard says. "

"Who are you, sir, and what is your business?" demanded the Marquis, ina tone which was intended to interrupt the offensive familiarity of thesoldier. 

"That is a fair interrogative, my lord, " answered Dalgetty, "which Ishall forthwith answer as becomes a cavalier, and that PEREMPTORIE, aswe used to say at Mareschal-College. "

"See who or what he is, Neal, " said the Marquis sternly, to a gentlemanwho stood near him. 

"I will save the honourable gentleman the labour of investigation, "continued the Captain. "I am Dugald Dalgetty, of Drumthwacket, thatshould be, late Ritt-master in various services, and now Major of Iknow not what or whose regiment of Irishes; and I am come with a flag oftruce from a high and powerful lord, James Earl of Montrose, andother noble persons now in arms for his Majesty. And so, God save KingCharles!"

"Do you know where you are, and the danger of dallying with us, sir, "again demanded the Marquis, "that you reply to me as if I were a childor a fool? The Earl of Montrose is with the English malignants; and Isuspect you are one of those Irish runagates, who are come into thiscountry to burn and slay, as they did under Sir Phelim O'Neale. "

"My lord, " replied Captain Dalgetty, "I am no renegade, though a Majorof Irishes, for which I might refer your lordship to the invincibleGustavus Adolphus the Lion of the North, to Bannier, to Oxenstiern, tothe warlike Duke of Saxe-Weimar, Tilly, Wallenstein, Piccolomini, andother great captains, both dead and living; and touching the noble Earlof Montrose, I pray your lordship to peruse these my full powers fortreating with you in the name of that right honourable commander. "

The Marquis looked slightingly at the signed and sealed paper whichCaptain Dalgetty handed to him, and, throwing it with contempt upon atable, asked those around him what he deserved who came as the avowedenvoy and agent of malignant traitors, in arms against the state?

"A high gallows and a short shrift, " was the ready answer of one of thebystanders. 

"I will crave of that honourable cavalier who hath last spoken, " saidDalgetty, "to be less hasty in forming his conclusions, and also of yourlordship to be cautelous in adopting the same, in respect such threatsare to be held out only to base bisognos, and not to men of spirit andaction, who are bound to peril themselves as freely in services of thisnature, as upon sieges, battles, or onslaughts of any sort. And albeit Ihave not with me a trumpet, or a white flag, in respect our army is notyet equipped with its full appointments, yet the honourable cavaliersand your lordship must concede unto me, that the sanctity of an envoywho cometh on matter of truth or parle, consisteth not in the fanfare ofa trumpet, whilk is but a sound, or in the flap of a white flag, whilkis but an old rag in itself, but in the confidence reposed by the partysending, and the party sent, in the honour of those to whom the messageis to be carried, and their full reliance that they will respect theJUS GENTIUM, as weel as the law of arms, in the person of thecommissionate. "

"You are not come hither to lecture us upon the law of arms, sir, " saidthe Marquis, "which neither does nor can apply to rebels and insurgents;but to suffer the penalty of your insolence and folly for bringing atraitorous message to the Lord Justice General of Scotland, whose dutycalls upon him to punish such an offence with death. "

"Gentlemen, " said the Captain, who began much to dislike the turn whichhis mission seemed about to take, "I pray you to remember, that theEarl of Montrose will hold you and your possessions liable forwhatever injury my person, or my horse, shall sustain by these unseemlyproceedings, and that he will be justified in executing retributivevengeance on your persons and possessions. "

This menace was received with a scornful laugh, while one of theCampbells replied, "It is a far cry to Lochow;" proverbial expression ofthe tribe, meaning that their ancient hereditary domains lay beyondthe reach of an invading enemy. "But, gentlemen, " further urged theunfortunate Captain, who was unwilling to be condemned, without at leastthe benefit of a full hearing, "although it is not for me to say howfar it may be to Lochow, in respect I am a stranger to these parts, yet, what is more to the purpose, I trust you will admit that I havethe guarantee of an honourable gentleman of your own name, Sir DuncanCampbell of Ardenvohr, for my safety on this mission; and I pray youto observe, that in breaking the truce towards me, you will highlyprejudicate his honour and fair fame. "

This seemed to be new information to many of the gentlemen, for theyspoke aside with each other, and the Marquis's face, notwithstandinghis power of suppressing all external signs of his passions, showedimpatience and vexation. 

"Does Sir Duncan of Ardenvohr pledge his honour for this person'ssafety, my lord?" said one of the company, addressing the Marquis. 

"I do not believe it, " answered the Marquis; "but I have not yet hadtime to read his letter. "

"We will pray your lordship to do so, " said another of the Campbells;"our name must not suffer discredit through the means of such a fellowas this. "

"A dead fly, " said a clergyman, "maketh the ointment of the apothecaryto stink. "

"Reverend sir, " said Captain Dalgetty, "in respect of the use to bederived, I forgive you the unsavouriness of your comparison; and alsoremit to the gentleman in the red bonnet, the disparaging epithet ofFELLOW, which he has discourteously applied to me, who am no way tobe distinguished by the same, unless in so far as I have been calledfellow-soldier by the great Gustavus Adolphus, the Lion of the North, and other choice commanders, both in Germany and the Low Countries. But, touching Sir Duncan Campbell's guarantee of my safety, I will gage mylife upon his making my words good thereanent, when he comes hitherto-morrow. "

"If Sir Duncan be soon expected, my Lord, " said one of the intercessors, "it would be a pity to anticipate matters with this poor man. "

"Besides that, " said another, "your lordship--I speak withreverence--should, at least, consult the Knight of Ardenvohr's letter, and learn the terms on which this Major Dalgetty, as he calls himself, has been sent hither by him. "

They closed around the Marquis, and conversed together in a low tone, both in Gaelic and English. The patriarchal power of the Chiefs was verygreat, and that of the Marquis of Argyle, armed with all his grants ofhereditary jurisdiction, was particularly absolute. But there interferessome check of one kind or other even in the most despotic government. That which mitigated the power of the Celtic Chiefs, was the necessitywhich they lay under of conciliating the kinsmen who, under them, ledout the lower orders to battle, and who formed a sort of council of thetribe in time of peace. The Marquis on this occasion thought himselfunder the necessity of attending to the remonstrances of this senate, ormore properly COUROULTAI, of the name of Campbell, and, slipping outof the circle, gave orders for the prisoner to be removed to a place ofsecurity. 

"Prisoner!" exclaimed Dalgetty, exerting himself with such force aswellnigh to shake off two Highlanders, who for some minutes past hadwaited the signal to seize him, and kept for that purpose close at hisback. Indeed the soldier had so nearly attained his liberty, that theMarquis of Argyle changed colour, and stepped back two paces, laying, however, his hand on his sword, while several of his clan, with readydevotion, threw themselves betwixt him and the apprehended vengeance ofthe prisoner. But the Highland guards were too strong to be shaken off, and the unlucky Captain, after having had his offensive weapons takenfrom him, was dragged off and conducted through several gloomy passagesto a small side-door grated with iron, within which was another of wood. These were opened by a grim old Highlander with a long white beard, anddisplayed a very steep and narrow flight of steps leading downward. TheCaptain's guards pushed him down two or three steps, then, unloosing hisarms, left him to grope his way to the bottom as he could; a taskwhich became difficult and even dangerous, when the two doors beingsuccessively locked left the prisoner in total darkness. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

 Whatever stranger visits here, We pity his sad case, Unless to worship he draw near The King of Kings--his Grace. --BURNS'S EPIGRAM ON A VISIT TO INVERARY. 

The Captain, finding himself deprived of light in the manner we havedescribed, and placed in a very uncertain situation, proceeded todescend the narrow and broken stair with all the caution in his power, hoping that he might find at the bottom some place to repose himself. But with all his care he could not finally avoid making a false step, which brought him down the four or five last steps too hastily topreserve his equilibrium. At the bottom he stumbled over a bundle ofsomething soft, which stirred and uttered a groan, so deranging theCaptain's descent, that he floundered forward, and finally fell upon hishands and knees on the floor of a damp and stone-paved dungeon. 

When Dalgetty had recovered, his first demand was to know over whom hehad stumbled. 

"He was a man a month since, " answered a hollow and broken voice. 

"And what is he now, then, " said Dalgetty, "that he thinks it fittingto lie upon the lowest step of the stairs, and clew'd up like a hurchin, that honourable cavaliers, who chance to be in trouble, may break theirnoses over him?"

"What is he now?" replied the same voice; "he is a wretched trunk, from which the boughs have one by one been lopped away, and which careslittle how soon it is torn up and hewed into billets for the furnace. "

"Friend, " said Dalgetty, "I am sorry for you; but PATIENZA, as theSpaniard says. If you had but been as quiet as a log, as you callyourself, I should have saved some excoriations on my hands and knees. "

"You are a soldier, " replied his fellow-prisoner; "do you complain onaccount of a fall for which a boy would not bemoan himself?"

"A soldier?" said the Captain; "and how do you know, in this cursed darkcavern, that I am a soldier?"

"I heard your armour clash as you fell, " replied the prisoner, "and nowI see it glimmer. When you have remained as long as I in this darkness, your eyes will distinguish the smallest eft that crawls on the floor. "

"I had rather the devil picked them out!" said Dalgetty; "if this be thecase, I shall wish for a short turn of the rope, a soldier's prayer, anda leap from a ladder. But what sort of provant have you got here--whatfood, I mean, brother in affliction?"

"Bread and water once a day, " replied the voice. 

"Prithee, friend, let me taste your loaf, " said Dalgetty; "I hope weshall play good comrades while we dwell together in this abominablepit. "

"The loaf and jar of water, " answered the other prisoner, "stand inthe corner, two steps to your right hand. Take them, and welcome. Withearthly food I have wellnigh done. "

Dalgetty did not wait for a second invitation, but, groping out theprovisions, began to munch at the stale black oaten loaf with as muchheartiness as we have seen him play his part at better viands. 

"This bread, " he said, muttering (with his mouth full at the same time), "is not very savoury; nevertheless, it is not much worse than that whichwe ate at the famous leaguer at Werben, where the valorous Gustavusfoiled all the efforts of the celebrated Tilly, that terrible old hero, who had driven two kings out of the field--namely, Ferdinand of Bohemiaand Christian of Denmark. And anent this water, which is none of themost sweet, I drink in the same to your speedy deliverance, comrade, not forgetting mine own, and devoutly wishing it were Rhenish wine, orhumming Lubeck beer, at the least, were it but in honour of the pledge. "

While Dalgetty ran on in this way, his teeth kept time with his tongue, and he speedily finished the provisions which the benevolence orindifference of his companion in misfortune had abandoned to hisvoracity. When this task was accomplished, he wrapped himself in hiscloak, and seating himself in a corner of the dungeon in which he couldobtain a support on each side (for he had always been an admirer ofelbow-chairs, he remarked, even from his youth upward), he began toquestion his fellow-captive. 

"Mine honest friend, " said he, "you and I, being comrades at bedand board, should be better acquainted. I am Dugald Dalgetty ofDrumthwacket, and so forth, Major in a regiment of loyal Irishes, and Envoy Extraordinary of a High and Mighty Lord, James Earl ofMontrose. --Pray, what may your name be?"

"It will avail you little to know, " replied his more taciturn companion. 

"Let me judge of that matter, " answered the soldier. 

"Well, then--Ranald MacEagh is my name--that is, Ranald Son of theMist. "

"Son of the Mist!" ejaculated Dalgetty. "Son of utter darkness, say I. But, Ranald, since that is your name, how came you in possession of theprovost's court of guard? what the devil brought you here, that is tosay?"

"My misfortunes and my crimes, " answered Ranald. "Know ye the Knight ofArdenvohr?"

"I do know that honourable person, " replied Dalgetty. 

"But know ye where he now is?" replied Ranald. 

"Fasting this day at Ardenvohr, " answered the Envoy, "that he may feastto-morrow at Inverary; in which last purpose if he chance to fail, mylease of human service will be something precarious. "

"Then let him know, one claims his intercession, who is his worst foeand his best friend, " answered Ranald. 

"Truly I shall desire to carry a less questionable message, " answeredDalgetty, "Sir Duncan is not a person to play at reading riddles with. "

"Craven Saxon, " said the prisoner, "tell him I am the raven that, fifteen years since, stooped on his tower of strength and the pledgeshe had left there--I am the hunter that found out the wolfs den on therock, and destroyed his offspring--I am the leader of the band whichsurprised Ardenvohr yesterday was fifteen years, and gave his fourchildren to the sword. "

"Truly, my honest friend, " said Dalgetty, "if that is your bestrecommendation to Sir Duncan's favour, I would pretermit my pleadingthereupon, in respect I have observed that even the animal creation areincensed against those who intromit with their offspring forcibly, muchmore any rational and Christian creatures, who have had violence doneupon their small family. But I pray you in courtesy to tell me, whetheryou assailed the castle from the hillock called Drumsnab, whilk I upholdto be the true point of attack, unless it were to be protected by asconce. "

"We ascended the cliff by ladders of withies or saplings, " said theprisoner, "drawn up by an accomplice and clansman, who had served sixmonths in the castle to enjoy that one night of unlimited vengeance. The owl whooped around us as we hung betwixt heaven and earth; the tideroared against the foot of the rock, and dashed asunder our skiff, yetno man's heart failed him. In the morning there was blood and ashes, where there had been peace and joy at the sunset. "

"It was a pretty camisade, I doubt not, Ranald MacEagh, a verysufficient onslaught, and not unworthily discharged. Nevertheless, Iwould have pressed the house from that little hillock called Drumsnab. But yours is a pretty irregular Scythian fashion of warfare, Ranald, much resembling that of Turks, Tartars, and other Asiatic people. --Butthe reason, my friend, the cause of this war--the TETERRIMA CAUSA, as Imay say? Deliver me that, Ranald. "

"We had been pushed at by the M'Aulays, and other western tribes, " saidRanald, "till our possessions became unsafe for us. "

"Ah ha!" said Dalgetty; "I have faint remembrance of having heard ofthat matter. Did you not put bread and cheese into a man's mouth, whenhe had never a stomach whereunto to transmit the same?"

"You have heard, then, " said Ranald, "the tale of our revenge on thehaughty forester?"

"I bethink me that I have, " said Dalgetty, "and that not of an old date. It was a merry jest that, of cramming the bread into the dead man'smouth, but somewhat too wild and salvage for civilized acceptation, besides wasting the good victuals. I have seen when at a siege or aleaguer, Ranald, a living soldier would have been the better, Ranald, for that crust of bread, whilk you threw away on a dead pow. "

"We were attacked by Sir Duncan, " continued MacEagh, "and my brotherwas slain--his head was withering on the battlements which we scaled--Ivowed revenge, and it is a vow I have never broken. "

"It may be so, " said Dalgetty; "and every thorough-bred soldier willconfess that revenge is a sweet morsel; but in what manner this storywill interest Sir Duncan in your justification, unless it should movehim to intercede with the Marquis to change the manner thereof fromhanging, or simple suspension, to breaking your limbs on the roue orwheel, with the coulter of a plough, or otherwise putting you to deathby torture, surpasses my comprehension. Were I you, Ranald, I would befor miskenning Sir Duncan, keeping my own secret, and departing quietlyby suffocation, like your ancestors before you. "

"Yet hearken, stranger, " said the Highlander. "Sir Duncan of Ardenvohrhad four children. Three died under our dirks, but the fourth survives;and more would he give to dandle on his knee the fourth child whichremains, than to rack these old bones, which care little for the utmostindulgence of his wrath. One word, if I list to speak it, could turn hisday of humiliation and fasting into a day of thankfulness and rejoicing, and breaking of bread. O, I know it by my own heart? Dearer to me is thechild Kenneth, who chaseth the butterfly on the banks of the Aven, thanten sons who are mouldering in earth, or are preyed on by the fowls ofthe air. "

"I presume, Ranald, " continued Dalgetty, "that the three pretty fellowswhom I saw yonder in the market-place, strung up by the head likerizzer'd haddocks, claimed some interest in you?"

There was a brief pause ere the Highlander replied, in a tone of strongemotion, --"They were my sons, stranger--they were my sons!--blood of myblood--bone of my bone!--fleet of foot--unerring in aim--unvanquished byfoemen till the sons of Diarmid overcame them by numbers! Why do I wishto survive them? The old trunk will less feel the rending up of itsroots, than it has felt the lopping off of its graceful boughs. ButKenneth must be trained to revenge--the young eagle must learn from theold how to stoop on his foes. I will purchase for his sake my life andmy freedom, by discovering my secret to the Knight of Ardenvohr. "

"You may attain your end more easily, " said a third voice, mingling inthe conference, "by entrusting it to me. "

All Highlanders are superstitious. "The Enemy of Mankind is among us!"said Ranald MacEagh, springing to his feet. His chains clattered as herose, while he drew himself as far as they permitted from thequarter whence the voice appeared to proceed. His fear in some degreecommunicated itself to Captain Dalgetty, who began to repeat, in a sortof polyglot gibberish, all the exorcisms he had ever heard of, withoutbeing able to remember more than a word or two of each. 

"IN NOMINE DOMINI, as we said at Mareschal-College--SANTISSMA MADRE DIDIOS, as the Spaniard has it--ALLE GUTEN GEISTER LOBEN DEN HERRN, saiththe blessed Psalmist, in Dr. Luther's translation--"

"A truce with your exorcisms, " said the voice they had heard before;"though I come strangely among you, I am mortal like yourselves, and myassistance may avail you in your present streight, if you are not tooproud to be counselled. "

While the stranger thus spoke, he withdrew the shade of a dark lantern, by whose feeble light Dalgetty could only discern that the speaker whohad thus mysteriously united himself to their company, and mixed intheir conversation, was a tall man, dressed in a livery cloak of theMarquis. His first glance was to his feet, but he saw neither the clovenfoot which Scottish legends assign to the foul fiend, nor the horse'shoof by which he is distinguished in Germany. His first enquiry was, howthe stranger had come among them?

"For, " said he, "the creak of these rusty bars would have been heard hadthe door been made patent; and if you passed through the keyhole, truly, sir, put what face you will on it, you are not fit to be enrolled in aregiment of living men. "

"I reserve my secret, " answered the stranger, "until you shall merit thediscovery by communicating to me some of yours. It may be that I shallbe moved to let you out where I myself came in. "

"It cannot be through the keyhole, then, " said Captain Dalgetty, "for mycorslet would stick in the passage, were it possible that my head-piececould get through. As for secrets, I have none of my own, and but fewappertaining to others. But impart to us what secrets you desireto know; or, as Professor Snufflegreek used to say at theMareschal-College, Aberdeen, speak that I may know thee. "

"It is not with you I have first to do, " replied the stranger, turninghis light full on the mild and wasted features, and the large limbs ofthe Highlander, Ranald MacEagh, who, close drawn up against the walls ofthe dungeon, seemed yet uncertain whether his guest was a living being. 

"I have brought you something, my friend, " said the stranger, in a moresoothing tone, "to mend your fare; if you are to die to-morrow, it is noreason wherefore you should not live to-night. "

"None at all--no reason in the creation, " replied the ready CaptainDalgetty, who forthwith began to unpack the contents of a small basketwhich the stranger had brought under his cloak, while the Highlander, either in suspicion or disdain, paid no attention to the good cheer. 

"Here's to thee, my friend, " said the Captain, who, having alreadydispatched a huge piece of roasted kid, was now taking a pull at thewine-flask. "What is thy name, my good friend?"

"Murdoch Campbell, sir, " answered the servant, "a lackey of the Marquisof Argyle, and occasionally acting as under-warden. "

"Then here is to thee once more, Murdoch, " said Dalgetty, "drinking toyou by your proper name for the better luck sake. This wine I take to beCalcavella. Well, honest Murdoch, I take it on me to say, thou deservestto be upper-warden, since thou showest thyself twenty times betteracquainted with the way of victualling honest gentlemen that are undermisfortune, than thy principal. Bread and water? out upon him! It wasenough, Murdoch, to destroy the credit of the Marquis's dungeon. But Isee you would converse with my friend, Ranald MacEagh here. Never mindmy presence; I'll get me into this corner with the basket, and I willwarrant my jaws make noise enough to prevent my ears from hearing you. "

Notwithstanding this promise, however, the veteran listened with allthe attention he could to gather their discourse, or, as he described ithimself, "laid his ears back in his neck, like Gustavus, when he heardthe key turn in the girnell-kist. " He could, therefore, owing to thenarrowness of the dungeon, easily overhear the following dialogue. 

"Are you aware, Son of the Mist, " said the Campbell, "that you willnever leave this place excepting for the gibbet?"

"Those who are dearest to me, " answered MacEagh, "have trode that pathbefore me. "

"Then you would do nothing, " asked the visitor, "to shun followingthem?"

The prisoner writhed himself in his chains before returning an answer. 

"I would do much, " at length he said; "not for my own life, but for thesake of the pledge in the glen of Strath-Aven. "

"And what would you do to turn away the bitterness of the hour?" againdemanded Murdoch; "I care not for what cause ye mean to shun it. "

"I would do what a man might do, and still call himself a man. "

"Do you call yourself a man, " said the interrogator, "who have done thedeeds of a wolf?"

"I do, " answered the outlaw; "I am a man like my forefathers--whilewrapt in the mantle of peace, we were lambs--it was rent from us, and yenow call us wolves. Give us the huts ye have burned, our children whomye have murdered, our widows whom ye have starved--collect from thegibbet and the pole the mangled carcasses, and whitened skulls of ourkinsmen--bid them live and bless us, and we will be your vassals andbrothers--till then, let death, and blood, and mutual wrong, draw a darkveil of division between us. "

"You will then do nothing for your liberty, " said the Campbell. 

"Anything--but call myself the friend of your tribe, " answered MacEagh. 

"We scorn the friendship of banditti and caterans, " retorted Murdoch, "and would not stoop to accept it. --What I demand to know from you, inexchange for your liberty, is, where the daughter and heiress of theKnight of Ardenvohr is now to be found?"

"That you may wed her to some beggarly kinsman of your great master, "said Ranald, "after the fashion of the Children of Diarmid! Does notthe valley of Glenorquhy, to this very hour, cry shame on the violenceoffered to a helpless infant whom her kinsmen were conveying to thecourt of the Sovereign? Were not her escort compelled to hide herbeneath a cauldron, round which they fought till not one remained totell the tale? and was not the girl brought to this fatal castle, andafterwards wedded to the brother of M'Callum More, and all for the sakeof her broad lands?" [Such a story is told of the heiress of the clanof Calder, who was made prisoner in the manner described, and afterwardswedded to Sir Duncan Campbell, from which union the Campbells of Cawdorhave their descent. ]

"And if the tale be true, " said Murdoch, "she had a preferment beyondwhat the King of Scots would have conferred on her. But this is farfrom the purpose. The daughter of Sir Duncan of Ardenvohr is of our ownblood, not a stranger; and who has so good a right to know her fate asM'Callum More, the chief of her clan?"

"It is on his part, then, that you demand it!" said the outlaw. Thedomestic of the Marquis assented. 

"And you will practise no evil against the maiden?--I have done herwrong enough already. "

"No evil, upon the word of a Christian man, " replied Murdoch. 

"And my guerdon is to be life and liberty?" said the Child of the Mist. 

"Such is our paction, " replied the Campbell. 

"Then know, that the child whom I saved our of compassion at thespoiling of her father's tower of strength, was bred as an adopteddaughter of our tribe, until we were worsted at the pass ofBallenduthil, by the fiend incarnate and mortal enemy of our tribe, Allan M'Aulay of the Bloody hand, and by the horsemen of Lennox, underthe heir of Menteith. "

"Fell she into the power of Allan of the Bloody hand, " said Murdoch, "and she a reputed daughter of thy tribe? Then her blood has gilded thedirk, and thou hast said nothing to rescue thine own forfeited life. "

"If my life rest on hers, " answered the outlaw, "it is secure, for shestill survives; but it has a more insecure reliance--the frail promiseof a son of Diarmid. "

"That promise shall not fail you, " said the Campbell, "if you can assureme that she survives, and where she is to be found. "

"In the Castle of Darlinvarach, " said Ranald MacEagh, "under the nameof Annot Lyle. I have often heard of her from my kinsmen, who have againapproached their native woods, and it is not long since mine old eyesbeheld her. "

"You!" said Murdoch, in astonishment, "you, a chief among the Childrenof the Mist, and ventured so near your mortal foe?"

"Son of Diarmid, I did more, " replied the outlaw; "I was in the hall ofthe castle, disguised as a harper from the wild shores of Skianach. Mypurpose was to have plunged my dirk in the body of the M'Aulay with theBloody hand, before whom our race trembles, and to have taken thereafterwhat fate God should send me. But I saw Annot Lyle, even when my handwas on the hilt of my dagger. She touched her clairshach [Harp] toa song of the Children of the Mist, which she had learned when herdwelling was amongst us. The woods in which we had dwelt pleasantly, rustled their green leaves in the song, and our streams were there withthe sound of all their waters. My hand forsook the dagger; the fountainsof mine eyes were opened, and the hour of revenge passed away. --And now, Son of Diarmid, have I not paid the ransom of my head?"

"Ay, " replied Murdoch, "if your tale be true; but what proof can youassign for it?"

"Bear witness, heaven and earth, " exclaimed the outlaw, "he alreadylooks how he may step over his word!"

"Not so, " replied Murdoch; "every promise shall be kept to you when I amassured you have told me the truth. --But I must speak a few words withyour companion in captivity. "

"Fair and false--ever fair and false, " muttered the prisoner, as hethrew himself once more on the floor of his dungeon. 

Meanwhile, Captain Dalgetty, who had attended to every word of thisdialogue, was making his own remarks on it in private. "What the HENKERcan this sly fellow have to say to me? I have no child, either of myown, so far as I know, or of any other person, to tell him a tale about. But let him come on--he will have some manoeuvring ere he turn the flankof the old soldier. "

Accordingly, as if he had stood pike in hand to defend a breach, hewaited with caution, but without fear, the commencement of the attack. 

"You are a citizen of the world, Captain Dalgetty, " said MurdochCampbell, "and cannot be ignorant of our old Scotch proverb, GIF-GAF, [In old English, KA ME KA THEE, i. E. Mutually serving each other. ] whichgoes through all nations and all services. "

"Then I should know something of it, " said Dalgetty; "for, except theTurks, there are few powers in Europe whom I have not served; and I havesometimes thought of taking a turn either with Bethlem Gabor, or withthe Janizaries. "

"A man of your experience and unprejudiced ideas, then, will understandme at once, " said Murdoch, "when I say, I mean that your freedom shalldepend on your true and up right answer to a few trifling questionsrespecting the gentlemen you have left; their state of preparation; thenumber of their men, and nature of their appointments; and as much asyou chance to know about their plan of operations. "

"Just to satisfy your curiosity, " said Dalgetty, "and without anyfarther purpose?"

"None in the world, " replied Murdoch; "what interest should a poor devillike me take in their operations?"

"Make your interrogations, then, " said the Captain, "and I will answerthem PREREMTORIE. "

"How many Irish may be on their march to join James Graham thedelinquent?"

"Probably ten thousand, " said Captain Dalgetty. 

"Ten thousand!" replied Murdoch angrily; "we know that scarce twothousand landed at Ardnamurchan. "

"Then you know more about them than I do, " answered Captain Dalgetty, with great composure. "I never saw them mustered yet, or even underarms. "

"And how many men of the clans may be expected?" demanded Murdoch. 

"As many as they can make, " replied the Captain. 

"You are answering from the purpose, sir, " said Murdoch "speak plainly, will there be five thousand men?"

"There and thereabouts, " answered Dalgetty. 

"You are playing with your life, sir, if you trifle with me, " repliedthe catechist; "one whistle of mine, and in less than ten minutes yourhead hangs on the drawbridge. "

"But to speak candidly, Mr. Murdoch, " replied the Captain "do you thinkit is a reasonable thing to ask me after the secrets of our army, and Iengaged to serve for the whole campaign? If I taught you how to defeatMontrose, what becomes of my pay, arrears, and chance of booty?"

"I tell you, " said Campbell, "that if you be stubborn, your campaignshall begin and end in a march to the block at the castle-gate, whichstands ready for such land-laufers; but if you answer my questionsfaithfully, I will receive you into my--into the service of M'CallumMore. "

"Does the service afford good pay?" said Captain Dalgetty. 

"He will double yours, if you will return to Montrose and act under hisdirection. "

"I wish I had seen you, sir, before taking on with him, " said Dalgetty, appearing to meditate. 

"On the contrary, I can afford you more advantageous terms now, " saidthe Campbell; "always supposing that you are faithful. "

"Faithful, that is, to you, and a traitor to Montrose, " answered theCaptain. 

"Faithful to the cause of religion and good order, " answered Murdoch, "which sanctifies any deception you may employ to serve it. "

"And the Marquis of Argyle--should I incline to enter his service, is hea kind master?" demanded Dalgetty. 

"Never man kinder, " quoth Campbell. 

"And bountiful to his officers?" pursued the Captain. 

"The most open hand in Scotland, " replied Murdoch. 

"True and faithful to his engagements?" continued Dalgetty. 

"As honourable a nobleman as breathes, " said the clansman. 

"I never heard so much good of him before, " said Dalgetty; "you mustknow the Marquis well, --or rather you must be the Marquis himself!--Lordof Argyle, " he added, throwing himself suddenly on the disguisednobleman, "I arrest you in the name of King Charles, as a traitor. Ifyou venture to call for assistance, I will wrench round your neck. "

The attack which Dalgetty made upon Argyle's person was so sudden andunexpected, that he easily prostrated him on the floor of the dungeon, and held him down with one hand, while his right, grasping the Marquis'sthroat, was ready to strangle him on the slightest attempt to call forassistance. 

"Lord of Argyle, " he said, "it is now my turn to lay down the termsof capitulation. If you list to show me the private way by which youentered the dungeon, you shall escape, on condition of being my LOCUMTENENS, as we said at the Mareschal-College, until your warder visitshis prisoners. But if not, I will first strangle you--I learned theart from a Polonian heyduck, who had been a slave in the Ottomanseraglio--and then seek out a mode of retreat. "

"Villain! you would not murder me for my kindness, " murmured Argyle. 

"Not for your kindness, my lord, " replied Dalgetty: "but first, to teachyour lordship the JUS GENTIUM towards cavaliers who come to you undersafe-conduct; and secondly, to warn you of the danger of proposingdishonourable terms to any worthy soldado, in order to tempt him tobecome false to his standard during the term of his service. "

"Spare my life, " said Argyle, "and I will do as you require. "

Dalgetty maintained his gripe upon the Marquis's throat, compressing ita little while he asked questions, and relaxing it so far as to give himthe power of answering them. 

"Where is the secret door into the dungeon?" he demanded. 

"Hold up the lantern to the corner on your right hand, you will discernthe iron which covers the spring, " replied the Marquis. 

"So far so good. --Where does the passage lead to?"

"To my private apartment behind the tapestry, " answered the prostratenobleman. 

"From thence how shall I reach the gateway?"

"Through the grand gallery, the anteroom, the lackeys' waiting hall, thegrand guardroom--"

"All crowded with soldiers, factionaries, and attendants?--that willnever do for me, my lord;--have you no secret passage to the gate, asyou have to your dungeons? I have seen such in Germany. "

"There is a passage through the chapel, " said the Marquis, "opening frommy apartment. "

"And what is the pass-word at the gate?"

"The sword of Levi, " replied the Marquis; "but if you will receive mypledge of honour, I will go with you, escort you through every guard, and set you at full liberty with a passport. "

"I might trust you, my lord, were your throat not already black with thegrasp of my fingers--as it is, BESO LOS MANOS A USTED, as the Spaniardsays. Yet you may grant me a passport;--are there writing materials inyour apartment?"

"Surely; and blank passports ready to be signed. I will attend youthere, " said the Marquis, "instantly. "

"It were too much honour for the like of me, " said Dalgetty; "yourlordship shall remain under charge of mine honest friend Ranald MacEagh;therefore, prithee let me drag you within reach of his chain. --HonestRanald, you see how matters stand with us. I shall find the means, Idoubt not, of setting you at freedom. Meantime, do as you see me do;clap your hand thus on the weasand of this high and mighty prince, underhis ruff, and if he offer to struggle or cry out, fail not, my worthyRanald, to squeeze doughtily; and if it be AD DELIQUIUM, Ranald, thatis, till he swoon, there is no great matter, seeing he designed yourgullet and mine to still harder usage. "

"If he offer at speech or struggle, " said Ranald, "he dies by my hand. "

"That is right, Ranald--very spirited:--A thorough-going friend thatunderstands a hint is worth a million!"

Thus resigning the charge of the Marquis to his new confederate, Dalgetty pressed the spring, by which the secret door flew open, though so well were its hinges polished and oiled, that it made not theslightest noise in revolving. The opposite side of the door was securedby very strong bolts and bars, beside which hung one or two keys, designed apparently to undo fetterlocks. A narrow staircase, ascendingup through the thickness of the castle-wall, landed, as the Marquis hadtruly informed him, behind the tapestry of his private apartment. Suchcommunications were frequent in old feudal castles, as they gave thelord of the fortress, like a second Dionysius, the means of hearing theconversation of his prisoners, or, if he pleased, of visiting them indisguise, an experiment which had terminated so unpleasantly on thepresent occasion for Gillespie Grumach. Having examined previouslywhether there was any one in the apartment, and finding the coast clear, the Captain entered, and hastily possessing himself of a blank passport, several of which lay on the table, and of writing materials, securing, at the same time, the Marquis's dagger, and a silk cord from thehangings, he again descended into the cavern, where, listening a momentat the door, he could hear the half-stifled voice of the Marquis makinggreat proffers to MacEagh, on condition he would suffer him to give analarm. 

"Not for a forest of deer--not for a thousand head of cattle, " answeredthe freebooter; "not for all the lands that ever called a son ofDiarmid master, will I break the troth I have plighted to him of theiron-garment!"

"He of the iron-garment, " said Dalgetty, entering, "is bounden unto you, MacEagh, and this noble lord shall be bounden also; but first he mustfill up this passport with the names of Major Dugald Dalgetty and hisguide, or he is like to have a passport to another world. "

The Marquis subscribed, and wrote, by the light of the dark lantern, asthe soldier prescribed to him. 

"And now, Ranald, " said Dalgetty, "strip thy upper garment--thy plaidI mean, Ranald, and in it will I muffle the M'Callum More, and make ofhim, for the time, a Child of the Mist;--Nay, I must bring it over yourhead, my lord, so as to secure us against your mistimed clamour. --So, now he is sufficiently muffled;--hold down your hands, or, by Heaven, I will stab you to the heart with your own dagger!--nay, you shall bebound with nothing less than silk, as your quality deserves. --So, nowhe is secure till some one comes to relieve him. If he ordered us a latedinner, Ranald, he is like to be the sufferer;--at what hour, my goodRanald, did the jailor usually appear?"

"Never till the sun was beneath the western wave, " said MacEagh. "Then, my friend, we shall have three hours good, " said the cautious Captain. "In the meantime, let us labour for your liberation. "

To examine Ranald's chain was the next occupation. It was undone bymeans of one of the keys which hung behind the private door, probablydeposited there, that the Marquis might, if he pleased, dismiss aprisoner, or remove him elsewhere without the necessity of summoningthe warden. The outlaw stretched his benumbed arms, and bounded from thefloor of the dungeon in all the ecstasy of recovered freedom. 

"Take the livery-coat of that noble prisoner, " said Captain Dalgetty;"put it on, and follow close at my heels. "

The outlaw obeyed. They ascended the private stair, having first securedthe door behind them, and thus safely reached the apartment of theMarquis. 

[The precarious state of the feudal nobles introduced a great deal ofespionage into their castles. Sir Robert Carey mentions his having puton the cloak of one of his own wardens to obtain a confession from themouth of Geordie Bourne, his prisoner, whom he caused presently to behanged in return for the frankness of his communication. The fine oldBorder castle of Naworth contains a private stair from the apartmentof the Lord William Howard, by which he could visit the dungeon, as isalleged in the preceding chapter to have been practised by the Marquisof Argyle. ]

CHAPTER XIV. 

 This was the entry then, these stairs--but whither after? Yet he that's sure to perish on the land May quit the nicety of card and compass, And trust the open sea without a pilot. --TRAGEDY OF BENNOVALT. 

"Look out for the private way through the chapel, Ranald, " said theCaptain, "while I give a hasty regard to these matters. "

Thus speaking, he seized with one hand a bundle of Argyle's most privatepapers, and with the other a purse of gold, both of which lay in adrawer of a rich cabinet, which stood invitingly open. Neither did heneglect to possess himself of a sword and pistols, with powder-flask andballs, which hung in the apartment. "Intelligence and booty, " said theveteran, as he pouched the spoils, "each honourable cavalier shouldlook to, the one on his general's behalf, and the other on his own. Thissword is an Andrew Ferrara, and the pistols better than mine own. Buta fair exchange is no robbery. Soldados are not to be endangered, andendangered gratuitously, my Lord of Argyle. --But soft, soft, Ranald;wise Man of the Mist, whither art thou bound?"

It was indeed full time to stop MacEagh's proceedings; for, not findingthe private passage readily, and impatient, it would seem, of fartherdelay, he had caught down a sword and target, and was about to enter thegreat gallery, with the purpose, doubtless, of fighting his way throughall opposition. 

"Hold, while you live, " whispered Dalgetty, laying hold on him. "Wemust be perdue, if possible. So bar we this door, that it may be thoughtM'Callum More would be private--and now let me make a reconnaissance forthe private passage. "

By looking behind the tapestry in various places, the Captain at lengthdiscovered a private door, and behind that a winding passage, terminatedby another door, which doubtless entered the chapel. But what was hisdisagreeable surprise to hear, on the other side of this second door, the sonorous voice of a divine in the act of preaching. 

"This made the villain, " he said, "recommend this to us as a privatepassage. I am strongly tempted to return and cut his throat. "

He then opened very gently the door, which led into a latticed galleryused by the Marquis himself, the curtains of which were drawn, perhapswith the purpose of having it supposed that he was engaged in attendanceupon divine worship, when, in fact, he was absent upon his secularaffairs. There was no other person in the seat; for the family of theMarquis, --such was the high state maintained in those days, --sate duringservice in another gallery, placed somewhat lower than that of the greatman himself. This being the case, Captain Dalgetty ventured to ensconcehimself in the gallery, of which he carefully secured the door. 

Never (although the expression be a bold one) was a sermonlistened to with more impatience, and less edification, on the part of one, at least, of the audience. The Captain heardSIXTEENTHLY-SEVENTEENTHLY-EIGHTEENTHLY and TO CONCLUDE, with a sort offeeling like protracted despair. But no man can lecture (for the servicewas called a lecture) for ever; and the discourse was at length closed, the clergyman not failing to make a profound bow towards the latticedgallery, little suspecting whom he honoured by that reverence. To judgefrom the haste with which they dispersed, the domestics of the Marquiswere scarce more pleased with their late occupation than the anxiousCaptain Dalgetty; indeed, many of them being Highlandmen, had the excuseof not understanding a single word which the clergyman spoke, althoughthey gave their attendance on his doctrine by the special order ofM'Callum More, and would have done so had the preacher been a TurkishImaum. 

But although the congregation dispersed thus rapidly, the divineremained behind in the chapel, and, walking up and down its Gothicprecincts, seemed either to be meditating on what he had just beendelivering, or preparing a fresh discourse for the next opportunity. Bold as he was, Dalgetty hesitated what he ought to do. Time, however, pressed, and every moment increased the chance of their escape beingdiscovered by the jailor visiting the dungeon perhaps before his wontedtime, and discovering the exchange which had been made there. At length, whispering Ranald, who watched all his motions, to follow him andpreserve his countenance, Captain Dalgetty, with a very composed air, descended a flight of steps which led from the gallery into the body ofthe chapel. A less experienced adventurer would have endeavoured topass the worthy clergyman rapidly, in hopes to escape unnoticed. But theCaptain, who foresaw the manifest danger of failing in such an attempt, walked gravely to meet the divine upon his walk in the midst of thechancel, and, pulling off his cap, was about to pass him after a formalreverence. But what was his surprise to view in the preacher the verysame person with whom he had dined in the castle of Ardenvohr! Yet hespeedily recovered his composure; and ere the clergyman could speak, wasthe first to address him. "I could not, " he said, "leave this mansionwithout bequeathing to you, my very reverend sir, my humble thanks forthe homily with which you have this evening favoured us. "

"I did not observe, sir, " said the clergyman, "that you were in thechapel. "

"It pleased the honourable Marquis, " said Dalgetty, modestly, "tograce me with a seat in his own gallery. " The divine bowed low at thisintimation, knowing that such an honour was only vouchsafed to personsof very high rank. "It has been my fate, sir, " said the Captain, "inthe sort of wandering life which I have led, to have heard differentpreachers of different religions--as for example, Lutheran, Evangelical, Reformed, Calvinistical, and so forth, but never have I listened to sucha homily as yours. "

"Call it a lecture, worthy sir, " said the divine, "such is the phrase ofour church. "

"Lecture or homily, " said Dalgetty, "it was, as the High Germans say, GANZ FORTRE FLICH; and I could not leave this place without testifyingunto you what inward emotions I have undergone during your edifyingprelection; and how I am touched to the quick, that I should yesterday, during the refection, have seemed to infringe on the respect due to sucha person as yourself. "

"Alas! my worthy sir, " said the clergyman, "we meet in this world asin the Valley of the Shadow of Death, not knowing against whom wemay chance to encounter. In truth, it is no matter of marvel, if wesometimes jostle those, to whom, if known, we would yield all respect. Surely, sir, I would rather have taken you for a profane malignant thanfor such a devout person as you prove, who reverences the great Mastereven in the meanest of his servants. "

"It is always my custom to do so, learned sir, " answered Dalgetty; "forin the service of the immortal Gustavus--but I detain you from yourmeditations, "--his desire to speak of the King of Sweden being for onceoverpowered by the necessity of his circumstances. 

"By no means, my worthy sir, " said the clergyman. "What was, I prayyou, the order of that great Prince, whose memory is so dear to everyProtestant bosom?"

"Sir, the drums beat to prayers morning and evening, as regularly as forparade; and if a soldier passed without saluting the chaplain, he hadan hour's ride on the wooden mare for his pains. Sir, I wish you a verygood evening--I am obliged to depart the castle under M'Callum More'spassport. "

"Stay one instant, sir, " said the preacher; "is there nothing I cando to testify my respect for the pupil of the great Gustavus, and soadmirable a judge of preaching?"

"Nothing, sir, " said the Captain, "but to shew me the nearest way tothe gate--and if you would have the kindness, " he added, with greateffrontery, "to let a servant bring my horse with him, the dark greygelding--call him Gustavus, and he will prick up his ears--for I knownot where the castle-stables are situated, and my guide, " he added, looking at Ranald, "speaks no English. "

"I hasten to accommodate you, " said the clergyman; "your way liesthrough that cloistered passage. "

"Now, Heaven's blessing upon your vanity!" said the Captain to himself. "I was afraid I would have had to march off without Gustavus. "

In fact, so effectually did the chaplain exert himself in behalf of soexcellent a judge of composition, that while Dalgetty was parleying withthe sentinels at the drawbridge, showing his passport, and givingthe watchword, a servant brought him his horse, ready saddled for thejourney. In another place, the Captain's sudden appearance at largeafter having been publicly sent to prison, might have excited suspicionand enquiry; but the officers and domestics of the Marquis wereaccustomed to the mysterious policy of their master, and never supposedaught else than that he had been liberated and intrusted with someprivate commission by their master. In this belief, and having receivedthe parole, they gave him free passage. 

Dalgetty rode slowly through the town of Inverary, the outlaw attendingupon him like a foot-page at his horse's shoulder. As they passed thegibbet, the old man looked on the bodies and wrung his hands. The lookand gesture was momentary, but expressive of indescribable anguish. Instantly recovering himself, Ranald, in passing, whispered somewhatto one of the females, who, like Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, seemedengaged in watching and mourning the victims of feudal injustice andcruelty. The woman started at his voice, but immediately collectedherself and returned for answer a slight inclination of the head. 

Dalgetty continued his way out of the town, uncertain whether he shouldtry to seize or hire a boat and cross the lake, or plunge into thewoods, and there conceal himself from pursuit. In the former event hewas liable to be instantly pursued by the galleys of the Marquis, whichlay ready for sailing, their long yard-arms pointing to the wind, andwhat hope could he have in an ordinary Highland fishing-boat to escapefrom them? If he made the latter choice, his chance either of supportingor concealing himself in those waste and unknown wildernesses, was inthe highest degree precarious. The town lay now behind him, yet whathand to turn to for safety he was unable to determine, and began to besensible, that in escaping from the dungeon at Inverary, desperateas the matter seemed, he had only accomplished the easiest part of adifficult task. If retaken, his fate was now certain; for the personalinjury he had offered to a man so powerful and so vindictive, could beatoned for only by instant death. While he pondered these distressingreflections, and looked around with a countenance which plainlyexpressed indecision, Ranald MacEagh suddenly asked him, "which way heintended to journey?"

"And that, honest comrade, " answered Dalgetty, "is precisely thequestion which I cannot answer you. Truly I begin to hold theopinion, Ranald, that we had better have stuck by the brown loaf andwater-pitcher until Sir Duncan arrived, who, for his own honour, musthave made some fight for me. "

"Saxon, " answered MacEagh, "do not regret having exchanged the foulbreath of yonder dungeon for the free air of heaven. Above all, repentnot that you have served a Son of the Mist. Put yourself under myguidance, and I will warrant your safety with my head. "

"Can you guide me safe through these mountains, and back to the army ofMontrose?" said Dalgetty. 

"I can, " answered MacEagh; "there lives not a man to whom the mountainpasses, the caverns, the glens, the thickets, and the corries are known, as they are to the Children of the Mist. While others crawl on the levelground, by the sides of lakes and streams, ours are the steep hollows ofthe inaccessible mountains, the birth-place of the desert springs. Notall the bloodhounds of Argyle can trace the fastnesses through which Ican guide you. "

"Say'st thou so, honest Ranald?" replied Dalgetty; "then have on withthee; for of a surety I shall never save the ship by my own pilotage. "

The outlaw accordingly led the way into the wood, by which the castleis surrounded for several miles, walking with so much dispatch as keptGustavus at a round trot, and taking such a number of cross cuts andturns, that Captain Dalgetty speedily lost all idea where he might be, and all knowledge of the points of the compass. At length, the path, which had gradually become more difficult, altogether ended amongthickets and underwood. The roaring of a torrent was heard in theneighbourhood, the ground became in some places broken, in others boggy, and everywhere unfit for riding. 

"What the foul fiend, " said Dalgetty, "is to be done here? I must partwith Gustavus, I fear. "

"Take no care for your horse, " said the outlaw; "he shall soon berestored to you. "

As he spoke, he whistled in a low tune, and a lad, half-dressed intartan, half naked, having only his own shaggy hair, tied with a thongof leather, to protect his head and face from sun and weather, lean, and half-starved in aspect, his wild grey eyes appearing to fill up tentimes the proportion usually allotted to them in the human face, creptout, as a wild beast might have done, from a thicket of brambles andbriars. 

"Give your horse to the gillie, " said Ranald MacEagh; "your life dependsupon it. "

"Och! och!" exclaimed the despairing veteran; "Eheu! as we used to sayat Mareschal-College, must I leave Gustavus in such grooming!"

"Are you frantic, to lose time thus!" said his guide; "do we stand onfriends' ground, that you should part with your horse as if he were yourbrother? I tell you, you shall have him again; but if you never saw theanimal, is not life better than the best colt ever mare foaled?"

"And that is true too, mine honest friend, " sighed Dalgetty; "yet ifyou knew but the value of Gustavus, and the things we two have done andsuffered together--See, he turns back to look at me!--Be kind to him, my good breechless friend, and I will requite you well. " So saying, and withal sniffling a little to swallow his grief, he turned from theheart-rending spectacle in order to follow his guide. 

To follow his guide was no easy matter, and soon required more agilitythan Captain Dalgetty could master. The very first plunge after he hadparted from his charger, carried him, with little assistance from a fewoverhanging boughs, or projecting roots of trees, eight foot sheer downinto the course of a torrent, up which the Son of the Mist led the way. Huge stones, over which they scrambled, --thickets of them and brambles, through which they had to drag themselves, --rocks which were to beclimbed on the one side with much labour and pain, for the purpose ofan equally precarious descent upon the other; all these, and manysuch interruptions, were surmounted by the light-footed and half-nakedmountaineer with an ease and velocity which excited the surprise andenvy of Captain Dalgetty, who, encumbered by his head-piece, corslet, and other armour, not to mention his ponderous jack-boots, found himselfat length so much exhausted by fatigue, and the difficulties of theroad, that he sate down upon a stone in order to recover his breath, while he explained to Ranald MacEagh the difference betwixt travellingEXPEDITUS and IMPEDITUS, as these two military phrases were understoodat Mareschal-College, Aberdeen. The sole answer of the mountaineerwas to lay his hand on the soldier's arm, and point backward in thedirection of the wind. Dalgetty could spy nothing, for evening wasclosing fast, and they were at the bottom of a dark ravine. But atlength he could distinctly hear at a distance the sullen toll of a largebell. 

"That, " said he, "must be the alarm--the storm-clock, as the Germanscall it. "

"It strikes the hour of your death, " answered Ranald, "unless you canaccompany me a little farther. For every toll of that bell a brave manhas yielded up his soul. "

"Truly, Ranald, my trusty friend, " said Dalgetty, "I will not denythat the case may be soon my own; for I am so forfoughen (being, asI explained to you, IMPEDITUS, for had I been EXPEDITUS, I mind notpedestrian exercise the flourish of a fife), that I think I had betterensconce myself in one of these bushes, and even lie quiet there toabide what fortune God shall send me. I entreat you, mine honest friendRanald, to shift for yourself, and leave me to my fortune, as the Lionof the North, the immortal Gustavus Adolphus, my never-to-be-forgottenmaster (whom you must surely have heard of, Ranald, though you may haveheard of no one else), said to Francis Albert, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburgh, when he was mortally wounded on the plains of Lutzen. Neither despairaltogether of my safety, Ranald, seeing I have been in as great pinchesas this in Germany--more especially, I remember me, that at the fatalbattle of Nerlingen--after which I changed service--"

"If you would save your father's son's breath to help his child outof trouble, instead of wasting it upon the tales of Seannachies, " saidRanald, who now grew impatient of the Captain's loquacity, "or if yourfeet could travel as fast as your tongue, you might yet lay your head onan unbloody pillow to-night. "

"Something there is like military skill in that, " replied the Captain, "although wantonly and irreverently spoken to an officer of rank. ButI hold it good to pardon such freedoms on a march, in respect of theSaturnalian license indulged in such cases to the troops of allnations. And now, resume thine office, friend Ranald, in respect I amwell-breathed; or, to be more plain, I PRAE, SEQUAR, as we used to sayat Mareschal-College. "

Comprehending his meaning rather from his motions than his language, the Son of the Mist again led the way, with an unerring precision thatlooked like instinct, through a variety of ground the most difficult andbroken that could well be imagined. Dragging along his ponderous boots, encumbered with thigh-pieces, gauntlets, corslet, and back-piece, not tomention the buff jerkin which he wore under all these arms, talking ofhis former exploits the whole way, though Ranald paid not the slightestattention to him, Captain Dalgetty contrived to follow his guide aconsiderable space farther, when the deep-mouthed baying of a hound washeard coming down the wind, as if opening on the scent of its prey. 

"Black hound, " said Ranald, "whose throat never boded good to a Child ofthe Mist, ill fortune to her who littered thee! hast thou already foundour trace? But thou art too late, swart hound of darkness, and the deerhas gained the herd. "

So saying, he whistled very softly, and was answered in a tone equallylow from the top of a pass, up which they had for some time beenascending. Mending their pace, they reached the top, where the moon, which had now risen bright and clear, showed to Dalgetty a party of tenor twelve Highlanders, and about as many women and children, by whomRanald MacEagh was received with such transports of joy, as made hiscompanion easily sensible that those by whom he was surrounded, mustof course be Children of the Mist. The place which they occupied wellsuited their name and habits. It was a beetling crag, round which windeda very narrow and broken footpath, commanded in various places by theposition which they held. 

Ranald spoke anxiously and hastily to the children of his tribe, andthe men came one by one to shake hands with Dalgetty, while the women, clamorous in their gratitude, pressed round to kiss even the hem of hisgarment. "They plight their faith to you, " said Ranald MacEagh, "forrequital of the good deed you have done to the tribe this day. "

"Enough said, Ranald, " answered the soldier, "enough said--tell themI love not this shaking of hands--it confuses ranks and degrees inmilitary service; and as to kissing of gauntlets, puldrons, and thelike, I remember that the immortal Gustavus, as he rode through thestreets of Nuremberg, being thus worshipped by the poulace (beingdoubtless far more worthy of it than a poor though honourable cavalierlike myself), did say unto them, in the way of rebuke, 'If you idolizeme thus like a god, who shall assure you that the vengeance of Heavenwill not soon prove me to be a mortal?'--And so here, I suppose youintend to make a stand against your followers, Ranald--VOTO A DIOS, asthe Spaniard says?--a very pretty position--as pretty a position fora small peloton of men as I have seen in my service--no enemy cancome towards it by the road without being at the mercy of cannon andmusket. --But then, Ranald, my trusty comrade, you have no cannon, I dareto aver, and I do not see that any of these fellows have muskets either. So with what artillery you propose making good the pass, before you cometo hand blows, truly, Ranald, it passeth my apprehension. "

"With the weapons and with the courage of our fathers, " said MacEagh;and made the Captain observe, that the men of his party were armed withbows and arrows. 

"Bows and arrows!" exclaimed Dalgetty; "ha! ha! ha! have we Robin Hoodand Little John back again? Bows and arrows! why, the sight has not beenseen in civilized war for a hundred years. Bows and arrows! and why notweavers' beams, as in the days of Goliah? Ah! that Dugald Dalgetty, ofDrumthwacket, should live to see men fight with bows and arrows!--Theimmortal Gustavus would never have believed it--nor Wallenstein--norButler--nor old Tilly, --Well, Ranald, a cat can have but itsclaws--since bows and arrows are the word, e'en let us make the bestof it. Only, as I do not understand the scope and range of suchold-fashioned artillery, you must make the best disposition you can outof your own head for MY taking the command, whilk I would have gladlydone had you been to fight with any Christian weapons, is out of thequestion, when you are to combat like quivered Numidians. I will, however, play my part with my pistols in the approaching melley, inrespect my carabine unhappily remains at Gustavus's saddle. --My serviceand thanks to you, " he continued, addressing a mountaineer who offeredhim a bow; "Dugald Dalgetty may say of himself, as he learned atMareschal-College, "Non eget Mauri jaculis, neque arcu, Nec venenatis gravida sagittis, Fusce, pharetra;

whilk is to say--"

Ranald MacEagh a second time imposed silence on the talkative commanderas before, by pulling his sleeve, and pointing down the pass. The bayof the bloodhound was now approaching nearer and nearer, and they couldhear the voices of several persons who accompanied the animal, andhallooed to each other as they dispersed occasionally, either in thehurry of their advance, or in order to search more accurately thethickets as they came along. They were obviously drawing nearer andnearer every moment. MacEagh, in the meantime, proposed to CaptainDalgetty to disencumber himself of his armour, and gave him tounderstand that the women should transport it to a place of safety. 

"I crave your pardon, sir, " said Dalgetty, "such is not the rule ofour foreign service in respect I remember the regiment of Finlandcuirassiers reprimanded, and their kettle-drums taken from them, bythe immortal Gustavus, because they had assumed the permission to marchwithout their corslets, and to leave them with the baggage. Neither didthey strike kettle-drums again at the head of that famous regiment untilthey behaved themselves so notably at the field of Leipsic; a lessonwhilk is not to be forgotten, any more than that exclamation of theimmortal Gustavus, 'Now shall I know if my officers love me, by theirputting on their armour; since, if my officers are slain, who shall leadmy soldiers into victory?' Nevertheless, friend Ranald, this is withoutprejudice to my being rid of these somewhat heavy boots, providing Ican obtain any other succedaneum; for I presume not to say that my baresoles are fortified so as to endure the flints and thorns, as seems tobe the case with your followers. "

To rid the Captain of his cumbrous greaves, and case his feet in a pairof brogues made out of deerskin, which a Highlander stripped off for hisaccommodation, was the work of a minute, and Dalgetty found himself muchlightened by the exchange. He was in the act of recommending to RanaldMacEagh, to send two or three of his followers a little lower toreconnoitre the pass, and, at the same time, somewhat to extend hisfront, placing two detached archers at each flank by way of posts ofobservation, when the near cry of the hound apprised them that thepursuers were at the bottom of the pass. All was then dead silence; for, loquacious as he was on other occasions, Captain Dalgetty knew well thenecessity of an ambush keeping itself under covert. 

The moon gleamed on the broken pathway, and on the projecting cliffs ofrock round which it winded, its light intercepted here and there by thebranches of bushes and dwarf-trees, which, finding nourishment in thecrevices of the rocks, in some places overshadowed the brow and ledgeof the precipice. Below, a thick copse-wood lay in deep and dark shadow, somewhat resembling the billows of a half-seen ocean. From the bosom ofthat darkness, and close to the bottom of the precipice, the hound washeard at intervals baying fearfully, sounds which were redoubled by theechoes of the woods and rocks around. At intervals, these sunk into deepsilence, interrupted only by the plashing noise of a small runnel ofwater, which partly fell from the rock, partly found a more silentpassage to the bottom along its projecting surface. Voices of men werealso heard in stifled converse below; it seemed as if the pursuers hadnot discovered the narrow path which led to the top of the rock, orthat, having discovered it, the peril of the ascent, joined to theimperfect light, and the uncertainty whether it might not be defended, made them hesitate to attempt it. 

At length a shadowy figure was seen, which raised itself up from theabyss of darkness below, and, emerging into the pale moonlight, begancautiously and slowly to ascend the rocky path. The outline was sodistinctly marked, that Captain Dalgetty could discover not only theperson of a Highlander, but the long gun which he carried in his hand, and the plume of feathers which decorated his bonnet. "TAUSEND TEIFLEN!that I should say so, and so like to be near my latter end!" ejaculatedthe Captain, but under his breath, "what will become of us, now theyhave brought musketry to encounter our archers?"

But just as the pursuer had attained a projecting piece of rock abouthalf way up the ascent, and, pausing, made a signal for those who werestill at the bottom to follow him, an arrow whistled from the bow of oneof the Children of the Mist, and transfixed him with so fatal a wound, that, without a single effort to save himself, he lost his balance, andfell headlong from the cliff on which he stood, into the darkness below. The crash of the boughs which received him, and the heavy sound of hisfall from thence to the ground, was followed by a cry of horror andsurprise, which burst from his followers. The Children of the Mist, encouraged in proportion to the alarm this first success had causedamong the pursuers, echoed back the clamour with a loud and shrill yellof exultation, and, showing themselves on the brow of the precipice, with wild cries and vindictive gestures, endeavoured to impress on theirenemies a sense at once of their courage, their numbers, and their stateof defence. Even Captain Dalgetty's military prudence did not preventhis rising up, and calling out to Ranald, more loud than prudencewarranted, "CAROCCO, comrade, as the Spaniard says! The long-bow forever! In my poor apprehension now, were you to order a file to advanceand take position--"

"The Sassenach!" cried a voice from beneath, "mark the Sassenach sidier!I see the glitter of his breastplate. " At the same time three musketswere discharged; and while one ball rattled against the corslet ofproof, to the strength of which our valiant Captain had been more thanonce indebted for his life, another penetrated the armour which coveredthe front of his left thigh, and stretched him on the ground. Ranaldinstantly seized him in his arms, and bore him back from the edge of theprecipice, while he dolefully ejaculated, "I always told the immortalGustavus, Wallenstein, Tilly, and other men of the sword, that, in mypoor mind, taslets ought to be made musket-proof. "

With two or three earnest words in Gaelic, MacEagh commended the woundedman to the charge of the females, who were in the rear of his littleparty, and was then about to return to the contest. But Dalgettydetained him, grasping a firm hold of his plaid. --"I know not how thismatter may end--but I request you will inform Montrose, that I died likea follower of the immortal Gustavus--and I pray you, take heed how youquit your present strength, even for the purpose of pursuing the enemy, if you gain any advantage--and--and--"

Here Dalgetty's breath and eyesight began to fail him through loss ofblood, and MacEagh, availing himself of this circumstance, extricatedfrom his grasp the end of his own mantle, and substituted that of afemale, by which the Captain held stoutly, thereby securing, as heconceived, the outlaw's attention to the military instructions which hecontinued to pour forth while he had any breath to utter them, thoughthey became gradually more and more incoherent--"And, comrade, youwill be sure to keep your musketeers in advance of your stand of pikes, Lochaber-axes, and two-handed swords--Stand fast, dragoons, on the leftflank!--where was I?--Ay, and, Ranald, if ye be minded to retreat, leavesome lighted matches burning on the branches of the trees--it shows asif they were lined with shot--But I forget--ye have no match-locks norhabergeons--only bows and arrows--bows and arrows! ha! ha! ha!"

Here the Captain sunk back in an exhausted condition, altogether unableto resist the sense of the ludicrous which, as a modern man-at-arms, heconnected with the idea of these ancient weapons of war. It was a longtime ere he recovered his senses; and, in the meantime, we leave him inthe care of the Daughters of the Mist; nurses as kind and attentive, inreality, as they were wild and uncouth in outward appearance. 

CHAPTER XV. 

 But if no faithless action stain Thy true and constant word, I'll make thee famous by my pen, And glorious by my sword. 

 I'll serve thee in such noble ways As ne'er were known before; I'll deck and crown thy head with bays, And love thee more and more. --MONTROSE'S LINES. 

We must now leave, with whatever regret, the valiant Captain Dalgetty, to recover of his wounds or otherwise as fate shall determine, in orderbriefly to trace the military operations of Montrose, worthy as they areof a more important page, and a better historian. By the assistance ofthe chieftains whom we have commemorated, and more especially by thejunction of the Murrays, Stewarts, and other clans of Athole, which werepeculiarly zealous in the royal cause, he soon assembled an army of twoor three thousand Highlanders, to whom he successfully united the Irishunder Colkitto. This last leader, who, to the great embarrassment ofMilton's commentators, is commemorated in one of that great poet'ssonnets, was properly named Alister, or Alexander M'Donnell, by birth aScottish islesman, and related to the Earl of Antrim, to whose patronagehe owed the command assigned him in the Irish troops. In many respectshe merited this distinction. He was brave to intrepidity, and almost toinsensibility; very strong and active in person, completely master ofhis weapons, and always ready to show the example in the extremity ofdanger. To counterbalance these good qualities, it must be recorded, that he was inexperienced in military tactics, and of a jealous andpresumptuous disposition, which often lost to Montrose the fruits ofColkitto's gallantry. Yet such is the predominance of outward personalqualities in the eyes of a mild people, that the feats of strength andcourage shown by this champion, seem to have made a stronger impressionupon the minds of the Highlanders, than the military skill andchivalrous spirit of the great Marquis of Montrose. Numerous traditionsare still preserved in the Highland glens concerning Alister M'Donnell, though the name of Montrose is rarely mentioned among them. 

[Milton's book, entitled TETRACHORDON, had been ridiculed, it wouldseem, by the divines assembled at Westminster, and others, on account ofthe hardness of the title; and Milton in his sonnet retaliates uponthe barbarous Scottish names which the Civil War had made familiar toEnglish ears:--

 . . . . Why is it harder, sirs, than Gordon, COLKITTO or M'Donald, or Gallasp? These rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, That would have made Quintillian stare and gasp. 

"We may suppose, " says Bishop Newton, "that these were persons of noteamong the Scotch ministers, who were for pressing and enforcing theCovenant;" whereas Milton only intends to ridicule the barbarismof Scottish names in general, and quotes, indiscriminately, that ofGillespie, one of the Apostles of the Covenant, and those of Colkittoand M'Donnell (both belonging to one person), one of its bitterestenemies. ]

The point upon which Montrose finally assembled his little army, was inStrathearn, on the verge of the Highlands of Perthshire, so as to menacethe principal town of that county. 

His enemies were not unprepared for his reception. Argyle, at the headof his Highlanders, was dogging the steps of the Irish from the west tothe east, and by force, fear, or influence, had collected an army nearlysufficient to have given battle to that under Montrose. The Lowlandswere also prepared, for reasons which we assigned at the beginning ofthis tale. A body of six thousand infantry, and six or seven thousandcavalry, which profanely assumed the title of God's army, had beenhastily assembled from the shires of Fife, Angus, Perth, Stirling, andthe neighbouring counties. A much less force in former times, nay, evenin the preceding reign, would have been sufficient to have secured theLowlands against a more formidable descent of Highlanders, than thoseunited under Montrose; but times had changed strangely within the lasthalf century. Before that period, the Lowlanders were as constantlyengaged in war as the mountaineers, and were incomparably betterdisciplined and armed. The favourite Scottish order of battle somewhatresembled the Macedonian phalanx. Their infantry formed a compact body, armed with long spears, impenetrable even to the men-at-arms of the age, though well mounted, and arrayed in complete proof. It may easilybe conceived, therefore, that their ranks could not be broken by thedisorderly charge of Highland infantry armed for close combat only, withswords, and ill furnished with missile weapons, and having no artillerywhatever. 

This habit of fight was in a great measure changed by the introductionof muskets into the Scottish Lowland service, which, not being as yetcombined with the bayonet, was a formidable weapon at a distance, butgave no assurance against the enemy who rushed on to close quarters. Thepike, indeed, was not wholly disused in the Scottish army; but it was nolonger the favourite weapon, nor was it relied upon as formerly by thosein whose hands it was placed; insomuch that Daniel Lupton, a tacticianof the day, has written a book expressly upon the superiority of themusket. This change commenced as early as the wars of Gustavus Adolphus, whose marches were made with such rapidity, that the pike was very soonthrown aside in his army, and exchanged for fire-arms. A circumstancewhich necessarily accompanied this change, as well as the establishmentof standing armies, whereby war became a trade, was the introduction ofa laborious and complicated system of discipline, combining a varietyof words of command with corresponding operations and manoeuvres, theneglect of any one of which was sure to throw the whole into confusion. War therefore, as practised among most nations of Europe, had assumedmuch more than formerly the character of a profession or mystery, towhich previous practice and experience were indispensable requisites. Such was the natural consequence of standing armies, which had almosteverywhere, and particularly in the long German wars, superseded whatmay be called the natural discipline of the feudal militia. 

The Scottish Lowland militia, therefore, laboured under a doubledisadvantage when opposed to Highlanders. They were divested of thespear, a weapon which, in the hands of their ancestors, had so oftenrepelled the impetuous assaults of the mountaineer; and they weresubjected to a new and complicated species of discipline, well adapted, perhaps, to the use of regular troops, who could be rendered completelymasters of it, but tending only to confuse the ranks of citizensoldiers, by whom it was rarely practised, and imperfectly understood. So much has been done in our own time in bringing back tactics to theirfirst principles, and in getting rid of the pedantry of war, that itis easy for us to estimate the disadvantages under which a half-trainedmilitia laboured, who were taught to consider success as depending upontheir exercising with precision a system of tactics, which they probablyonly so far comprehended as to find out when they were wrong, butwithout the power of getting right again. Neither can it be denied, that, in the material points of military habits and warlike spirit, the Lowlanders of the seventeenth century had sunk far beneath theirHighland countrymen. 

From the earliest period down to the union of the crowns, the wholekingdom of Scotland, Lowlands as well as Highlands, had been theconstant scene of war, foreign and domestic; and there was probablyscarce one of its hardy inhabitants, between the age of sixteen andsixty, who was not as willing in point of fact as he was literally boundin law, to assume arms at the first call of his liege lord, or of aroyal proclamation. The law remained the same in sixteen hundred andforty-five as a hundred years before, but the race of those subjected toit had been bred up under very different feelings. They had sat in quietunder their vine and under their fig-tree, and a call to battle involveda change of life as new as it was disagreeable. Such of them, also, wholived near unto the Highlands, were in continual and disadvantageouscontact with the restless inhabitants of those mountains, by whom theircattle were driven off, their dwellings plundered, and their personsinsulted, and who had acquired over them that sort of superiorityarising from a constant system of aggression. The Lowlanders, who laymore remote, and out of reach of these depredations, were influenced bythe exaggerated reports circulated concerning the Highlanders, whom, as totally differing in laws, language, and dress, they were inducedto regard as a nation of savages, equally void of fear and of humanity. These various prepossessions, joined to the less warlike habits of theLowlanders, and their imperfect knowledge of the new and complicatedsystem of discipline for which they had exchanged their natural modeof fighting, placed them at great disadvantage when opposed to theHighlander in the field of battle. The mountaineers, on the contrary, with the arms and courage of their fathers, possessed also their simpleand natural system of tactics, and bore down with the fullest confidenceupon an enemy, to whom anything they had been taught of discipline was, like Saul's armour upon David, a hinderance rather than a help, "becausethey had not proved it. "

It was with such disadvantages on the one side, and such advantages onthe other, to counterbalance the difference of superior numbers and thepresence of artillery and cavalry, that Montrose encountered the army ofLord Elcho upon the field of Tippermuir. The Presbyterian clergy had notbeen wanting in their efforts to rouse the spirit of their followers, and one of them, who harangued the troops on the very day of battle, hesitated not to say, that if ever God spoke by his mouth, he promisedthem, in His name, that day, a great and assured victory. The cavalryand artillery were also reckoned sure warrants of success, as thenovelty of their attack had upon former occasions been very discouragingto the Highlanders. The place of meeting was an open heath, and theground afforded little advantage to either party, except that it allowedthe horse of the Covenanters to act with effect. 

A battle upon which so much depended, was never more easily decided. The Lowland cavalry made a show of charging; but, whether thrown intodisorder by the fire of musketry, or deterred by a disaffection tothe service said to have prevailed among the gentlemen, they made noimpression on the Highlanders whatever, and recoiled in disorder fromranks which had neither bayonets nor pikes to protect them. Montrosesaw, and instantly availed himself of this advantage. He ordered hiswhole army to charge, which they performed with the wild and desperatevalour peculiar to mountaineers. One officer of the Covenanters alone, trained in the Italian wars, made a desperate defence upon the rightwing. In every other point their line was penetrated at the first onset;and this advantage once obtained, the Lowlanders were utterly unable tocontend at close quarters with their more agile and athletic enemies. Many were slain on the held, and such a number in the pursuit, thatabove one-third of the Covenanters were reported to have fallen; inwhich number, however, must be computed a great many fat burgesses whobroke their wind in the flight, and thus died without stroke of sword. [We choose to quote our authority for a fact so singular:--"A great manyburgesses were killed--twenty-five householders in St. Andrews--manywere bursten in the flight, and died without stroke. "--See Baillie'sLetters, vol. Ii. Page 92. ]

The victors obtained possession of Perth, and obtained considerable sumsof money, as well as ample supplies of arms and ammunition. Butthose advantages were to be balanced against an almost insurmountableinconvenience that uniformly attended a Highland army. The clans couldbe in no respect induced to consider themselves as regular soldiers, or to act as such. Even so late as the year 1745-6, when the ChevalierCharles Edward, by way of making an example, caused a soldier to be shotfor desertion, the Highlanders, who composed his army, were affected asmuch by indignation as by fear. They could not conceive any principleof justice upon which a man's life could be taken, for merely going homewhen it did not suit him to remain longer with the army. Such had beenthe uniform practice of their fathers. When a battle was over, thecampaign was, in their opinion, ended; if it was lost, they soughtsafety in their mountains--if won, they returned there to secure theirbooty. At other times they had their cattle to look after, and theirharvests to sow or reap, without which their families would haveperished for want. In either case, there was an end of their servicesfor the time; and though they were easily enough recalled by theprospect of fresh adventures and more plunder, yet the opportunityof success was, in the meantime, lost, and could not afterwards berecovered. This circumstance serves to show, even if history had notmade us acquainted with the same fact, that the Highlanders had neverbeen accustomed to make war with the view of permanent conquest, butonly with the hope of deriving temporary advantage, or deciding someimmediate quarrel. It also explains the reason why Montrose, with allhis splendid successes, never obtained any secure or permanent footingin the Lowlands, and why even those Lowland noblemen and gentlemen, whowere inclined to the royal cause, showed diffidence and reluctance tojoin an army of a character so desultory and irregular, as might leadthem at all times to apprehend that the Highlanders securing themselvesby a retreat to their mountains, would leave whatever Lowlanders mighthave joined them to the mercy of an offended and predominant enemy. Thesame consideration will also serve to account for the sudden marcheswhich Montrose was obliged to undertake, in order to recruit his army inthe mountains, and for the rapid changes of fortune, by which we oftenfind him obliged to retreat from before those enemies over whom he hadrecently been victorious. If there should be any who read these talesfor any further purpose than that of immediate amusement, they will findthese remarks not unworthy of their recollection. 

It was owing to such causes, the slackness of the Lowland loyalists andthe temporary desertion of his Highland followers, that Montrose foundhimself, even after the decisive victory of Tippermuir, in no conditionto face the second army with which Argyle advanced upon him from thewestward. In this emergency, supplying by velocity the want of strength, he moved suddenly from Perth to Dundee, and being refused admission intothat town, fell northward upon Aberdeen, where he expected to be joinedby the Gordons and other loyalists. But the zeal of these gentlemenwas, for the time, effectually bridled by a large body of Covenanters, commanded by the Lord Burleigh, and supposed to amount to three thousandmen. These Montrose boldly attacked with half their number. The battlewas fought under the walls Of the city, and the resolute valour ofMontrose's followers was again successful against every disadvantage. 

But it was the fate of this great commander, always to gain the glory, but seldom to reap the fruits of victory. He had scarcely time to reposehis small army in Aberdeen, ere he found, on the one hand, that theGordons were likely to be deterred from joining him, by the reasons wehave mentioned, with some others peculiar to their chief, the Marquisof Huntly; on the other hand, Argyle, whose forces had been augmented bythose of several Lowland noblemen, advanced towards Montrose at the headof an army much larger than he had yet had to cope with. These troopsmoved, indeed, with slowness, corresponding to the cautious characterof their commander; but even that caution rendered Argyle's approachformidable, since his very advance implied, that he was at the head ofan army irresistibly superior. 

There remained one mode of retreat open to Montrose, and he adoptedit. He threw himself into the Highlands, where he could set pursuitat defiance, and where he was sure, in every glen, to recover thoserecruits who had left his standard to deposit their booty in theirnative fastnesses. It was thus that the singular character of thearmy which Montrose commanded, while, on the one hand, it rendered hisvictory in some degree nugatory, enabled him, on the other, under themost disadvantageous circumstances, to secure his retreat, recruithis forces, and render himself more formidable than ever to the enemy, before whom he had lately been unable to make a stand. 

On the present occasion he threw himself into Badenoch, and rapidlytraversing that district, as well as the neighbouring country of Athole, he alarmed the Covenanters by successive attacks upon various unexpectedpoints, and spread such general dismay, that repeated orders weredispatched by the Parliament to Argyle, their commander, to engage, anddisperse Montrose at all rates. 

These commands from his superiors neither suited the haughty spirit, northe temporizing and cautious policy, of the nobleman to whom they wereaddressed. He paid, accordingly, no regard to them, but limited hisefforts to intrigues among Montrose's few Lowland followers, many ofwhom had become disgusted with the prospect of a Highland campaign, which exposed their persons to intolerable fatigue, and left theirestates at the Covenanters' mercy. Accordingly, several of them leftMontrose's camp at this period. He was joined, however, by a body offorces of more congenial spirit, and far better adapted to the situationin which he found himself. This reinforcement consisted of a large bodyof Highlanders, whom Colkitto, dispatched for that purpose, had leviedin Argyleshire. Among the most distinguished was John of Moidart, calledthe Captain of Clan Ranald, with the Stewarts of Appin, the Clan Gregor, the Clan M'Nab, and other tribes of inferior distinction. By thesemeans, Montrose's army was so formidably increased, that Argyle cared nolonger to remain in the command of that opposed to him, but returned toEdinburgh, and there threw up his commission, under pretence that hisarmy was not supplied with reinforcements and provisions in the mannerin which they ought to have been. From thence the Marquis returned toInverary, there, in full security, to govern his feudal vassals, andpatriarchal followers, and to repose himself in safety on the faith ofthe Clan proverb already quoted--"It is a far cry to Lochow. "

CHAPTER XVI. 

 Such mountains steep, such craggy hills, His army on one side enclose: The other side, great griesly gills Did fence with fenny mire and moss. 

 Which when the Earl understood, He council craved of captains all, Who bade set forth with mournful mood, And take such fortune as would fall. --FLODDEN FIELD, AN ANCIENT POEM. 

Montrose had now a splendid career in his view, provided he could obtainthe consent of his gallant, but desultory troops, and their independentchieftains. The Lowlands lay open before him without an army adequate tocheck his career; for Argyle's followers had left the Covenanters' hostwhen their master threw up his commission, and many other troops, tiredof the war, had taken the same opportunity to disband themselves. Bydescending Strath-Tay, therefore, one of the most convenient passes fromthe Highlands, Montrose had only to present himself in the Lowlands, inorder to rouse the slumbering spirit of chivalry and of loyalty whichanimated the gentlemen to the north of the Forth. The possession ofthese districts, with or without a victory, would give him the commandof a wealthy and fertile part of the kingdom, and would enable him, byregular pay, to place his army on a permanent footing, to penetrate asfar as the capital, perhaps from thence to the Border, where he deemedit possible to communicate with the yet unsubdued forces of KingCharles. 

Such was the plan of operations by which the truest glory was to beacquired, and the most important success insured for the royal cause. Accordingly it did not escape the ambitious and daring spirit of himwhose services had already acquired him the title of the Great Marquis. But other motives actuated many of his followers, and perhaps were notwithout their secret and unacknowledged influence upon his own feelings. 

The Western Chiefs in Montrose's army, almost to a man, regarded theMarquis of Argyle as the most direct and proper object of hostilities. Almost all of them had felt his power; almost all, in withdrawing theirfencible men from their own glens, left their families and propertyexposed to his vengeance; all, without exception, were desirousof diminishing his sovereignty; and most of them lay so near histerritories, that they might reasonably hope to be gratified by a shareof his spoil. To these Chiefs the possession of Inverary and its castlewas an event infinitely more important and desirable than the captureof Edinburgh. The latter event could only afford their clansmen a littletransitory pay or plunder; the former insured to the Chiefs themselvesindemnity for the past, and security for the future. Besides thesepersonal reasons, the leaders, who favoured this opinion, plausiblyurged, that though, at his first descent into the Lowlands, Montrosemight be superior to the enemy, yet every day's march he made from thehills must diminish his own forces, and expose him to the accumulatedsuperiority of any army which the Covenanters could collect from theLowland levies and garrisons. On the other hand, by crushing Argyleeffectually, he would not only permit his present western friends tobring out that proportion of their forces which they must otherwiseleave at home for protection of their families; but farther, he woulddraw to his standard several tribes already friendly to his cause, butwho were prevented from joining him by fear of M'Callum More. 

These arguments, as we have already hinted, found something responsivein Montrose's own bosom, not quite consonant with the general heroismof his character. The houses of Argyle and Montrose had been in formertimes, repeatedly opposed to each other in war and in politics, and thesuperior advantages acquired by the former, had made them the subjectof envy and dislike to the neighbouring family, who, conscious of equaldesert, had not been so richly rewarded. This was not all. The existingheads of these rival families had stood in the most marked opposition toeach other since the commencement of the present troubles. 

Montrose, conscious of the superiority of his talents, and of havingrendered great service to the Covenanters at the beginning of the war, had expected from that party the supereminence of council and command, which they judged it safer to intrust to the more limited faculties, and more extensive power, of his rival Argyle. The having awarded thispreference, was an injury which Montrose never forgave the Covenanters;and he was still less likely to extend his pardon to Argyle, to whomhe had been postponed. He was therefore stimulated by every feeling ofhatred which could animate a fiery temper in a fierce age, to seek forrevenge upon the enemy of his house and person; and it is probable thatthese private motives operated not a little upon his mind, when he foundthe principal part of his followers determined rather to undertake anexpedition against the territories of Argyle, than to take the far moredecisive step of descending at once into the Lowlands. 

Yet whatever temptation Montrose found to carry into effect his attackupon Argyleshire, he could not easily bring himself to renounce thesplendid achievement of a descent upon the Lowlands. He held more thanone council with the principal Chiefs, combating, perhaps, his ownsecret inclination as well as theirs. He laid before them the extremedifficulty of marching even a Highland army from the eastward intoArgyleshire, through passes scarcely practicable for shepherds anddeer-stalkers, and over mountains, with which even the clans lyingnearest to them did not pretend to be thoroughly acquainted. Thesedifficulties were greatly enhanced by the season of the year, which wasnow advancing towards December, when the mountain-passes, in themselvesso difficult, might be expected to be rendered utterly impassable bysnowstorms. These objections neither satisfied nor silenced the Chiefs, who insisted upon their ancient mode of making war, by driving thecattle, which, according to the Gaelic phrase, "fed upon the grassof their enemy. " The council was dismissed late at night, and withoutcoming to any decision, excepting that the Chiefs, who supported theopinion that Argyle should be invaded, promised to seek out among theirfollowers those who might be most capable of undertaking the office ofguides upon the expedition. 

Montrose had retired to the cabin which served him for a tent, andstretched himself upon a bed of dry fern, the only place of repose whichit afforded. But he courted sleep in vain, for the visions of ambitionexcluded those of Morpheus. In one moment he imagined himself displayingthe royal banner from the reconquered Castle of Edinburgh, detachingassistance to a monarch whose crown depended upon his success, andreceiving in requital all the advantages and preferments which could beheaped upon him whom a king delighteth to honour. At another timethis dream, splendid as it was, faded before the vision of gratifiedvengeance, and personal triumph over a personal enemy. To surpriseArgyle in his stronghold of Inverary--to crush in him at once the rivalof his own house and the chief support of the Presbyterians--to showthe Covenanters the difference between the preferred Argyle and thepostponed Montrose, was a picture too flattering to feudal vengeance tobe easily relinquished. 

While he lay thus busied with contradictory thoughts and feelings, thesoldier who stood sentinel upon his quarters announced to the Marquisthat two persons desired to speak with his Excellency. 

"Their names?" answered Montrose, "and the cause of their urgency atsuch a late hour?"

On these points, the sentinel, who was one of Colkitto's Irishmen, couldafford his General little information; so that Montrose, who at such aperiod durst refuse access to no one, lest he might have been neglectingsome important intelligence, gave directions, as a necessary precaution, to put the guard under arms, and then prepared to receive his untimelyvisitors. His groom of the chambers had scarce lighted a pair oftorches, and Montrose himself had scarce risen from his couch, when twomen entered, one wearing a Lowland dress, of shamoy leather worn almostto tatters; the other a tall upright old Highlander, of a complexionwhich might be termed iron-grey, wasted and worn by frost and tempest. 

"What may be your commands with me, my friends?" said the Marquis, hishand almost unconsciously seeking the but of one of his pistols; forthe period, as well as the time of night, warranted suspicions which thegood mien of his visitors was not by any means calculated to remove. 

"I pray leave to congratulate you, " said the Lowlander, "my most nobleGeneral, and right honourable lord, upon the great battles which youhave achieved since I had the fortune to be detached from you, It wasa pretty affair that tuilzie at Tippermuir; nevertheless, if I might bepermitted to counsel--"

"Before doing so, " said the Marquis, "will you be pleased to let me knowwho is so kind as to favour me with his opinion?"

"Truly, my lord, " replied the man, "I should have hoped that wasunnecessary, seeing it is not so long since I took on in your service, under promise of a commission as Major, with half a dollar of daily payand half a dollar of arrears; and I am to trust your lordship has nutforgotten my pay as well as my person?"

"My good friend, Major Dalgetty, " said Montrose, who by this timeperfectly recollected his man, "you must consider what important thingshave happened to put my friends' faces out of my memory, besides thisimperfect light; but all conditions shall be kept. --And what news fromArgyleshire, my good Major? We have long given you up for lost, and Iwas now preparing to take the most signal vengeance upon the old fox whoinfringed the law of arms in your person. "

"Truly, my noble lord, " said Dalgetty, "I have no desire that my returnshould put any stop to so proper and becoming an intention; verily itis in no shape in the Earl of Argyle's favour or mercy that I now standbefore you, and I shall be no intercessor for him. But my escapeis, under Heaven, and the excellent dexterity which, as an old andaccomplished cavalier, I displayed in effecting the same, --I say, underthese, it is owing to the assistance of this old Highlander, whomI venture to recommend to your lordship's special favour, as theinstrument of saving your lordship's to command, Dugald Dalgetty ofDrumthwacket. "

"A thankworthy service, " said the Marquis, gravely, "which shallcertainly be requited in the manner it deserves. "

"Kneel down, Ranald, " said Major Dalgetty (as we must now call him), "kneel down, and kiss his Excellency's hand. "

The prescribed form of acknowledgment not being according to the customof Ranald's country, he contented himself with folding his arms on hisbosom, and making a low inclination of his head. 

"This poor man, my lord, " said Major Dalgetty, continuing his speechwith a dignified air of protection towards Ranald M'Eagh, "has strainedall his slender means to defend my person from mine enemies, althoughhaving no better weapons of a missile sort than bows and arrows, whilkyour lordship will hardly believe. "

"You will see a great many such weapons in my camp, " said Montrose, "andwe find them serviceable. " [In fact, for the admirers of archery it maybe stated, not only that many of the Highlanders in Montrose's army usedthese antique missiles, but even in England the bow and quiver, once theglory of the bold yeomen of that land, were occasionally used during thegreat civil wars. ]

"Serviceable, my lord!" said Dalgetty; "I trust your lordship willpermit me to be surprised--bows and arrows!--I trust you will forgivemy recommending the substitution of muskets, the first convenientopportunity. But besides defending me, this honest Highlander also wasat the pains of curing me, in respect that I had got a touch of thewars in my retreat, which merits my best requital in this specialintroduction of him to your lordship's notice and protection. "

"What is your name, my friend?" said Montrose, turning to theHighlander. 

"It may not be spoken, " answered the mountaineer. 

"That is to say, " interpreted Major Dalgetty, "he desires to have hisname concealed, in respect he hath in former days taken a castle, slaincertain children, and done other things, whilk, as your good lordshipknows, are often practised in war time, but excite no benevolencetowards the perpetrator in the friends of those who sustain injury. Ihave known, in my military experience, many brave cavaliers put to deathby the boors, simply for having used military license upon the country. "

"I understand, " said Montrose: "This person is at feud with some of ourfollowers. Let him retire to the court of guard, and we will think ofthe best mode of protecting him. "

"You hear, Ranald, " said Major Dalgetty, with an air of superiority, "his Excellency wishes to hold privy council with me, you must go to thecourt of guard. --He does not know where that is, poor fellow!--he isa young soldier for so old a man; I will put him under the charge ofa sentinel, and return to your lordship incontinent. " He did so, andreturned accordingly. 

Montrose's first enquiry respected the embassy to Inverary; and helistened with attention to Dalgetty's reply, notwithstanding theprolixity of the Major's narrative. It required an effort from theMarquis to maintain his attention; but no one better knew, that whereinformation is to be derived from the report of such agents as Dalgetty, it can only be obtained by suffering them to tell their story in theirown way. Accordingly the Marquis's patience was at length rewarded. Among other spoils which the Captain thought himself at liberty to take, was a packet of Argyle's private papers. These he consigned to the handsof his General; a humour of accounting, however, which went no farther, for I do not understand that he made any mention of the purse of goldwhich he had appropriated at the same time that he made seizure of thepapers aforesaid. Snatching a torch from the wall, Montrose was in aninstant deeply engaged in the perusal of these documents, in which it isprobable he found something to animate his personal resentment againsthis rival Argyle. 

"Does he not fear me?" said he; "then he shall feel me. Will he fire mycastle of Murdoch?--Inverary shall raise the first smoke. --O for a guidethrough the skirts of Strath-Fillan!"

Whatever might be Dalgetty's personal conceit, he understood hisbusiness sufficiently to guess at Montrose's meaning. He instantlyinterrupted his own prolix narration of the skirmish which had takenplace, and the wound he had received in his retreat, and began to speakto the point which he saw interested his General. 

"If, " said he, "your Excellency wishes to make an infall intoArgyleshire, this poor man, Ranald, of whom I told you, together withhis children and companions, know every pass into that land, bothleading from the east and from the north. "

"Indeed!" said Montrose; "what reason have you to believe theirknowledge so extensive?"

"So please your Excellency, " answered Dalgetty, "during the weeks that Iremained with them for cure of my wound, they were repeatedly obligedto shift their quarters, in respect of Argyle's repeated attempts torepossess himself of the person of an officer who was honoured with YourExcellency's confidence; so that I had occasion to admire the singulardexterity and knowledge of the face of the country with which theyalternately achieved their retreat and their advance; and when, atlength, I was able to repair to your Excellency's standard, this honestsimple creature, Ranald MacEagh, guided me by paths which my steedGustavus (which your lordship may remember) trode with perfect safety, so that I said to myself, that where guides, spies, or intelligencers, were required in a Highland campaign in that western country, moreexpert persons than he and his attendants could not possibly bedesired. "

"And can you answer for this man's fidelity?" said Montrose; "what ishis name and condition?"

"He is an outlaw and robber by profession, something also of a homicideor murderer, " answered Dalgetty; "and by name, called Ranald MacEagh;whilk signifies, Ranald, the Son of the Mist. "

"I should remember something of that name, " said Montrose, pausing: "Didnot these Children of the Mist perpetrate some act of cruelty upon theM'Aulays?"

Major Dalgetty mentioned the circumstance of the murder of the forester, and Montrose's active memory at once recalled all the circumstances ofthe feud. 

"It is most unlucky, " said Montrose, "this inexpiable quarrel betweenthese men and the M'Aulays. Allan has borne himself bravely in thesewars, and possesses, by the wild mystery of his behaviour andlanguage, so much influence over the minds of his countrymen, that theconsequences of disobliging him might be serious. At the same time, these men being so capable of rendering useful service, and being as yousay, Major Dalgetty, perfectly trustworthy--"

"I will pledge my pay and arrears, my horse and arms, my head and neck, upon their fidelity, " said the Major; "and your Excellency knows, that asoldado could say no more for his own father. "

"True, " said Montrose; "but as this is a matter of particular moment, Iwould willingly know the grounds of so positive an assurance. "

"Concisely then, my lord, " said the Major, "not only did they disdain toprofit by a handsome reward which Argyle did me the honour to place uponthis poor head of mine, and not only did they abstain from pillagingmy personal property, whilk was to an amount that would have temptedregular soldiers in any service of Europe; and not only did they restoreme my horse, whilk your Excellency knows to be of value, but I could notprevail on them to accept one stiver, doit, or maravedi, for the troubleand expenses of my sick bed. They actually refused my coined money whenfreely offered, --a tale seldom to be told in a Christian land. "

"I admit, " said Montrose, after a moment's reflection, "that theirconduct towards you is good evidence of their fidelity; but how tosecure against the breaking out of this feud?" He paused, and thensuddenly added, "I had forgot I have supped, while you, Major, have beentravelling by moonlight. "

He called to his attendants to fetch a stoup of wine and somerefreshments. Major Dalgetty, who had the appetite of a convalescentreturned from Highland quarters, needed not any pressing to partake ofwhat was set before him, but proceeded to dispatch his food with suchalacrity, that the Marquis, filling a cup of wine, and drinking to hishealth, could not help remarking, that coarse as the provisions of hiscamp were, he was afraid Major Dalgetty had fared much worse during hisexcursion into Argyleshire. 

"Your Excellency may take your corporal oath upon that, " said the worthyMajor, speaking with his mouth full; "for Argyle's bread and water areyet stale and mouldy in my recollection, and though they did theirbest, yet the viands that the Children of the Mist procured for me, poorhelpless creatures as they were, were so unrefreshful to my body, thatwhen enclosed in my armour, whilk I was fain to leave behind me forexpedition's sake, I rattled therein like the shrivelled kernel in a nutthat hath been kept on to a second Hallowe'en. "

"You must take the due means to repair these losses, Major Dalgetty. "

"In troth, " answered the soldier, "I shall hardly be able to compassthat, unless my arrears are to be exchanged for present pay; for Iprotest to your Excellency, that the three stone weight which I havelost were simply raised upon the regular accountings of the States ofHolland. "

"In that case, " said the Marquis, "you are only reduced to good marchingorder. As for the pay, let us once have victory--victory, Major, andyour wishes, and all our wishes, shall be amply fulfilled. Meantime, help yourself to another cup of wine. "

"To your Excellency's health, " said the Major, filling a cup to thebrim, to show the zeal with which he drank the toast, "and victory overall our enemies, and particularly over Argyle! I hope to twitch anotherhandful from his board myself--I have had one pluck at it already. "

"Very true, " answered Montrose; "but to return to those men of the Mist. You understand, Dalgetty, that their presence here, and the purpose forwhich we employ them, is a secret between you and me?"

Delighted, as Montrose had anticipated, with this mark of hisGeneral's confidence, the Major laid his hand upon his nose, and noddedintelligence. 

"How many may there be of Ranald's followers?" continued the Marquis. 

"They are reduced, so far as I know, to some eight or ten men, " answeredMajor Dalgetty, "and a few women and children. "

"Where are they now?" demanded Montrose. 

"In a valley, at three miles' distance, " answered the soldier, "awaitingyour Excellency's command; I judged it not fit to bring them to yourleaguer without your Excellency's orders. "

"You judged very well, " said Montrose; "it would be proper that theyremain where they are, or seek some more distant place of refuge. I willsend them money, though it is a scarce article with me at present. "

"It is quite unnecessary, " said Major Dalgetty; "your Excellency hasonly to hint that the M'Aulays are going in that direction, and myfriends of the Mist will instantly make volte-face, and go to the rightabout. "

"That were scarce courteous, " said the Marquis. "Better send them a fewdollars to purchase them some cattle for the support of the women andchildren. "

"They know how to come by their cattle at a far cheaper rate, " said theMajor; "but let it be as your Excellency wills. "

"Let Ranald MacEagh, " said Montrose, "select one or two of hisfollowers, men whom he can trust, and who are capable of keeping theirown secret and ours; these, with their chief for scout-master-general, shall serve for our guides. Let them be at my tent to-morrow atdaybreak, and see, if possible, that they neither guess my purpose, norhold any communication with each other in private. --This old man, has heany children?"

"They have been killed or hanged, " answered the Major, "to the number ofa round dozen, as I believe--but he hath left one grand-child, a smartand hopeful youth, whom I have noted to be never without a pebble inhis plaid-nook, to fling at whatsoever might come in his way; beinga symbol, that, like David, who was accustomed to sling smooth stonestaken from the brook, he may afterwards prove an adventurous warrior. "

"That boy, Major Dalgetty, " said the Marquis, "I will have to attendupon my own person. I presume he will have sense enough to keep his namesecret?"

"Your Excellency need not fear that, " answered Dalgetty; "these Highlandimps, from the moment they chip the shell--"

"Well, " interrupted Montrose, "that boy shall be pledge for the fidelityof his parent, and if he prove faithful, the child's preferment shall behis reward. --And now, Major Dalgetty, I will license your departure forthe night; tomorrow you will introduce this MacEagh, under any name orcharacter he may please to assume. I presume his profession has renderedhim sufficiently expert in all sort of disguises; or we may admitJohn of Moidart into our schemes, who has sense, practicability, and intelligence, and will probably allow this man for a time to bedisguised as one of his followers. For you, Major, my groom of thechambers will be your quarter-master for this evening. "

Major Dalgetty took his leave with a joyful heart greatly elated withthe reception he had met with, and much pleased with the personalmanners of his new General, which, as he explained at great length toRanald MacEagh, reminded him in many respects of the demeanour of theimmortal Gustavus Adolphus, the Lion of the North, and Bulwark of theProtestant Faith. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

 The march begins in military state, And nations on his eyes suspended wait; Stern famine guards the solitary coast, And winter barricades the realms of frost. He comes, --nor want, nor cold, his course delay. --VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES. 

By break of day Montrose received in his cabin old MacEagh, andquestioned him long and particularly as to the means of approaching thecountry of Argyle. He made a note of his answers, which he compared withthose of two of his followers, whom he introduced as the most prudentand experienced. He found them to correspond in all respects; but, stillunsatisfied where precaution was so necessary, the Marquis compared theinformation he had received with that he was able to collect from theChiefs who lay most near to the destined scene of invasion, and being inall respects satisfied of its accuracy, he resolved to proceed in fullreliance upon it. 

In one point Montrose changed his mind. Having judged it unfit to takethe boy Kenneth into his own service, lest, in case of his birth beingdiscovered, it should be resented as an offence by the numerous clanswho entertained a feudal enmity to this devoted family, he requested theMajor to take him in attendance upon himself; and as he accompaniedthis request with a handsome DOUCEUR, under pretence of clothing andequipping the lad, this change was agreeable to all parties. 

It was about breakfast-time, when Major Dalgetty, being dismissed byMontrose, went in quest of his old acquaintances, Lord Menteith and theM'Aulays, to whom he longed to communicate his own adventures, aswell as to learn from them the particulars of the campaign. It maybe imagined he was received with great glee by men to whom the lateuniformity of their military life had rendered any change of societyan interesting novelty. Allan M'Aulay alone seemed to recoil from hisformer acquaintance, although, when challenged by his brother, he couldrender no other reason than a reluctance to be familiar with one whohad been so lately in the company of Argyle, and other enemies. MajorDalgetty was a little alarmed by this sort of instinctive consciousnesswhich Allan seemed to entertain respecting the society he had beenlately keeping; he was soon satisfied, however, that the perceptions ofthe seer in this particular were not infallible. 

As Ranald MacEagh was to be placed under Major Dalgetty's protection andsuperintendence, it was necessary he should present him to those personswith whom he was most likely to associate. The dress of the old man had, in the meantime, been changed from the tartan of his clan to a sortof clothing peculiar to the men of the distant Isles, resembling awaistcoat with sleeves, and a petticoat, all made in one piece. Thisdress was laced from top to bottom in front, and bore some resemblanceto that called Polonaise, still worn by children in Scotland of thelower rank. The tartan hose and bonnet completed the dress, which oldmen of the last century remembered well to have seen worn by the distantIslesmen who came to the Earl of Mar's standard in the year 1715. 

Major Dalgetty, keeping his eye on Allan as he spoke, introduced RanaldMacEagh under the fictitious name of Ranald MacGillihuron in Benbecula, who had escaped with him out of Argyle's prison. He recommended him asa person skilful in the arts of the harper and the senachie, and by nomeans contemptible in the quality of a second-sighted person or seer. While making this exposition, Major Dalgetty stammered and hesitated ina way so unlike the usual glib forwardness of his manner, that he couldnot have failed to have given suspicion to Allan M'Aulay, had not thatperson's whole attention been engaged in steadily perusing thefeatures of the person thus introduced to him. This steady gaze so muchembarrassed Ranald MacEagh, that his hand was beginning to sink downtowards his dagger, in expectation of a hostile assault, when Allan, suddenly crossing the floor of the hut, extended his hand to him in theway of friendly greeting. They sat down side by side, and conversed ina low mysterious tone of voice. Menteith and Angus M'Aulay were notsurprised at this, for there prevailed among the Highlanders whopretended to the second-sight, a sort of Freemasonry, which generallyinduced them, upon meeting, to hold communication with each other on thenature and extent of their visionary experiences. 

"Does the sight come gloomy upon your spirits?" said Allan to his newacquaintance. 

"As dark as the shadow upon the moon, " replied Ranald, "when she isdarkened in her mid-course in heaven, and prophets foretell of eviltimes. "

"Come hither, " said Allan, "come more this way, I would converse withyou apart; for men say that in your distant islands the sight is pouredforth with more clearness and power than upon us, who dwell near theSassenach. "

While they were plunged into their mystic conference, the two Englishcavaliers entered the cabin in the highest possible spirits, andannounced to Angus M'Aulay that orders had been issued that all shouldhold themselves in readiness for an immediate march to the westward. Having delivered themselves of their news with much glee, they paidtheir compliments to their old acquaintance Major Dalgetty, whom theyinstantly recognised, and enquired after the health of his charger, Gustavus. 

"I humbly thank you, gentlemen, " answered the soldier, "Gustavas iswell, though, like his master, somewhat barer on the ribs than when youoffered to relieve me of him at Darnlinvarach; and let me assure you, that before you have made one or two of those marches which you seem tocontemplate with so much satisfaction in prospect, you will leave, mygood knights, some of your English beef, and probably an English horseor two, behind you. "

Both exclaimed that they cared very little what they found or what theyleft, provided the scene changed from dogging up and down Angus andAberdeenshire, in pursuit of an enemy who would neither fight nor runaway. 

"If such be the case, " said Angus M'Aulay, "I must give orders to myfollowers, and make provision too for the safe conveyance of Annot Lyle;for an advance into M'Callum More's country will be a farther and foulerroad than these pinks of Cumbrian knighthood are aware of. " So saying, he left the cabin. 

"Annot Lyle!" repeated Dalgetty, "is she following the campaign?"

"Surely, " replied Sir Giles Musgrave, his eye glancing slightly fromLord Menteith to Allan M'Aulay; "we could neither march nor fight, advance nor retreat, without the influence of the Princess of Harps. "

"The Princess of Broadswords and Targets, I say, " answered hiscompanion; "for the Lady of Montrose herself could not be morecourteously waited upon; she has four Highland maidens, and as manybare-legged gillies, to wait upon her orders. "

"And what would you have, gentlemen?" said Allan, turning suddenly fromthe Highlander with whom he was in conversation; "would you yourselveshave left an innocent female, the companion of your infancy, to die byviolence, or perish by famine? There is not, by this time, a roof uponthe habitation of my fathers--our crops have been destroyed, and ourcattle have been driven--and you, gentlemen, have to bless God, that, coming from a milder and more civilized country, you expose only yourown lives in this remorseless war, without apprehension that yourenemies will visit with their vengeance the defenceless pledges you mayhave left behind you. "

The Englishmen cordially agreed that they had the superiority in thisrespect; and the company, now dispersing, went each to his severalcharge or occupation. 

Allan lingered a moment behind, still questioning the reluctant RanaldMacEagh upon a point in his supposed visions, by which he was greatlyperplexed. "Repeatedly, " he said, "have I had the sight of a Gael, whoseemed to plunge his weapon into the body of Menteith, --of that youngnobleman in the scarlet laced cloak, who has just now left the bothy. But by no effort, though I have gazed till my eyes were almost fixedin the sockets, can I discover the face of this Highlander, or evenconjecture who he may be, although his person and air seem familiar tome. " [See Note II. --Wraiths. ]

"Have you reversed your own plaid, " said Ranald, "according to the ruleof the experienced Seers in such case?"

"I have, " answered Allan, speaking low, and shuddering as if withinternal agony. 

"And in what guise did the phantom then appear to you?" said Ranald. 

"With his plaid also reversed, " answered Allan, in the same low andconvulsed tone. 

"Then be assured, " said Ranald, "that your own hand, and none other, will do the deed of which you have witnessed the shadow. "

"So has my anxious soul a hundred times surmised, " replied Allan. "Butit is impossible! Were I to read the record in the eternal book of fate, I would declare it impossible--we are bound by the ties of blood, and bya hundred ties more intimate--we have stood side by side in battle, and our swords have reeked with the blood of the same enemies--it isIMPOSSIBLE I should harm him!"

"That you WILL do so, " answered Ranald, "is certain, though the cause behid in the darkness of futurity. You say, " he continued, suppressing hisown emotions with difficulty, "that side by side you have pursued yourprey like bloodhounds--have you never seen bloodhounds turn their fangsagainst each other, and fight over the body of a throttled deer?"

"It is false!" said M'Aulay, starting up, "these are not the forebodingsof fate, but the temptation of some evil spirit from the bottomlesspit!" So saying, he strode out of the cabin. 

"Thou hast it!" said the Son of the Mist, looking after him with anair of exultation; "the barbed arrow is in thy side! Spirits of theslaughtered, rejoice! soon shall your murderers' swords be dyed in eachother's blood. "

On the succeeding morning all was prepared, and Montrose advanced byrapid marches up the river Tay, and poured his desultory forces into theromantic vale around the lake of the same name, which lies at the headof that river. The inhabitants were Campbells, not indeed the vassalsof Argyle, but of the allied and kindred house of Glenorchy, whichnow bears the name of Breadalbane. Being taken by surprise, they weretotally unprepared for resistance, and were compelled to be passivewitnesses of the ravages which took place among their flocks and herds. Advancing in this manner to the vale of Loch Dochart, and laying wastethe country around him, Montrose reached the most difficult point of hisenterprise. 

To a modern army, even with the assistance of the good military roadwhich now leads up by Teinedrum to the head of Loch Awe, the passage ofthese extensive wilds would seem a task of some difficulty. But at thisperiod, and for long afterwards, there was no road or path whatsoever;and to add to the difficulty, the mountains were already covered withsnow. It was a sublime scene to look up to them, piled in great masses, one upon another, the front rank of dazzling whiteness, while thosewhich arose behind them caught a rosy tint from the setting of a clearwintry sun. Ben Cruachan, superior in magnitude, and seeming the verycitadel of the Genius of the Region, rose high above the others, showinghis glimmering and scathed peak to the distance of many miles. 

The followers of Montrose were men not to be daunted by the sublime, yetterrible prospect before them. Many of them were of that ancient raceof Highlanders, who not only willingly made their couch in the snow, but considered it as effeminate luxury to use a snowball for a pillow. Plunder and revenge lay beyond the frozen mountains which they beheld, and they did not permit themselves to be daunted by the difficulty oftraversing them. Montrose did not allow their spirits time to subside. He ordered the pipes to play in the van the ancient pibroch entitled, "HOGGIL NAM BO, " etc. (that is, We come through snow-drift to drive theprey), the shrilling sounds of which had often struck the vales of theLennox with terror. [It is the family-march of the M'Farlanes, a warlikeand predatory clan, who inhabited the western banks of Loch-Lomond. See WAVERLY, Note XV. ] The troops advanced with the nimble alacrityof mountaineers, and were soon involved in the dangerous pass, throughwhich Ranald acted as their guide, going before them with a selectparty, to track out the way. 

The power of man at no time appears more contemptible than when itis placed in contrast with scenes of natural terror and dignity. Thevictorious army of Montrose, whose exploits had struck terror into allScotland, when ascending up this terrific pass, seemed a contemptiblehandful of stragglers, in the act of being devoured by the jaws of themountain, which appeared ready to close upon them. Even Montrose halfrepented the boldness of his attempt, as he looked down from the summitof the first eminence which he attained, upon the scattered conditionof his small army. The difficulty of getting forward was so great, thatconsiderable gaps began to occur in the line of march, and the distancebetween the van, centre, and rear, was each moment increased in a degreeequally incommodious and dangerous. It was with great apprehension thatMontrose looked upon every point of advantage which the hill afforded, in dread it might be found occupied by an enemy prepared for defence;and he often afterwards was heard to express his conviction, that hadthe passes of Strath-Fillan been defended by two hundred resolute men, not only would his progress have been effectually stopped, but his armymust have been in danger of being totally cut off. Security, however, the bane of many a strong country and many a fortress, betrayed, on thisoccasion, the district of Argyle to his enemies. The invaders had onlyto contend with the natural difficulties of the path, and with the snow, which, fortunately, had not fallen in any great quantity. The army nosooner reached the summit of the ridge of hills dividing Argyleshirefrom the district of Breadalbane, than they rushed down upon the devotedvales beneath them with a fury sufficiently expressive of the motiveswhich had dictated a movement so difficult and hazardous. 

Montrose divided his army into three bodies, in order to produce a widerand more extensive terror, one of which was commanded by the Captainof Clan Ranald, one intrusted to the leading of Colkitto, and the thirdremained under his own direction. He was thus enabled to penetrate thecountry of Argyle at three different points. Resistance there was none. The flight of the shepherds from the hills had first announced in thepeopled districts this formidable irruption, and wherever the clansmenwere summoned out, they were killed, disarmed, and dispersed, by anenemy who had anticipated their motions. Major Dalgetty, who had beensent forward against Inverary with the few horse of the army that werefit for service, managed his matters so well, that he had very nearlysurprised Argyle, as he expressed it, INTER POCULA; and it was only arapid flight by water which saved that chief from death or captivity. But the punishment which Argyle himself escaped fell heavily upon hiscountry and clan, and the ravages committed by Montrose on that devotedland, although too consistent with the genius of the country and times, have been repeatedly and justly quoted as a blot on his actions andcharacter. 

Argyle in the meantime had fled to Edinburgh, to lay his complaintsbefore the Convention of Estates. To meet the exigence of the moment, a considerable army was raised under General Baillie, a Presbyterianofficer of skill and fidelity, with whom was joined in command thecelebrated Sir John Urrie, a soldier of fortune like Dalgetty, who hadalready changed sides twice during the Civil War, and was destined toturn his coat a third time before it was ended. Argyle also, burningwith indignation, proceeded to levy his own numerous forces, in order toavenge himself of his feudal enemy. He established his head-quarters atDunbarton, where he was soon joined by a considerable force, consistingchiefly of his own clansmen and dependants. Being there joined byBaillie and Urrie, with a very considerable army of regular forces, he prepared to march into Argyleshire, and chastise the invader of hispaternal territories. 

But Montrose, while these two formidable armies were forming a junction, had been recalled from that ravaged country by the approach of a third, collected in the north under the Earl of Seaforth, who, after somehesitation, having embraced the side of the Covenanters, had now, with the assistance of the veteran garrison of Inverness, formeda considerable army, with which he threatened Montrose fromInverness-shire. Enclosed in a wasted and unfriendly country, andmenaced on each side by advancing enemies of superior force, it mighthave been supposed that Montrose's destruction was certain. But thesewere precisely the circumstances under which the active and enterprisinggenius of the Great Marquis was calculated to excite the wonder andadmiration of his friends, the astonishment and terror of his enemies. As if by magic, he collected his scattered forces from the wastefuloccupation in which they had been engaged; and scarce were they againunited, ere Argyle and his associate generals were informed, that theroyalists, having suddenly disappeared from Argyleshire, had retreatednorthwards among the dusky and impenetrable mountains of Lochaber. 

The sagacity of the generals opposed to Montrose immediatelyconjectured, that it was the purpose of their active antagonist to fightwith, and, if possible, to destroy Seaforth, ere they could come to hisassistance. This occasioned a corresponding change in their operations. Leaving this chieftain to make the best defence he could, Urrie andBaillie again separated their forces from those of Argyle; and, havingchiefly horse and Lowland troops under their command, they kept thesouthern side of the Grampian ridge, moving along eastward into thecounty of Angus, resolving from thence to proceed into Aberdeenshire, in order to intercept Montrose, if he should attempt to escape in thatdirection. 

Argyle, with his own levies and other troops, undertook to followMontrose's march; so that, in case he should come to action either withSeaforth, or with Baillie and Urrie, he might be placed between twofires by this third army, which, at a secure distance, was to hang uponhis rear. 

For this purpose, Argyle once more moved towards Inverary, having anopportunity, at every step, to deplore the severities which the hostileclans had exercised on his dependants and country. Whatever noblequalities the Highlanders possessed, and they had many, clemency intreating a hostile country was not of the number; but even the ravagesof hostile troops combined to swell the number of Argyle's followers. It is still a Highland proverb, He whose house is burnt must become asoldier; and hundreds of the inhabitants of these unfortunate valleyshad now no means of maintenance, save by exercising upon others theseverities they had themselves sustained, and no future prospect ofhappiness, excepting in the gratification of revenge. His bands were, therefore, augmented by the very circumstances which had desolated hiscountry, and Argyle soon found himself at the head of three thousanddetermined men, distinguished for activity and courage, and commanded bygentlemen of his own name, who yielded to none in those qualities. Underhimself, he conferred the principal command upon Sir Duncan Campbell ofArdenvohr, and another Sir Duncan Campbell of Auchenbreck, [This lastcharacter is historical] an experienced and veteran soldier, whom he hadrecalled from the wars of Ireland for this purpose. The cold spiritof Argyle himself, however, clogged the military councils of hismore intrepid assistants; and it was resolved, notwithstanding theirincreased force, to observe the same plan of operations, and to followMontrose cautiously, in whatever direction he should march, avoiding anengagement until an opportunity should occur of falling upon his rear, while he should be engaged with another enemy in front. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

 Piobracht au Donuil-dhu, Piobrachet au Donuil, Piobrachet agus S'breittach Feacht an Innerlochy. 

 The war-tune of Donald the Black, The war-tune of Black Donald, The pipes and the banner Are up in the rendezvous of Inverlochy. 

The military road connecting the chains of forts, as it is called, andrunning in the general line of the present Caledonian Canal, has nowcompletely opened the great glen, or chasm, extending almost acrossthe whole island, once doubtless filled by the sea, and still affordingbasins for that long line of lakes, by means of which modern art hasunited the German and Atlantic Oceans. The paths or tracks by which thenatives traversed this extensive valley, were, in 1645-6, in the samesituation as when they awaked the strain of an Irish engineer officer, who had been employed in converting them into practicable militaryroads, and whose eulogium begins, and, for aught I know, ends, asfollows:

Had you seen but these roads before they were made, You would have heldup your hands and bless'd General Wade. 

But, bad as the ordinary paths were, Montrose avoided them, and ledhis army, like a herd of wild deer, from mountain to mountain, and fromforest to forest, where his enemies could learn nothing of his motions, while he acquired the most perfect knowledge respecting theirs from thefriendly clans of Cameron and M'Donnell, whose mountainous districts henow traversed. Strict orders had been given that Argyle's advance shouldbe watched, and that all intelligence respecting his motions should becommunicated instantly to the General himself. 

It was a moonlight night, and Montrose, worn out by the fatigues ofthe day, was laid down to sleep in a miserable shieling. He had onlyslumbered two hours, when some one touched his shoulder. He looked up, and, by the stately form and deep voice, easily recognised the Chief ofthe Camerons. 

"I have news for you, " said that leader, "which is worth while to ariseand listen to. "

"M'Ilduy [Mhich-Connel Dhu, the descendant of Black Donald. ] canbring no other, " said Montrose, addressing the Chief by his patronymictitle--"are they good or bad?"

"As you may take them, " said the Chieftain. 

"Are they certain?" demanded Montrose. 

"Yes, " answered M'Ilduy, "or another messenger should have brought them. Know that, tired with the task imposed upon me of accompanying thatunhappy Dalgetty and his handful of horse, who detained me for hourson the march at the pace of a crippled badger, I made a stretch of fourmiles with six of my people in the direction of Inverlochy, and theremet with Ian of Glenroy, who had been out for intelligence. Argyle ismoving upon Inverlochy with three thousand chosen men, commanded by theflower of the sons of Diarmid. --These are my news--they are certain--itis for you to construe their purport. "

"Their purport must be good, " answered Montrose, readily and cheerfully;"the voice of M'Ilduy is ever pleasant in the ears of Montrose, and mostpleasant when it speaks of some brave enterprise at hand--What are ourmusters?"

He then called for light, and easily ascertained that a great part ofhis followers having, as usual, dispersed to secure their booty, he hadnot with him above twelve or fourteen hundred men. 

"Not much above a third, " said Montrose, pausing, "of Argyle's force, and Highlanders opposed to Highlanders. --With the blessing of God uponthe royal cause, I would not hesitate were the odds but one to two. "

"Then do not hesitate, " said Cameron; "for when your trumpets shallsound to attack M'Callum More, not a man of these glens will remain deafto the summons. Glengarry--Keppoch--I myself--would destroy, withfire and sword, the wretch who should remain behind under any pretencewhatsoever. To-morrow, or the next day, shall be a day of battle to allwho bear the name of M'Donnell or Cameron, whatever be the event. "

"It is gallantly said, my noble friend, " said Montrose, grasping hishand, "and I were worse than a coward did I not do justice to suchfollowers, by entertaining the most indubitable hopes of success. Wewill turn back on this M'Callum More, who follows us like a raven todevour the relics of our army, should we meet braver men who may be ableto break its strength! Let the Chiefs and leaders be called together asquickly as possible; and you, who have brought us the first news of thisjoyful event, --for such it shall be, --you, M'Ilduy, shall bring it toa joyful issue, by guiding us the best and nearest road against ourenemy. "

"That will I willingly do, " said M'Ilduy; "if I have shown you paths bywhich to retreat through these dusky wilds, with far more readiness willI teach you how to advance against your foe. "

A general bustle now prevailed, and the leaders were everywhere startledfrom the rude couches on which they had sought temporary repose. 

"I never thought, " said Major Dalgetty, when summoned up from a handfulof rugged heather roots, "to have parted from a bed as hard as astable-broom with such bad will; but, indubitably, having but one manof military experience in his army, his Excellency the Marquis may bevindicated in putting him upon hard duty. "

So saying, he repaired to the council, where, notwithstanding hispedantry, Montrose seemed always to listen to him with considerableattention; partly because the Major really possessed military knowledgeand experience, and often made suggestions which were found ofadvantage, and partly because it relieved the General from the necessityof deferring entirely to the opinion of the Highland Chiefs, and gavehim additional ground for disputing it when it was not agreeable tohis own. On the present occasion, Dalgetty joyfully acquiesced in theproposal of marching back and confronting Argyle, which he compared tothe valiant resolution of the great Gustavus, who moved against theDuke of Bavaria, and enriched his troops by the plunder of that fertilecountry, although menaced from the northward by the large army whichWallenstein had assembled in Bohemia. 

The Chiefs of Glengarry, Keppoch, and Lochiel, whose clans, equalin courage and military fame to any in the Highlands, lay within theneighbourhood of the scene of action, dispatched the fiery cross throughtheir vassals, to summon every one who could bear arms to meet theKing's lieutenant, and to join the standards of their respective Chiefs, as they marched towards Inverlochy. As the order was emphatically given, it was speedily and willingly obeyed. Their natural love of war, theirzeal for the royal cause, --for they viewed the King in the light ofa chief whom his clansmen had deserted, --as well as their implicitobedience to their own patriarch, drew in to Montrose's army not onlyall in the neighbourhood who were able to bear arms, but some who, inage at least, might have been esteemed past the use of them. During thenext day's march, which, being directed straight through the mountainsof Lochaber, was unsuspected by the enemy, his forces were augmented byhandfuls of men issuing from each glen, and ranging themselves underthe banners of their respective Chiefs. This was a circumstance highlyinspiriting to the rest of the army, who, by the time they approachedthe enemy, found their strength increased considerably more thanone-fourth, as had been prophesied by the valiant leader of theCamerons. 

While Montrose executed this counter-march, Argyle had, at the head ofhis gallant army, advanced up the southern side of Loch-Eil, and reachedthe river Lochy, which combines that lake with Loch-Lochy. The ancientCastle of Inverlochy, once, as it is said, a royal fortress, and still, although dismantled, a place of some strength and consideration, offeredconvenient head-quarters, and there was ample room for Argyle's army toencamp around him in the valley, where the Lochy joins Loch-Eil. Severalbarges had attended, loaded with provisions, so that they were in everyrespect as well accommodated as such an army wished or expected to be. Argyle, in council with Auchenbreck and Ardenvohr, expressed his fullconfidence that Montrose was now on the brink of destruction; that histroops must gradually diminish as he moved eastward through such uncouthpaths; that if he went westward, he must encounter Urrie and Baillie;if northward, fall into the hands of Seaforth; or should he choose anyhalting-place, he would expose himself to be attacked by three armies atonce. 

"I cannot rejoice in the prospect, my lord, " said Auchebreck, "thatJames Grahame will be crushed with little assistance of ours. He hasleft a heavy account in Argyleshire against him, and I long to reckonwith him drop of blood for drop of blood. I love not the payment of suchdebts by third hands. "

"You are too scrupulous, " said Argyle; "what signifies it by whosehands the blood of the Grahames is spilt? It is time that of the sons ofDiarmid should cease to flow. --What say you, Ardenvohr?"

"I say, my lord, " replied Sir Duncan, "that I think Auchenbreck willbe gratified, and will himself have a personal opportunity of settlingaccounts with Montrose for his depredations. Reports have reached ouroutposts that the Camerons are assembling their full strength on theskirts of Ben-Nevis; this must be to join the advance of Montrose, andnot to cover his retreat. "

"It must be some scheme of harassing and depredation, " said Argyle, "devised by the inveterate malignity of M'Ilduy, which he termsloyalty. They can intend no more than an attack on our outposts, or someannoyance to to-morrow's march. "

"I have sent out scouts, " said Sir Duncan, "in every direction, toprocure intelligence; and we must soon hear whether they really doassemble any force, upon what point, or with what purpose. "

It was late ere any tidings were received; but when the moon had arisen, a considerable bustle in the camp, and a noise immediately after heardin the castle, announced the arrival of important intelligence. Of thescouts first dispersed by Ardenvohr, some had returned without beingable to collect anything, save uncertain rumours concerning movementsin the country of the Camerons. It seemed as if the skirts of Ben-Neviswere sending forth those unaccountable and portentous sounds with whichthey sometimes announce the near approach of a storm. Others, whose zealcarried them farther upon their mission, were entrapped and slain, ormade prisoners, by the inhabitants of the fastnesses into which theyendeavoured to penetrate. At length, on the rapid advance of Montrose'sarmy, his advanced guard and the outposts of Argyle became aware of eachother's presence, and after exchanging a few musket-shots and arrows, fell back to their respective main bodies, to convey intelligence andreceive orders. 

Sir Duncan Campbell, and Auchenbreck, instantly threw themselves onhorseback, in order to visit the state of the outposts; and Argylemaintained his character of commander-in-chief with reputation, bymaking a respectable arrangement of his forces in the plain, as it wasevident that they might now expect a night alarm, or an attack in themorning at farthest. Montrose had kept his forces so cautiously withinthe defiles of the mountain, that no effort which Auchenbreck orArdenvohr thought it prudent to attempt, could ascertain his probablestrength. They were aware, however, that, at the utmost computation, itmust be inferior to their own, and they returned to Argyle to informhim of the amount of their observations; but that nobleman refused tobelieve that Montrose could be in presence himself. He said, "It wasa madness, of which even James Grahame, in his height of presumptuousfrenzy, was incapable; and he doubted not that their march was onlyimpeded by their ancient enemies, Glencoe, Keppoch, and Glengarry; andperhaps M'Vourigh, with his M'Phersons, might have assembled a force, which he knew must be greatly inferior in numbers to his own, andwhom, therefore, he doubted not to disperse by force, or by terms ofcapitulation. "

The spirit of Argyle's followers was high, breathing vengeance for thedisasters which their country had so lately undergone; and thenight passed in anxious hopes that the morning might dawn upon theirvengeance. The outposts of either army kept a careful watch, and thesoldiers of Argyle slept in the order of battle which they were next dayto occupy. 

A pale dawn had scarce begun to tinge the tops of these immensemountains, when the leaders of both armies prepared for the business ofthe day. It was the second of February, 1645-6. The clansmen of Argylewere arranged in two lines, not far from the angle between the riverand the lake, and made an appearance equally resolute and formidable. Auchenbreck would willingly have commenced the battle by an attackon the outposts of the enemy, but Argyle, with more cautious policy, preferred receiving to making the onset. Signals were soon heard, that they would not long wait for it in vain. The Campbells coulddistinguish, in the gorge of the mountains, the war-tunes of variousclans as they advanced to the onset. That of the Camerons, which bearsthe ominous words, addressed to the wolves and ravens, "Come to me, andI will give you flesh, " was loudly re-echoed from their native glens. Inthe language of the Highland bards, the war voice of Glengarry wasnot silent; and the gathering tunes of other tribes could be plainlydistinguished, as they successively came up to the extremity of thepasses from which they were to descend into the plain. 

"You see, " said Argyle to his kinsmen, "it is as I said, we have only todeal with our neighbours; James Grahame has not ventured to show us hisbanner. "

At this moment there resounded from the gorge of the pass a livelyflourish of trumpets, in that note with which it was the ancientScottish fashion to salute the royal standard. 

"You may hear, my lord, from yonder signal, " said Sir Duncan Campbell, "that he who pretends to be the King's Lieutenant, must be in personamong these men. "

"And has probably horse with him, " said Auchenbreck, "which I could nothave anticipated. But shall we look pale for that, my lord, when we havefoes to fight, and wrongs to revenge?"

Argyle was silent, and looked upon his arm, which hung in a sash, owingto a fall which he had sustained in a preceding march. 

"It is true, " interrupted Ardenvohr, eagerly, "my Lord of Argyle, youare disabled from using either sword or pistol; you must retire on boardthe galleys--your life is precious to us as a head--your hand cannot beuseful to us as a soldier. "

"No, " said Argyle, pride contending with irresolution, "it shall neverbe said that I fled before Montrose; if I cannot fight, I will at leastdie in the midst of my children. "

Several other principal Chiefs of the Campbells, with one voice, conjured and obtested their Chieftain to leave them for that day to theleading of Ardenvohr and Auchenbreck, and to behold the conflict from adistance and in safety. --We dare not stigmatize Argyle with poltroonery;for, though his life was marked by no action of bravery, yet he behavedwith so much composure and dignity in the final and closing scene, thathis conduct upon the present and similar occasions, should be ratherimputed to indecision than to want of courage. But when the small stillvoice within a man's own breast, which tells him that his life is ofconsequence to himself, is seconded by that of numbers around him, whoassure him that it is of equal advantage to the public, history affordsmany examples of men more habitually daring than Argyle, who haveconsulted self-preservation when the temptations to it were sopowerfully increased. 

"See him on board, if you will, Sir Duncan, " said Auchenbreck to hiskinsman; "It must be my duty to prevent this spirit from spreadingfarther among us. "

So saying, he threw himself among the ranks, entreating, commanding, andconjuring the soldiers, to remember their ancient fame and their presentsuperiority; the wrongs they had to revenge, if successful, and the fatethey had to dread, if vanquished; and imparting to every bosom a portionof the fire which glowed in his own. Slowly, meanwhile, and apparentlywith reluctance, Argyle suffered himself to be forced by his officiouskinsmen to the verge of the lake, and was transported on board of agalley, from the deck of which he surveyed with more safety than creditthe scene which ensued. 

Sir Duncan Campbell of Ardenvohr, notwithstanding the urgency ofthe occasion, stood with his eyes riveted on the boat which bore hisChieftain from the field of battle. There were feelings in his bosomwhich could not be expressed; for the character of a Chief was that ofa father, and the heart of a clansman durst not dwell upon his failingswith critical severity as upon those of other men. Argyle, too, harshand severe to others, was generous and liberal among his kinsmen, andthe noble heart of, Ardenvohr was wrung with bitter anguish, when hereflected to what interpretation his present conduct might subject him. 

"It is better it should be so, " said he to himself, devouring his ownemotion; "but--of his line of a hundred sires, I know not one who wouldhave retired while the banner of Diarmid waved in the wind, in the faceof its most inveterate foes!"

A loud shout now compelled him to turn, and to hasten with all dispatchto his post, which was on the right flank of Argyle's little army. 

The retreat of Argyle had not passed unobserved by his watchful enemy, who, occupying the superior ground, could mark every circumstance whichpassed below. The movement of three or four horsemen to the rear showedthat those who retreated were men of rank. 

"They are going, " said Dalgetty, "to put their horses out of danger, like prudent cavaliers. Yonder goes Sir Duncan Campbell, riding a brownbay gelding, which I had marked for my own second charger. "

"You are wrong, Major, " said Montrose, with a bitter smile, "they aresaving their precious Chief--Give the signal for assault instantly--sendthe word through the ranks. --Gentlemen, noble Chiefs, Glengarry, Keppoch, M'Vourigh, upon them instantly!--Ride to M'Ilduy, MajorDalgetty, and tell him to charge as he loves Lochaber--return and bringour handful of horse to my standard. They shall be placed with the Irishas a reserve. "

CHAPTER XIX. 

 As meets a rock a thousand waves, so Inisfail met Lochlin. --OSSIAN. 

The trumpets and bagpipes, those clamorous harbingers of blood anddeath, at once united in the signal for onset, which was replied toby the cry of more than two thousand warriors, and the echoes of themountain glens behind them. Divided into three bodies, or columns, the Highland followers of Montrose poured from the defiles which hadhitherto concealed them from their enemies, and rushed with the utmostdetermination upon the Campbells, who waited their charge with thegreatest firmness. Behind these charging columns marched in line theIrish, under Colkitto, intended to form the reserve. With them was theroyal standard, and Montrose himself; and on the flanks were about fiftyhorse, under Dalgetty, which by wonderful exertions had been kept insome sort fit for service. 

The right column of Royalists was led by Glengarry, the left by Lochiel, and the centre by the Earl of Menteith, who preferred fighting on footin a Highland dress to remaining with the cavalry. 

The Highlanders poured on with the proverbial fury of their country, firing their guns, and discharging their arrows, at a little distancefrom the enemy, who received the assault with the most determinedgallantry. Better provided with musketry than their enemies, stationaryalso, and therefore taking the more decisive aim, the fire of Argyle'sfollowers was more destructive than that which they sustained. The royalclans, perceiving this, rushed to close quarters, and succeeded on twopoints in throwing their enemies into disorder. With regular troopsthis must have achieved a victory; but here Highlanders were opposed toHighlanders, and the nature of the weapons, as well as the agility ofthose who wielded them, was equal on both sides. 

Their strife was accordingly desperate; and the clash of the swordsand axes, as they encountered each other, or rung upon the targets, wasmingled with the short, wild, animating shrieks with which Highlandersaccompany the battle, the dance, or indeed violent exertion of any kind. Many of the foes opposed were personally acquainted, and sought to matchthemselves with each other from motives of hatred, or a more generousemulation of valour. Neither party would retreat an inch, while theplace of those who fell (and they fell fast on both sides) was eagerlysupplied by others, who thronged to the front of danger. A steam, likethat which arises from a seething cauldron, rose into the thin, cold, frosty air, and hovered above the combatants. 

So stood the fight on the right and the centre, with no immediateconsequence, except mutual wounds and death. 

On the right of the Campbells, the Knight of Ardenvohr obtained someadvantage, through his military skill and by strength of numbers. He hadmoved forward obliquely the extreme flank of his line at the instant theRoyalists were about to close, so that they sustained a fire at onceon front and in flank, and, despite the utmost efforts of their leader, were thrown into some confusion. At this instant, Sir Duncan Campbellgave the word to charge, and thus unexpectedly made the attack atthe very moment he seemed about to receive it. Such a change ofcircumstances is always discouraging, and often fatal. But the disorderwas remedied by the advance of the Irish reserve, whose heavy andsustained fire compelled the Knight of Ardenvohr to forego hisadvantage, and content himself with repulsing the enemy. The Marquisof Montrose, in the meanwhile, availing himself of some scattered birchtrees, as well as of the smoke produced by the close fire of the Irishmusketry, which concealed the operation, called upon Dalgetty to followhim with the horse, and wheeling round so as to gain the right flank andeven the rear of the enemy, he commanded his six trumpets to soundthe charge. The clang of the cavalry trumpets, and the noise of thegalloping of the horse, produced an effect upon Argyle's right wingwhich no other sounds could have impressed them with. The mountaineersof that period had a superstitious dread of the war-horse, like thatentertained by the Peruvians, and had many strange ideas respecting themanner in which that animal was trained to combat. When, therefore, theyfound their ranks unexpectedly broken, and that the objects of theirgreatest terror were suddenly in the midst of them, the panic, in spiteof Sir Duncan's attempts to stop it, became universal. Indeed, thefigure of Major Dalgetty alone, sheathed in impenetrable armour, andmaking his horse caracole and bound, so as to give weight to everyblow which he struck, would have been a novelty in itself sufficient toterrify those who had never seen anything more nearly resembling sucha cavalier, than a SHELTY waddling under a Highlander far bigger thanitself. The repulsed Royalists returned to the charge; the Irish, keeping their ranks, maintained a fire equally close and destructive. There was no sustaining the fight longer. Argyle's followers beganto break and fly, most towards the lake, the remainder in differentdirections. The defeat of the right wing, of itself decisive, wasrendered irreparable by the death of Auchenbreck, who fell whileendeavouring to restore order. 

The Knight of Ardenvohr, with two or three hundred men, all gentlemen ofdescent and distinguished gallantry, --for the Campbells are supposed tohave had more gentlemen in their ranks than any of the Highland clans, endeavoured, with unavailing heroism, to cover the tumultuary retreatof the common file. Their resolution only proved fatal to themselves, as they were charged again and again by fresh adversaries, and forced toseparate from each other, until at length their aim seemed only to be topurchase an honourable death by resisting to the very last. 

"Good quarter, Sir Duncan, " called out Major Dalgetty, when hediscovered his late host, with one or two others, defending himselfagainst several Highlanders; and, to enforce his offer, he rode up tohim with his sword uplifted. Sir Duncan's reply was the discharge of areserved pistol, which took effect not on the person of the rider, buton that of his gallant horse, which, shot through the heart, fell deadunder him. Ranald MacEagh, who was one of those who had been pressingSir Duncan hard, took the opportunity to cut him down with hisbroadsword, as he turned from him in the act of firing the pistol. 

Allan M'Aulay came up at this moment. They were, excepting Ranald, followers of his brother who were engaged on that part of the field, "Villains!" he said, "which of you has dared to do this, when it was mypositive order that the Knight of Ardenvohr should be taken alive?"

Half-a-dozen of busy hands, which were emulously employed in plunderingthe fallen knight, whose arms and accoutrements were of a magnificencebefitting his quality, instantly forbore the occupation, and half thenumber of voices exculpated themselves, by laying the blame on theSkyeman, as they called Ranald MacEagh. 

"Dog of an Islander!" said Allan, forgetting, in his wrath, theirprophetic brotherhood, "follow the chase, and harm him no farther, unless you mean to die by my hand. " They were at this moment left almostalone; for Allan's threats had forced his own clan from the spot, andall around had pressed onwards toward the lake, carrying before themnoise, terror, and confusion, and leaving behind only the dead anddying. The moment was tempting to MacEagh's vengeful spirit. --"That Ishould die by your hand, red as it is with the blood of my kindred, "said he, answering the threat of Allan in a tone as menacing as his own, "is not more likely than that you should fall by mine. " With that, hestruck at M'Aulay with such unexpected readiness, that he had scarcetime to intercept the blow with his target. 

"Villain!" said Allan, in astonishment, "what means this?"

"I am Ranald of the Mist!" answered the Islesman, repeating the blow;and with that word, they engaged in close and furious conflict. Itseemed to be decreed, that in Allan M'Aulay had arisen the avenger ofhis mother's wrongs upon this wild tribe, as was proved by the issue ofthe present, as well as of former combats. After exchanging a few blows, Ranald MacEagh was prostrated by a deep wound on the skull; and M'Aulay, setting his foot on him, was about to pass the broadsword through hisbody, when the point of the weapon was struck up by a third party, who suddenly interposed. This was no other than Major Dalgetty, who, stunned by the fall, and encumbered by the dead body of his horse, hadnow recovered his legs and his understanding. "Hold up your sword, " saidhe to M'Aulay, "and prejudice this person no farther, in respect thathe is here in my safeconduct, and in his Excellency's service; and inregard that no honourable cavalier is at liberty, by the law martial, toavenge his own private injuries, FLAGRANTE BELLO, MULTO MAJUS FLAGRANTEPRAELIO. "

"Fool!" said Allan, "stand aside, and dare not to come between the tigerand his prey!"

But, far from quitting his point, Dalgetty stept across the fallen bodyof MacEagh, and gave Allan to understand, that if he called himselfa tiger, he was likely, at present, to find a lion in his path. Thererequired no more than the gesture and tone of defiance to turn the wholerage of the military Seer against the person who was opposing the courseof his vengeance, and blows were instantly exchanged without fartherceremony. 

The strife betwixt Allan and MacEagh had been unnoticed by thestragglers around, for the person of the latter was known to few ofMontrose's followers; but the scuffle betwixt Dalgetty and him, both sowell known, attracted instant attention; and fortunately, among others, that of Montrose himself, who had come for the purpose of gatheringtogether his small body of horse, and following the pursuit downLoch-Eil. Aware of the fatal consequences of dissension in his littlearmy, he pushed his horse up to the spot, and seeing MacEagh on theground, and Dalgetty in the attitude of protecting him against M'Aulay, his quick apprehension instantly caught the cause of quarrel, and asinstantly devised means to stop it. "For shame, " he said, "gentlemencavaliers, brawling together in so glorious a field of victory!--Are youmad? Or are you intoxicated with the glory which you have both this daygained?"

"It is not my fault, so please your Excellency, " said Dalgetty. "Ihave been known a BONUS SOCIUS, A BON CAMARADO, in all the services ofEurope; but he that touches a man under my safeguard--"

"And he, " said Allan, speaking at the same time, "who dares to bar thecourse of my just vengeance--"

"For shame, gentlemen!" again repeated Montrose; "I have other businessfor you both, --business of deeper importance than any private quarrel, which you may easily find a more fitting time to settle. For you, MajorDalgetty, kneel down. "

"Kneel!" said Dalgetty; "I have not learned to obey that word ofcommand, saving when it is given from the pulpit. In the Swedishdiscipline, the front rank do indeed kneel, but only when the regimentis drawn up six file deep. "

"Nevertheless, " repeated Montrose, --"kneel down, in the name of KingCharles and of his representative. "

When Dalgetty reluctantly obeyed, Montrose struck him lightly on theneck with the flat of his sword, saying, --"In reward of the gallantservice of this day, and in the name and authority of our Sovereign, King Charles, I dub thee knight; be brave, loyal, and fortunate. Andnow, Sir Dugald Dalgetty, to your duty. Collect what horsemen you can, and pursue such of the enemy as are flying down the side of the lake. Donot disperse your force, nor venture too far; but take heed to preventtheir rallying, which very little exertion may do. Mount, then, SirDugald, and do your duty. "

"But what shall I mount?" said the new-made chevalier. "Poor Gustavussleeps in the bed of honour, like his immortal namesake! and I am made aknight, a rider, as the High Dutch have it, just when I have not a horseleft to ride upon. " [In German, as in Latin, the original meaning of theword Ritter, corresponding to Eques, is merely a horseman. ]

"That shall not be said, " answered Montrose, dismounting; "I make you apresent of my own, which has been thought a good one; only, I pray you, resume the duty you discharge so well. "

With many acknowledgments, Sir Dugald mounted the steed so liberallybestowed upon him; and only beseeching his Excellency to remember thatMacEagh was under his safe-conduct, immediately began to execute theorders assigned to him, with great zeal and alacrity. 

"And you, Allan M'Aulay, " said Montrose, addressing the Highlander, who, leaning his sword-point on the ground, had regarded the ceremony of hisantagonist's knighthood with a sneer of sullen scorn, --"you, who aresuperior to the ordinary men led by the paltry motives of plunder, andpay, and personal distinction, --you, whose deep knowledge renders you sovaluable a counsellor, --is it YOU whom I find striving with a man likeDalgetty, for the privilege of trampling the remains of life out of socontemptible an enemy as lies there? Come, my friend, I have other workfor you. This victory, skilfully improved, shall win Seaforth to ourparty. It is not disloyalty, but despair of the good cause, that hasinduced him to take arms against us. These arms, in this moment ofbetter augury, he may be brought to unite with ours. I shall send mygallant friend, Colonel Hay, to him, from this very field of battle, but he must be united in commission with a Highland gentleman of rank, befitting that of Seaforth, and of talents and of influence such asmay make an impression upon him. You are not only in every respectthe fittest for this most important mission, but, having no immediatecommand, your presence may be more easily spared than that of a Chiefwhose following is in the field. You know every pass and glen inthe Highlands, as well as the manners and customs of every tribe. Gotherefore to Hay, on the right wing; he has instructions, and expectsyou. You will find him with Glenmorrison's men; be his guide, hisinterpreter, and his colleague. "

Allan M'Aulay bent on the Marquis a dark and penetrating glance, asif to ascertain whether this sudden mission was not conferred for somelatent and unexplained purpose. But Montrose, skilful in searchingthe motives of others, was an equal adept in concealing his own. Heconsidered it as of the last consequence, in this moment of enthusiasmand exalted passion, to remove Allan from the camp for a few days, thathe might provide, as his honour required, for the safety of thosewho had acted as his guides, when he trusted the Seer's quarrel withDalgetty might be easily made up. Allan, at parting, only recommendedto the Marquis the care of Sir Duncan Campbell, whom Montrose instantlydirected to be conveyed to a place of safety. He took the sameprecaution for MacEagh, committing the latter, however, to a party ofthe Irish, with directions that he should be taken care of, but that noHighlander, of any clan, should have access to him. 

The Marquis then mounted a led horse, which was held by one of hisattendants, and rode on to view the scene of his victory, which was moredecisive than even his ardent hopes had anticipated. Of Argyle's gallantarmy of three thousand men, fully one-half fell in the battle, or in theflight. They had been chiefly driven back upon that part of the plainwhere the river forms an angle with the lake, so that there was no freeopening either for retreat or escape. Several hundreds were forcedinto the lake and drowned. Of the survivors, about one-half escaped byswimming the river, or by an early flight along the left bank of thelake. The remainder threw themselves into the old Castle of Inverlochy;but being without either provisions or hopes of relief, they wereobliged to surrender, on condition of being suffered to return to theirhomes in peace. Arms, ammunition, standards, and baggage, all became theprey of the conquerors. 

This was the greatest disaster that ever befell the race of Diarmid, asthe Campbells were called in the Highlands; it being generally remarkedthat they were as fortunate in the issue of their undertakings, as theywere sagacious in planning, and courageous in executing them. Of thenumber slain, nearly five hundred were dunniwassels, or gentlemenclaiming descent from known and respected houses. And, in the opinionof many of the clan, even this heavy loss was exceeded by the disgracearising from the inglorious conduct of their Chief, whose galley weighedanchor when the day was lost, and sailed down the lake with all thespeed to which sails and oars could impel her. 

CHAPTER XX. 

 Faint the din of battle bray'd, Distant down the hollow wind; War and terror fled before, Wounds and death remain'd behind. --PENROSE. 

Montrose's splendid success over his powerful rival was not attainedwithout some loss, though not amounting to the tenth of what heinflicted. The obstinate valour of the Campbells cost the lives of manybrave men of the opposite party; and more were wounded, the Chief ofwhom was the brave young Earl of Menteith, who had commanded the centre. He was but slightly touched, however, and made rather a graceful thana terrible appearance when he presented to his general the standard ofArgyle, which he had taken from the standard-bearer with his own hand, and slain him in single combat. Montrose dearly loved his noble kinsman, in whom there was conspicuous a flash of the generous, romantic, disinterested chivalry of the old heroic times, entirely different fromthe sordid, calculating, and selfish character, which the practice ofentertaining mercenary troops had introduced into most parts of Europe, and of which degeneracy Scotland, which furnished soldiers of fortunefor the service of almost every nation, had been contaminated with amore than usual share. Montrose, whose native spirit was congenial, although experience had taught him how to avail himself of the motivesof others, used to Menteith neither the language of praise nor ofpromise, but clasped him to his bosom as he exclaimed, "My gallantkinsman!" And by this burst of heartfelt applause was Menteith thrilledwith a warmer glow of delight, than if his praises had been recorded ina report of the action sent directly to the throne of his sovereign. 

"Nothing, " he said, "my lord, now seems to remain in which I can renderany assistance; permit me to look after a duty of humanity--the Knightof Ardenvohr, as I am told, is our prisoner, and severely wounded. "

"And well he deserves to be so, " said Sir Dugald Dalgetty, who cameup to them at that moment with a prodigious addition of acquiredimportance, "since he shot my good horse at the time that I was offeringhim honourable quarter, which, I must needs say, was done more like anignorant Highland cateran, who has not sense enough to erect a sconcefor the protection of his old hurley-house of a castle, than like asoldier of worth and quality. "

"Are we to condole with you then, " said Lord Menteith, "upon the loss ofthe famed Gustavus?"

"Even so, my lord, " answered the soldier, with a deep sigh, "DIEMCLAUSIT SUPREMUM, as we said at the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen. Better so than be smothered like a cadger's pony in some flow-moss, or snow-wreath, which was like to be his fate if this winter campaignlasted longer. But it has pleased his Excellency" (making an inclinationto Montrose) "to supply his place by the gift of a noble steed, whomI have taken the freedom to name 'LOYALTY'S REWARD, ' in memory of thiscelebrated occasion. "

"I hope, " said the Marquis, "you'll find Loyalty's Reward, since youcall him so, practised in all the duties of the field, --but I must justhint to you, that at this time, in Scotland, loyalty is more frequentlyrewarded with a halter than with a horse. "

"Ahem! your Excellency is pleased to be facetious. Loyalty's Reward isas perfect as Gustavus in all his exercises, and of a far finer figure. Marry! his social qualities are less cultivated, in respect he has kepttill now inferior company. "

"Not meaning his Excellency the General, I hope, " said Lord Menteith. "For shame, Sir Dugald!"

"My lord, " answered the knight gravely, "I am incapable to mean anythingso utterly unbecoming. What I asseverate is, that his Excellency, havingthe same intercourse with his horse during his exercise, that he hathwith his soldiers when training them, may form and break either to everyfeat of war which he chooses to practise, and accordingly that thisnoble charger is admirably managed. But as it is the intercourse ofprivate life that formeth the social character, so I do not apprehendthat of the single soldier to be much polished by the conversation ofthe corporal or the sergeant, or that of Loyalty's Reward to have beenmuch dulcified, or ameliorated, by the society of his Excellency'sgrooms, who bestow more oaths, and kicks, and thumps, than kindness orcaresses, upon the animals intrusted to their charge; whereby many agenerous quadruped, rendered as it were misanthropic, manifests duringthe rest of his life a greater desire to kick and bite his master, thanto love and to honour him. "

"Spoken like an oracle, " said Montrose. "Were there an academy for theeducation of horses to be annexed to the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen, Sir Dugald Dalgetty alone should fill the chair. "

"Because, being an ass, " said Menteith, aside to the General, "therewould be some distant relation between the professor and the students. "

"And now, with your Excellency's permission, " said the new-made knight, "I am going to pay my last visit to the remains of my old companion inarms. "

"Not with the purpose of going through the ceremonial of interment?"said the Marquis, who did not know how far Sir Dugald's enthusiasm mightlead him; "consider our brave fellows themselves will have but a hastyburial. "

"Your Excellency will pardon me, " said Dalgetty; "my purpose is lessromantic. I go to divide poor Gustavus's legacy with the fowls ofheaven, leaving the flesh to them, and reserving to myself his hide;which, in token of affectionate remembrance, I purpose to form intoa cassock and trowsers, after the Tartar fashion, to be worn under myarmour, in respect my nether garments are at present shamefully theworse of the wear. --Alas! poor Gustavus, why didst thou not live atleast one hour more, to have borne the honoured weight of knighthoodupon thy loins!"

He was now turning away, when the Marquis called after him, --"As youare not likely to be anticipated in this act of kindness, Sir Dugald, to your old friend and companion, I trust, " said the Marquis, "you willfirst assist me, and our principal friends, to discuss some of Argyle'sgood cheer, of which we have found abundance in the Castle. "

"Most willingly, please your Excellency, " said Sir Dugald; "as meatand mass never hinder work. Nor, indeed, am I afraid that the wolves oreagles will begin an onslaught on Gustavus to-night, in regard there isso much better cheer lying all around. But, " added he, "as I am to meettwo honourable knights of England, with others of the knightly degree inyour lordship's army, I pray it may be explained to them, that now, andin future, I claim precedence over them all, in respect of my rank as aBanneret, dubbed in a field of stricken battle. "

"The devil confound him!" said Montrose, speaking aside; "he hascontrived to set the kiln on fire as fast as I put it out. --'This isa point, Sir Dugald, " said he, gravely addressing him, "which I shallreserve for his Majesty's express consideration; in my camp, all mustbe upon equality, like the Knights of the Round Table; and take theirplaces as soldiers should, upon the principle of, --first come, firstserved. "

"Then I shall take care, " said Menteith, apart to the Marquis, "that DonDugald is not first in place to-day. --Sir Dugald, " added he, raising hisvoice, "as you say your wardrobe is out of repair, had you not better goto the enemy's baggage yonder, over which there is a guard placed? I sawthem take out an excellent buff suit, embroidered in front in silk andsilver. "

"VOTO A DIOS! as the Spaniard says, " exclaimed the Major, "and somebeggarly gilly may get it while I stand prating here!"

The prospect of booty having at once driven out of his head bothGustavus and the provant, he set spurs to Loyalty's Reward, and rode offthrough the field of battle. 

"There goes the hound, " said Menteith, "breaking the face, and tramplingon the body, of many a better man than himself; and as eager on hissordid spoil as a vulture that stoops upon carrion. Yet this man theworld calls a soldier--and you, my lord, select him as worthy of thehonours of chivalry, if such they can at this day be termed. You havemade the collar of knighthood the decoration of a mere bloodhound. "

"What could I do?" said Montrose. "I had no half-picked bones to givehim, and bribed in some manner he must be, --I cannot follow the chasealone. Besides, the dog has good qualities. "

"If nature has given him such, " said Menteith, "habit has converted theminto feelings of intense selfishness. He may be punctilious concerninghis reputation, and brave in the execution of his duty, but it is onlybecause without these qualities he cannot rise in the service;--nay, hisvery benevolence is selfish; he may defend his companion while he cankeep his feet, but the instant he is down, Sir Dugald will be as readyto ease him of his purse, as he is to convert the skin of Gustavus intoa buff jerkin. "

"And yet, if all this were true, cousin, " answered Montrose, "there issomething convenient in commanding a soldier, upon whose motives andsprings of action you can calculate to a mathematical certainty. A finespirit like yours, my cousin, alive to a thousand sensations to whichthis man's is as impervious as his corslet, --it is for such that thyfriend must feel, while he gives his advice. " Then, suddenly changinghis tone, he asked Menteith when he had seen Annot Lyle. 

The young Earl coloured deeply, and answered, "Not since lastevening, --excepting, " he added, with hesitation, "for one moment, abouthalf an hour before the battle began. "

"My dear Menteith, " said Montrose, very kindly, "were you one of the gaycavaliers of Whitehall, who are, in their way, as great self-seekersas our friend Dalgetty, should I need to plague you with enquiring intosuch an amourette as this? it would be an intrigue only to be laughedat. But this is the land of enchantment, where nets strong as steel arewrought out of ladies' tresses, and you are exactly the destined knightto be so fettered. This poor girl is exquisitely beautiful, and hastalents formed to captivate your romantic temper. You cannot think ofinjuring her--you cannot think of marrying her?"

"My lord, " replied Menteith, "you have repeatedly urged this jest, forso I trust it is meant, somewhat beyond bounds. Annot Lyle is of unknownbirth, --a captive, --the daughter, probably, of some obscure outlaw; adependant on the hospitality of the M'Aulays. "

"Do not be angry, Menteith, " said the Marquis, interrupting him; "youlove the classics, though not educated at Mareschal-College; and you mayremember how many gallant hearts captive beauty has subdued:--

 Movit Ajacem, Telamone natum, Forma captivae dominum Tecmessae. 

In a word, I am seriously anxious about this--I should not have time, perhaps, " he added very gravely, "to trouble you with my lectures on thesubject, were your feelings, and those of Annot, alone interested; butyou have a dangerous rival in Allan M'Aulay; and there is no knowing towhat extent he may carry his resentment. It is my duty to tell you thatthe King's service may be much prejudiced by dissensions betwixt you. "

"My lord, " said Menteith, "I know what you mean is kind and friendly; Ihope you will be satisfied when I assure you, that Allan M'Aulay and Ihave discussed this circumstance; and that I have explained to him, thatit is utterly remote from my character to entertain dishonourable viewsconcerning this unprotected female; so, on the other hand, the obscurityof her birth prevents my thinking of her upon other terms. I willnot disguise from your lordship, what I have not disguised fromM'Aulay, --that if Annot Lyle were born a lady, she should share my nameand rank; as matters stand, it is impossible. This explanation, Itrust, will satisfy your lordship, as it has satisfied a less reasonableperson. "

Montrose shrugged his shoulders. "And, like true champions in romance, "he said, "you have agreed, that you are both to worship the samemistress, as idolaters do the same image, and that neither shall extendhis pretensions farther?"

"I did not go so far, my lord, " answered Menteith--"I only said inthe present circumstances--and there is no prospect of their beingchanged, --I could, in duty to myself and family, stand in no relationto Annot Lyle, but as that of friend or brother--But your lordship mustexcuse me; I have, " said he, looking at his arm, round which he had tiedhis handkerchief, "a slight hurt to attend to. "

"A wound?" said Montrose, anxiously; "let me see it. --Alas!" he said, "Ishould have heard nothing of this, had I not ventured to tent and soundanother more secret and more rankling one, Menteith; I am sorry foryou--I too have known--But what avails it to awake sorrows which havelong slumbered!"

So saying, he shook hands with his noble kinsman, and walked into thecastle. 

Annot Lyle, as was not unusual for females in the Highlands, waspossessed of a slight degree of medical and even surgical skill. It mayreadily be believed, that the profession of surgery, or medicine, as aseparate art, was unknown; and the few rude rules which they observedwere intrusted to women, or to the aged, whom constant casualtiesafforded too much opportunity of acquiring experience. The care andattention, accordingly, of Annot Lyle, her attendants, and others actingunder her direction, had made her services extremely useful during thiswild campaign. And most readily had these services been rendered tofriend and foe, wherever they could be most useful. She was now in anapartment of the castle, anxiously superintending the preparation ofvulnerary herbs, to be applied to the wounded; receiving reports fromdifferent females respecting those under their separate charge, anddistributing what means she had for their relief, when Allan M'Aulaysuddenly entered the apartment. She started, for she had heard that hehad left the camp upon a distant mission; and, however accustomed shewas to the gloom of his countenance, it seemed at present to have evena darker shade than usual. He stood before her perfectly silent, and shefelt the necessity of being the first to speak. 

"I thought, " she said, with some effort, "you had already set out. "

"My companion awaits me, " said Allan; "I go instantly. " Yet still hestood before her, and held her by the arm, with a pressure which, thoughinsufficient to give her pain, made her sensible of his great personalstrength, his hand closing on her like the gripe of a manacle. 

"Shall I take the harp?" she said, in a timid voice; "is--is the shadowfalling upon you?"

Instead of replying, he led her to the window of the apartment, whichcommanded a view of the field of the slain, with all its horrors. It wasthick spread with dead and wounded, and the spoilers were busy tearingthe clothes from the victims of war and feudal ambition, with as muchindifference as if they had not been of the same species, and themselvesexposed, perhaps to-morrow, to the same fate. 

"Does the sight please you?" said M'Aulay. 

"It is hideous!" said Annot, covering her eyes with her hands; "how canyou bid me look upon it?"

"You must be inured to it, " said he, "if you remain with this destinedhost--you will soon have to search such a field for my brother'scorpse--for Menteith's--for mine---but that will be a more indifferenttask--You do not love me!"

"This is the first time you have taxed me with unkindness, " said Annot, weeping. "You are my brother--my preserver--my protector--and can I thenBUT love you?--But your hour of darkness is approaching, let me fetch myharp--"

"Remain, " said Allan, still holding her fast; "be my visions from heavenor hell, or from the middle sphere of disembodied spirits--or be they, as the Saxons hold, but the delusions of an over-heated fancy, theydo not now influence me; I speak the language of the natural, of thevisible world. --You love not me, Annot--you love Menteith--by him youare beloved again, and Allan is no more to you than one of the corpseswhich encumber yonder heath. "

It cannot be supposed that this strange speech conveyed any newinformation to her who was thus addressed. No woman ever lived who couldnot, in the same circumstances, have discerned long since the state ofher lover's mind. But by thus suddenly tearing off the veil, thin as itwas, Allan prepared her to expect consequences violent in proportion tothe enthusiasm of his character. She made an effort to repel the chargehe had stated. 

"You forget, " she said, "your own worth and nobleness when you insult sovery helpless a being, and one whom fate has thrown so totally intoyour power. You know who and what I am, and how impossible it is thatMenteith or you can use language of affection to me, beyond that offriendship. You know from what unhappy race I have too probably derivedmy existence. "

"I will not believe it, " said Allan, impetuously; "never flowed crystaldrop from a polluted spring. "

"Yet the very doubt, " pleaded Annot, "should make you forbear to usethis language to me. "

"I know, " said M'Aulay, "it places a bar between us--but I know alsothat it divides you not so inseparably from Menteith. --Hear me, mybeloved Annot!--leave this scene of terrors and danger--go with me toKintail--I will place you in the house of the noble Lady of Seaforth--oryou shall be removed in safety to Icolmkill, where some women yet devotethemselves to the worship of God, after the custom of our ancestors. "

"You consider not what you ask of me, " replied Annot; "to undertake sucha journey under your sole guardianship, were to show me less scrupulousthan maiden ought. I will remain here, Allan--here under the protectionof the noble Montrose; and when his motions next approach the Lowlands, I will contrive some proper means to relieve you of one, who has, sheknows not how, become an object of dislike to you. "

Allan stood as if uncertain whether to give way to sympathy with herdistress, or to anger at her resistance. 

"Annot, " he said, "you know too well how little your words apply tomy feelings towards you--but you avail yourself of your power, and yourejoice in my departure, as removing a spy upon your intercourse withMenteith. But beware both of you, " he added, in a stern tone; "for whenwas it ever heard that an injury was offered to Allan M'Aulay, for whichhe exacted not tenfold vengeance?"

So saying, he pressed her arm forcibly, pulled the bonnet over hisbrows, and strode out of the apartment. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

 --After you're gone, I grew acquainted with my heart, and search'd, What stirr'd it so. --Alas! I found it love. Yet far from lust, for could I but have lived In presence of you, I had had my end. --PHILASTER. 

Annot Lyle had now to contemplate the terrible gulf which AllanM'Aulay's declaration of love and jealousy had made to open around her. It seemed as if she was tottering on the very brink of destruction, andwas at once deprived of every refuge, and of all human assistance. Shehad long been conscious that she loved Menteith dearer than a brother;indeed, how could it be otherwise, considering their early intimacy, thepersonal merit of the young nobleman, his assiduous attentions, --and hisinfinite superiority in gentleness of disposition, and grace of manners, over the race of rude warriors with whom she lived? But her affectionwas of that quiet, timid, meditative character, which sought rather areflected share in the happiness of the beloved object, than formedmore presumptuous or daring hopes. A little Gaelic song, in which sheexpressed her feelings, has been translated by the ingenious and unhappyAndrew M'Donald; and we willingly transcribe the lines:--

 Wert thou, like me, in life's low vale, With thee how blest, that lot I'd share; With thee I'd fly wherever gale Could waft, or bounding galley bear. But parted by severe decree, Far different must our fortunes prove; May thine be joy--enough for me To weep and pray for him I love. 

 The pangs this foolish heart must feel, When hope shall be forever flown, No sullen murmur shall reveal, No selfish murmurs ever own. Nor will I through life's weary years, Like a pale drooping mourner move, While I can think my secret tears May wound the heart of him I love. 

The furious declaration of Allan had destroyed the romantic plan whichshe had formed, of nursing in secret her pensive tenderness, withoutseeking any other requital. Long before this, she had dreaded Allan, asmuch as gratitude, and a sense that he softened towards her a temper sohaughty and so violent, could permit her to do; but now she regarded himwith unalloyed terror, which a perfect knowledge of his disposition, andof his preceding history, too well authorised her to entertain. Whateverwas in other respects the nobleness of his disposition, he had neverbeen known to resist the wilfulness of passion, --he walked in the house, and in the country of his fathers, like a tamed lion, whom no one daredto contradict, lest they should awaken his natural vehemence of passion. So many years had elapsed since he had experienced contradiction, oreven expostulation, that probably nothing but the strong good sense, which, on all points, his mysticism excepted, formed the ground of hischaracter, prevented his proving an annoyance and terror to the wholeneighbourhood. But Annot had no time to dwell upon her fears, beinginterrupted by the entrance of Sir Dugald Dalgetty. 

It may well be supposed, that the scenes in which this person had passedhis former life, had not much qualified him to shine in female society. He himself felt a sort of consciousness that the language of thebarrack, guard-room, and parade, was not proper to entertain ladies. The only peaceful part of his life had been spent at Mareschal-College, Aberdeen; and he had forgot the little he had learned there, except thearts of darning his own hose, and dispatching his commons with unusualcelerity, both which had since been kept in good exercise by thenecessity of frequent practice. Still it was from an imperfectrecollection of what he had acquired during this pacific period, thathe drew his sources of conversation when in company with women; in otherwords, his language became pedantic when it ceased to be military. 

"Mistress Annot Lyle, " said he, upon the present occasion, "I am justnow like the half-pike, or spontoon of Achilles, one end of which couldwound and the other cure--a property belonging neither to Spanish pike, brown-bill, partizan, halberd, Lochaber-axe, or indeed any other modernstaff-weapon whatever. " This compliment he repeated twice; but as Annotscarce heard him the first time, and did not comprehend him the second, he was obliged to explain. 

"I mean, " he said, "Mistress Annot Lyle, that having been the meansof an honourable knight receiving a severe wound in this day'sconflict, --he having pistolled, somewhat against the law of arms, myhorse, which was named after the immortal King of Sweden, --I am desirousof procuring him such solacement as you, madam, can supply, you beinglike the heathen god Esculapius" (meaning possibly Apollo), "skilfulnot only in song and in music, but in the more noble art ofchirurgery-OPIFERQUE PER ORBEM DICOR. "

"If you would have the goodness to explain, " said Annot, too sick atheart to be amused by Sir Dugald's airs of pedantic gallantry. 

"That, madam, " replied the Knight, "may not be so easy, as I am outof the habit of construing--but we shall try. DICOR, supply EGO--Iam called, --OPIFER? OPIFER?--I remember SIGNIFER and FURCIFER--butI believe OPIFER stands in this place for M. D. , that is, Doctor ofPhysic. "

"This is a busy day with us all, " said Annot; "will you say at once whatyou want with me?"

"Merely, " replied Sir Dugald, "that you will visit my brother knight, and let your maiden bring some medicaments for his wound, whichthreatens to be what the learned call a DAMNUM FATALE. "

Annot Lyle never lingered in the cause of humanity. She informed herselfhastily of the nature of the injury, and interesting herself for thedignified old Chief whom she had seen at Darnlinvarach, and whosepresence had so much struck her, she hastened to lose the sense of herown sorrow for a time, in the attempt to be useful to another. 

Sir Dugald with great form ushered Annot Lyle to the chamber of herpatient, in which, to her surprise, she found Lord Menteith. She couldnot help blushing deeply at the meeting, but, to hide her confusion, proceeded instantly to examine the wound of the Knight of Ardenvohr, andeasily satisfied herself that it was beyond her skill to cure it. Asfor Sir Dugald, he returned to a large outhouse, on the floor of which, among other wounded men, was deposited the person of Ranald of the Mist. 

"Mine old friend, " said the Knight, "as I told you before, I wouldwillingly do anything to pleasure you, in return for the wound you havereceived while under my safe-conduct. I have, therefore, according toyour earnest request, sent Mrs. Annot Lyle to attend upon the wound ofthe knight of Ardenvohr, though wherein her doing so should benefit you, I cannot imagine. --I think you once spoke of some blood relationshipbetween them; but a soldado, in command and charge like me, has otherthings to trouble his head with than Highland genealogies. "

And indeed, to do the worthy Major justice, he never enquired after, listened to, or recollected, the business of other people, unless iteither related to the art military, or was somehow or other connectedwith his own interest, in either of which cases his memory was verytenacious. 

"And now, my good friend of the Mist, " said he, "can you tell me whathas become of your hopeful grandson, as I have not seen him since heassisted me to disarm after the action, a negligence which deserveth thestrapado?"

"He is not far from hence, " said the wounded outlaw--"lift not your handupon him, for he is man enough to pay a yard of leathern scourge with afoot of tempered steel. "

"A most improper vaunt, " said Sir Dugald; "but I owe you some favours, Ranald, and therefore shall let it pass. "

"And if you think you owe me anything, " said the outlaw, "it is in yourpower to requite me by granting me a boon. "

"Friend Ranald, " answered Dalgetty, "I have read of these boons in sillystory-books, whereby simple knights were drawn into engagements to theirgreat prejudice; wherefore, Ranald, the more prudent knights of thisday never promise anything until they know that they may keep theirword anent the premises, without any displeasure or incommodement tothemselves. It may be, you would have me engage the female chirurgeonto visit your wound; though you ought to consider, Ranald, that theuncleanness of the place where you are deposited may somewhat soil thegaiety of her garments, concerning the preservation of which, you mayhave observed, women are apt to be inordinately solicitous. I lost thefavour of the lady of the Grand Pensionary of Amsterdam, by touchingwith the sole of my boot the train of her black velvet gown, whichI mistook for a foot-cloth, it being half the room distant from herperson. "

"It is not to bring Annot Lyle hither, " answered MacEagh, "but totransport me into the room where she is in attendance upon the Knight ofArdenvohr. Somewhat I have to say of the last consequence to them both. "

"It is something out of the order of due precedence, " said Dalgetty, "tocarry a wounded outlaw into the presence of a knight; knighthood havingbeen of yore, and being, in some respects, still, the highest militarygrade, independent always of commissioned officers, who rank accordingto their patents; nevertheless, as your boon, as you call it, is soslight, I shall not deny compliance with the same. " So saying, heordered three files of men to transport MacEagh on their shouldersto Sir Duncan Campbell's apartment, and he himself hastened beforeto announce the cause of his being brought thither. But such was theactivity of the soldiers employed, that they followed him close at theheels, and, entering with their ghastly burden, laid MacEagh on thefloor of the apartment. His features, naturally wild, were now distortedby pain; his hands and scanty garments stained with his own blood, andthose of others, which no kind hand had wiped away, although the woundin his side had been secured by a bandage. 

"Are you, " he said, raising his head painfully towards the couch wherelay stretched his late antagonist, "he whom men call the Knight ofArdenvohr?"

"The same, " answered Sir Duncan, --"what would you with one whose hoursare now numbered?"

"My hours are reduced to minutes, " said the outlaw; "the more grace, ifI bestow them in the service of one, whose hand has ever been againstme, as mine has been raised higher against him. "

"Thine higher against me!--Crushed worm!" said the Knight, looking downon his miserable adversary. 

"Yes, " answered the outlaw, in a firm voice, "my arm hath been highest. In the deadly contest betwixt us, the wounds I have dealt have beendeepest, though thine have neither been idle nor unfelt. --I am RanaldMacEagh--I am Ranald of the Mist--the night that I gave thy castle tothe winds in one huge blaze of fire, is now matched with the day inwhich you have fallen under the sword of my fathers. --Remember theinjuries thou hast done our tribe--never were such inflicted, saveby one, beside thee. HE, they say, is fated and secure against ourvengeance--a short time will show. "

"My Lord Menteith, " said Sir Duncan, raising himself out of his bed, "this is a proclaimed villain, at once the enemy of King and Parliament, of God and man--one of the outlawed banditti of the Mist; alike theenemy of your house, of the M'Aulays, and of mine. I trust you willnot suffer moments, which are perhaps my last, to be embittered by hisbarbarous triumph. "

"He shall have the treatment he merits, " said Menteith; "let him beinstantly removed. "

Sir Dugald here interposed, and spoke of Ranald's services as a guide, and his own pledge for his safety; but the high harsh tones of theoutlaw drowned his voice. 

"No, " said he, "be rack and gibbet the word! let me wither betweenheaven and earth, and gorge the hawks and eagles of Ben-Nevis; and soshall this haughty Knight, and this triumphant Thane, never learn thesecret I alone can impart; a secret which would make Ardenvohr'sheart leap with joy, were he in the death agony, and which the Earl ofMenteith would purchase at the price of his broad earldom. --Come hither, Annot Lyle, " he said, raising himself with unexpected strength; "fearnot the sight of him to whom thou hast clung in infancy. Tell theseproud men, who disdain thee as the issue of mine ancient race, that thouart no blood of ours, --no daughter of the race of the Mist, but born inhalls as lordly, and cradled on couch as soft, as ever soothed infancyin their proudest palaces. "

"In the name of God, " said Menteith, trembling with emotion, "if youknow aught of the birth of this lady, do thy conscience the justice todisburden it of the secret before departing from this world!"

"And bless my enemies with my dying breath?" said MacEagh, looking athim malignantly. --"Such are the maxims your priests preach--but when, or towards whom, do you practise them? Let me know first the worth of mysecret ere I part with it--What would you give, Knight of Ardenvohr, toknow that your superstitious fasts have been vain, and that there stillremains a descendant of your house?--I pause for an answer--without it, I speak not one word more. 

"I could, " said Sir Duncan, his voice struggling between the emotions ofdoubt, hatred, and anxiety--"I could--but that I know thy race are likethe Great Enemy, liars and murderers from the beginning--but could it betrue thou tellest me, I could almost forgive thee the injuries thou hastdone me. "

"Hear it!" said Ranald; "he hath wagered deeply for a son ofDiarmid--And you, gentle Thane--the report of the camp says, that youwould purchase with life and lands the tidings that Annot Lyle was nodaughter of proscription, but of a race noble in your estimation as yourown--Well--It is for no love I tell you--The time has been that I wouldhave exchanged this secret against liberty; I am now bartering it forwhat is dearer than liberty or life. --Annot Lyle is the youngest, thesole surviving child of the Knight of Ardenvohr, who alone was savedwhen all in his halls besides was given to blood and ashes. "

"Can this man speak truth?" said Annot Lyle, scarce knowing what shesaid; "or is this some strange delusion?"

"Maiden, " replied Ranald, "hadst thou dwelt longer with us, thou wouldsthave better learnt to know how to distinguish the accents of truth. To that Saxon lord, and to the Knight of Ardenvohr, I will yield suchproofs of what I have spoken, that incredulity shall stand convinced. Meantime, withdraw--I loved thine infancy, I hate not thy youth--no eyehates the rose in its blossom, though it groweth upon a thorn, and forthee only do I something regret what is soon to follow. But he thatwould avenge him of his foe must not reck though the guiltless beengaged in the ruin. "

"He advises well, Annot, " said Lord Menteith; "in God's name retire!if--if there be aught in this, your meeting with Sir Duncan must be moreprepared for both your sakes. "

"I will not part from my father, if I have found one!" said Annot--"Iwill not part from him under circumstances so terrible. "

"And a father you shall ever find in me, " murmured Sir Duncan. 

"Then, " said Menteith, "I will have MacEagh removed into an adjacentapartment, and will collect the evidence of his tale myself. Sir DugaldDalgetty will give me his attendance and assistance. "

"With pleasure, my lord, " answered Sir Dugald. --"I will be yourconfessor, or assessor--either or both. No one can be so fit, for I hadheard the whole story a month ago at Inverary castle--but onslaughtslike that of Ardenvohr confuse each other in my memory, which is besidesoccupied with matters of more importance. "

Upon hearing this frank declaration, which was made as they left theapartment with the wounded man, Lord Menteith darted upon Dalgetty alook of extreme anger and disdain, to which the self-conceit of theworthy commander rendered him totally insensible. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

 I am as free as nature first made man, Ere the base laws of servitude began, When wild in woods the noble savage ran. --CONQUEST OF GRANADA

The Earl of Menteith, as he had undertaken, so he proceeded toinvestigate more closely the story told by Ranald of the Mist, which wascorroborated by the examination of his two followers, who had assistedin the capacity of guides. These declarations he carefully compared withsuch circumstances concerning the destruction of his castle and familyas Sir Duncan Campbell was able to supply; and it may be supposed he hadforgotten nothing relating to an event of such terrific importance. Itwas of the last consequence to prove that this was no invention ofthe outlaw's, for the purpose of passing an impostor as the child andheiress of Ardenvohr. 

Perhaps Menteith, so much interested in believing the tale, was notaltogether the fittest person to be intrusted with the investigation ofits truth; but the examinations of the Children of the Mist were simple, accurate, and in all respects consistent with each other. A personalmark was referred to, which was known to have been borne by the infantchild of Sir Duncan, and which appeared upon the left shoulder of AnnotLyle. It was also well remembered, that when the miserable relics of theother children had been collected, those of the infant had nowherebeen found. Other circumstances of evidence, which it is unnecessary toquote, brought the fullest conviction not only to Menteith, but to theunprejudiced mind of Montrose, that in Annot Lyle, an humble dependant, distinguished only by beauty and talent, they were in future to respectthe heiress of Ardenvohr. 

While Menteith hastened to communicate the result of these enquiriesto the persons most interested, the outlaw demanded to speak with hisgrandchild, whom he usually called his son. "He would be found, " hesaid, "in the outer apartment, in which he himself had been originallydeposited. "

Accordingly, the young savage, after a close search, was found lurkingin a corner, coiled up among some rotten straw, and brought to hisgrandsire. 

"Kenneth, " said the old outlaw, "hear the last words of the sire ofthy father. A Saxon soldier, and Allan of the Red-hand, left this campwithin these few hours, to travel to the country to Caberfae. Pursuethem as the bloodhound pursues the hurt deer--swim the lake-climb themountain--thread the forest--tarry not until you join them;" and thenthe countenance of the lad darkened as his grandfather spoke, and helaid his hand upon a knife which stuck in the thong of leather thatconfined his scanty plaid. "No!" said the old man; "it is not by thyhand he must fall. They will ask the news from the camp--say to themthat Annot Lyle of the Harp is discovered to be the daughter of Duncanof Ardenvohr; that the Thane of Menteith is to wed her before thepriest; and that you are sent to bid guests to the bridal. Tarrynot their answer, but vanish like the lightning when the black cloudswallows it. --And now depart, beloved son of my best beloved! I shallnever more see thy face, nor hear the light sound of thy footstep--yettarry an instant and hear my last charge. Remember the fate of our race, and quit not the ancient manners of the Children of the Mist. We are nowa straggling handful, driven from every vale by the sword of every clan, who rule in the possessions where their forefathers hewed the wood, anddrew the water for ours. But in the thicket of the wilderness, and inthe mist of the mountain, Kenneth, son of Eracht, keep thou unsoiled thefreedom which I leave thee as a birthright. Barter it not neither forthe rich garment, nor for the stone-roof, nor for the covered board, norfor the couch of down--on the rock or in the valley, in abundance or infamine--in the leafy summer, and in the days of the iron winter--Son ofthe Mist! be free as thy forefathers. Own no lord--receive no law--takeno hire--give no stipend--build no hut--enclose no pasture--sow nograin;--let the deer of the mountain be thy flocks and herds--if thesefail thee, prey upon the goods of our oppressors--of the Saxons, and ofsuch Gael as are Saxons in their souls, valuing herds and flocks morethan honour and freedom. Well for us that they do so--it affords thebroader scope for our revenge. Remember those who have done kindness toour race, and pay their services with thy blood, should the hour requireit. If a MacIan shall come to thee with the head of the king's sonin his hand, shelter him, though the avenging army of the father werebehind him; for in Glencoe and Ardnamurchan, we have dwelt in peacein the years that have gone by. The sons of Diarmid--the race ofDarnlinvarach--the riders of Menteith--my curse on thy head, Child ofthe Mist, if thou spare one of those names, when the time shall offerfor cutting them off! and it will come anon, for their own swords shalldevour each other, and those who are scattered shall fly to the Mist, and perish by its Children. Once more, begone--shake the dust from thyfeet against the habitations of men, whether banded together for peaceor for war. Farewell, beloved! and mayst thou die like thyforefathers, ere infirmity, disease, or age, shall break thyspirit--Begone!--begone!--live free--requite kindness--avenge theinjuries of thy race!"

The young savage stooped, and kissed the brow of his dying parent; butaccustomed from infancy to suppress every exterior sign of emotion, he parted without tear or adieu, and was soon far beyond the limits ofMontrose's camp. 

Sir Dugald Dalgetty, who was present during the latter part of thisscene, was very little edified by the conduct of MacEagh upon theoccasion. "I cannot think, my friend Ranald, " said he, "that you are inthe best possible road for a dying man. Storms, onslaughts, massacres, the burning of suburbs, are indeed a soldier's daily work, and arejustified by the necessity of the case, seeing that they are done in thecourse of duty; for burning of suburbs, in particular, it may be saidthat they are traitors and cut-throats to all fortified towns. Hence itis plain, that a soldier is a profession peculiarly favoured by Heaven, seeing that we may hope for salvation, although we daily commit actionsof so great violence. But then, Ranald, in all services of Europe, it isthe custom of the dying soldier not to vaunt him of such doings, orto recommend them to his fellows; but, on the contrary, to expresscontrition for the same, and to repeat, or have repeated to him, somecomfortable prayer; which, if you please, I will intercede with hisExcellency's chaplain to prefer on your account. It is otherwise nopoint of my duty to put you in mind of those things; only it may be forthe ease of your conscience to depart more like a Christian, and lesslike a Turk, than you seem to be in a fair way of doing. "

The only answer of the dying man--(for as such Ranald MacEagh might nowbe considered)--was a request to be raised to such a position that hemight obtain a view from the window of the Castle. The deep frost mist, which had long settled upon the top of the mountains, was now rollingdown each rugged glen and gully, where the craggy ridges showed theirblack and irregular outline, like desert islands rising above the oceanof vapour. "Spirit of the Mist!" said Ranald MacEagh, "called by ourrace our father, and our preserver--receive into thy tabernacle ofclouds, when this pang is over, him whom in life thou hast so oftensheltered. " So saying, he sunk back into the arms of those who upheldhim, spoke no further word, but turned his face to the wall for a shortspace. 

"I believe, " said Dalgetty, "my friend Ranald will be found in his heartto be little better than a heathen. " And he renewed his proposalto procure him the assistance of Dr. Wisheart, Montrose's militarychaplain; "a man, " said Sir Dugald, "very clever in his exercise, andwho will do execution on your sins in less time than I could smoke apipe of tobacco. "

"Saxon, " said the dying man, "speak to me no more of thy priest--I diecontented. Hadst thou ever an enemy against whom weapons were of noavail--whom the ball missed, and against whom the arrow shivered, andwhose bare skin was as impenetrable to sword and dirk as thy steelgarment--Heardst thou ever of such a foe?"

"Very frequently, when I served in Germany, " replied Sir Dugald. "Therewas such a fellow at Ingolstadt; he was proof both against lead andsteel. The soldiers killed him with the buts of their muskets. "

"This impassible foe, " said Ranald, without regarding the Major'sinterruption, "who has the blood dearest to me upon his hands--to thisman I have now bequeathed agony of mind, jealousy, despair, and suddendeath, --or a life more miserable than death itself. Such shall be thelot of Allan of the Red-hand, when he learns that Annot weds Menteithand I ask no more than the certainty that it is so, to sweeten my ownbloody end by his hand. "

"If that be the case, " said the Major, "there's no more to be said; butI shall take care as few people see you as possible, for I cannotthink your mode of departure can be at all creditable or exemplary toa Christian army. " So saying, he left the apartment, and the Son of theMist soon after breathed his last. 

Menteith, in the meanwhile, leaving the new-found relations to theirmutual feelings of mingled emotion, was eagerly discussing with Montrosethe consequences of this discovery. "I should now see, " said theMarquis, "even had I not before observed it, that your interest inthis discovery, my dear Menteith, has no small reference to your ownhappiness. You love this new-found lady, --your affection is returned. Inpoint of birth, no exceptions can be made; in every other respect, her advantages are equal to those which you yourself possess--think, however, a moment. Sir Duncan is a fanatic--Presbyterian, at least--inarms against the King; he is only with us in the quality of a prisoner, and we are, I fear, but at the commencement of a long civil war. Is thisa time, think you, Menteith, for you to make proposals for his heiress?Or what chance is there that he will now listen to it?"

Passion, an ingenious, as well as an eloquent advocate, supplied theyoung nobleman with a thousand answers to these objections. He remindedMontrose that the Knight of Ardenvohr was neither a bigot in politicsnor religion. He urged his own known and proved zeal for the royalcause, and hinted that its influence might be extended and strengthenedby his wedding the heiress of Ardenvohr. He pleaded the dangerous stateof Sir Duncan's wound, the risk which must be run by suffering the younglady to be carried into the country of the Campbells, where, in case ofher father's death, or continued indisposition, she must necessarilybe placed under the guardianship of Argyle, an event fatal to his(Menteith's) hopes, unless he could stoop to purchase his favour byabandoning the King's party. 

Montrose allowed the force of these arguments, and owned, although thematter was attended with difficulty, yet it seemed consistent with theKing's service that it should be concluded as speedily as possible. 

"I could wish, " said he, "that it were all settled in one way oranother, and that this fair Briseis were removed from our camp beforethe return of our Highland Achilles, Allan M'Aulay. --I fear some fatalfeud in that quarter, Menteith--and I believe it would be best that SirDuncan be dismissed on his parole, and that you accompany him and hisdaughter as his escort. The journey can be made chiefly by water, sowill not greatly incommode his wound--and your own, my friend, will bean honourable excuse for the absence of some time from my camp. "

"Never!" said Menteith. "Were I to forfeit the very hope that has solately dawned upon me, never will I leave your Excellency's camp whilethe royal standard is displayed. I should deserve that this triflingscratch should gangrene and consume my sword-arm, were I capableof holding it as an excuse for absence at this crisis of the King'saffairs. "

"On this, then, you are determined?" said Montrose. 

"As fixed as Ben-Nevis, " said the young nobleman. 

"You must, then, " said Montrose, "lose no time in seeking an explanationwith the Knight of Ardenvohr. If this prove favourable, I will talkmyself with the elder M'Aulay, and we will devise means to employ hisbrother at a distance from the army until he shall be reconciled to hispresent disappointment. Would to God some vision would descend upon hisimagination fair enough to obliterate all traces of Annot Lyle! Thatperhaps you think impossible, Menteith?--Well, each to his service; youto that of Cupid, and I to that of Mars. "

They parted, and in pursuance of the scheme arranged, Menteith, early onthe ensuing morning, sought a private interview with the wounded Knightof Ardenvohr, and communicated to him his suit for the hand of hisdaughter. Of their mutual attachment Sir Duncan was aware, but he wasnot prepared for so early a declaration on the part of Menteith. Hesaid, at first, that he had already, perhaps, indulged too much infeelings of personal happiness, at a time when his clan had sustainedso great a loss and humiliation, and that he was unwilling, therefore, farther to consider the advancement of his own house at a period socalamitous. On the more urgent suit of the noble lover, he requested afew hours to deliberate and consult with his daughter, upon a questionso highly important. 

The result of this interview and deliberation was favourable toMenteith. Sir Duncan Campbell became fully sensible that the happinessof his new-found daughter depended upon a union with her lover; andunless such were now formed, he saw that Argyle would throw a thousandobstacles in the way of a match in every respect acceptable to himself. Menteith's private character was so excellent, and such was the rank andconsideration due to his fortune and family, that they outbalanced, inSir Duncan's opinion, the difference in their political opinions. Norcould he have resolved, perhaps, had his own opinion of the match beenless favourable, to decline an opportunity of indulging the new-foundchild of his hopes. There was, besides, a feeling of pride whichdictated his determination. To produce the Heiress of Ardenvohr to theworld as one who had been educated a poor dependant and musician in thefamily of Darnlinvarach, had something in it that was humiliating. Tointroduce her as the betrothed bride, or wedded wife, of the Earl ofMenteith, upon an attachment formed during her obscurity, was a warrantto the world that she had at all times been worthy of the rank to whichshe was elevated. 

It was under the influence of these considerations that Sir DuncanCampbell announced to the lovers his consent that they should be marriedin the chapel of the Castle, by Montrose's chaplain, and as privately aspossible. But when Montrose should break up from Inverlochy, for whichorders were expected in the course of a very few days, it was agreedthat the young Countess should depart with her father to his Castle, andremain there until the circumstances of the nation permitted Menteith toretire with honour from his present military employment. His resolutionbeing once taken, Sir Duncan Campbell would not permit the maidenlyscruples of his daughter to delay its execution; and it was thereforeresolved that the bridal should take place the next evening, being thesecond after the battle. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

 My maid--my blue-eyed maid, he bore away, Due to the toils of many a bloody day. --ILLIAD. 

It was necessary, for many reasons, that Angus M'Aulay, so long the kindprotector of Annot Lyle, should be made acquainted with the change inthe fortunes of his late protege; and Montrose, as he had undertaken, communicated to him these remarkable events. With the careless andcheerful indifference of his character, he expressed much more joy thanwonder at Annot's good fortune; had no doubt whatever she would meritit, and as she had always been bred in loyal principles, would conveythe whole estate of her grim fanatical father to some honest fellow wholoved the king. "I should have no objection that my brother Allan shouldtry his chance, " added he, "notwithstanding that Sir Duncan Campbell wasthe only man who ever charged Darnlinvarach with inhospitality. AnnotLyle could always charm Allan out of the sullens, and who knows whethermatrimony might not make him more a man of this world?" Montrosehastened to interrupt the progress of his castle-building, by informinghim that the lady was already wooed and won, and, with her father'sapprobation, was almost immediately to be wedded to his kinsman, theEarl of Menteith; and that in testimony of the high respect due toM'Aulay, so long the lady's protector, he was now to request hispresence at the ceremony. M'Aulay looked very grave at this intimation, and drew up his person with the air of one who thought that he had beenneglected. 

"He contrived, " he said, "that his uniform kind treatment of the younglady, while so many years under his roof, required something more uponsuch an occasion than a bare compliment of ceremony. He might, " hethought, "without arrogance, have expected to have been consulted. Hewished his kinsman of Menteith well, no man could wish him better;but he must say he thought he had been hasty in this matter. Allan'ssentiments towards the young lady had been pretty well understood, andhe, for one, could not see why the superior pretensions which hehad upon her gratitude should have been set aside, without at leastundergoing some previous discussion. "

Montrose, seeing too well where all this pointed, entreated M'Aulayto be reasonable, and to consider what probability there was that theKnight of Ardenvohr could be brought to confer the hand of his soleheiress upon Allan, whose undeniable excellent qualities were mingledwith others, by which they were overclouded in a manner that made alltremble who approached him. 

"My lord, " said Angus M'Aulay, "my brother Allan has, as God made usall, faults as well as merits; but he is the best and bravest man ofyour army, be the other who he may, and therefore ill deserved that hishappiness should have been so little consulted by your Excellency--byhis own near kinsman--and by a young person who owes all to him and tohis family. "

Montrose in vain endeavoured to place the subject in a different view;this was the point in which Angus was determined to regard it, and hewas a man of that calibre of understanding, who is incapable of beingconvinced when he has once adopted a prejudice. Montrose now assumeda higher tone, and called upon Angus to take care how he nourishedany sentiments which might be prejudicial to his Majesty's service. Hepointed out to him, that he was peculiarly desirous that Allan's effortsshould not be interrupted in the course of his present mission; "amission, " he said, "highly honourable for himself, and likely to provemost advantageous to the King's cause. He expected his brother wouldhold no communication with him upon other subjects, nor stir up anycause of dissension, which might divert his mind from a matter of suchimportance. "

Angus answered somewhat sulkily, that "he was no makebate, or stirrer-upof quarrels; he would rather be a peacemaker. His brother knew as wellas most men how to resent his own quarrels--as for Allan's mode ofreceiving information, it was generally believed he had other sourcesthan those of ordinary couriers. He should not be surprised if they sawhim sooner than they expected. "

A promise that he would not interfere, was the farthest to whichMontrose could bring this man, thoroughly good-tempered as he was on alloccasions, save when his pride, interest, or prejudices, were interferedwith. And at this point the Marquis was fain to leave the matter for thepresent. 

A more willing guest at the bridal ceremony, certainly a more willingattendant at the marriage feast, was to be expected in Sir DugaldDalgetty, whom Montrose resolved to invite, as having been a confidantto the circumstances which preceded it. But even Sir Dugald hesitated, looked on the elbows of his doublet, and the knees of his leatherbreeches, and mumbled out a sort of reluctant acquiescence in theinvitation, providing he should find it possible, after consulting withthe noble bridegroom. Montrose was somewhat surprised, but scorning totestify displeasure, he left Sir Dugald to pursue his own course. 

This carried him instantly to the chamber of the bride-groom, who, amidst the scanty wardrobe which his camp-equipage afforded, wasseeking for such articles as might appear to the best advantage upon theapproaching occasion. Sir Dugald entered, and paid his compliments, witha very grave face, upon his approaching happiness, which, he said, "hewas very sorry he was prevented from witnessing. "

"In plain truth, " said he, "I should but disgrace the ceremony, seeingthat I lack a bridal garment. Rents, and open seams, and tattersat elbows in the apparel of the assistants, might presage a similarsolution of continuity in your matrimonial happiness--and to say truth, my lord, you yourself must partly have the blame of this disappointment, in respect you sent me upon a fool's errand to get a buff-coat out ofthe booty taken by the Camerons, whereas you might as well have sent meto fetch a pound of fresh butter out of a black dog's throat. I had noanswer, my lord, but brandished dirks and broadswords, and a sort ofgrowling and jabbering in what they call their language. For my part, Ibelieve these Highlanders to be no better than absolute pagans, and havebeen much scandalized by the manner in which my acquaintance, RanaldMacEagh, was pleased to beat his final march, a little while since. "

In Menteith's state of mind, disposed to be pleased with everything, and everybody, the grave complaint of Sir Dugald furnished additionalamusement. He requested his acceptance of a very handsome buff-dresswhich was lying on the floor. "I had intended it, " he said, "for my ownbridal-garment, as being the least formidable of my warlike equipments, and I have here no peaceful dress. "

Sir Dugald made the necessary apologies--would not by any meansdeprive--and so forth, until it happily occurred to him that it was muchmore according to military rule that the Earl should be married in hisback and breast pieces, which dress he had seen the bridegroom wear atthe union of Prince Leo of Wittlesbach with the youngest daughter of oldGeorge Frederick, of Saxony, under the auspices of the gallant GustavusAdolphus, the Lion of the North, and so forth. The good-natured youngEarl laughed, and acquiesced; and thus having secured at least one merryface at his bridal, he put on a light and ornamented cuirass, concealedpartly by a velvet coat, and partly by a broad blue silk scarf, whichhe wore over his shoulder, agreeably to his rank, and the fashion of thetimes. 

Everything was now arranged; and it had been settled that, accordingto the custom of the country, the bride and bridegroom should not againmeet until they were before the altar. The hour had already struck thatsummoned the bridegroom thither, and he only waited in a small anteroomadjacent to the chapel, for the Marquis, who condescended to act asbride's-man upon the occasion. Business relating to the army havingsuddenly required the Marquis's instant attention, Menteith waited hisreturn, it may be supposed, in some impatience; and when he heardthe door of the apartment open, he said, laughing, "You are late uponparade. "

"You will find I am too early, " said Allan M'Aulay, who burst into theapartment. "Draw, Menteith, and defend yourself like a man, or die likea dog!"

"You are mad, Allan!" answered Menteith, astonished alike at his suddenappearance, and at the unutterable fury of his demeanour. His cheekswere livid--his eyes started from their sockets--his lips were coveredwith foam, and his gestures were those of a demoniac. 

"You lie, traitor!" was his frantic reply--"you lie in that, as you liein all you have said to me. Your life is a lie!"

"Did I not speak my thoughts when I called you mad, " said Menteith, indignantly, "your own life were a brief one. In what do you charge mewith deceiving you?"

"You told me, " answered M'Aulay, "that you would not marry AnnotLyle!--False traitor!--she now waits you at the altar. "

"It is you who speak false, " retorted Menteith. "I told you theobscurity of her birth was the only bar to our union--that is nowremoved; and whom do you think yourself, that I should yield up mypretensions in your favour?"

"Draw then, " said M'Aulay; "we understand each other. "

"Not now, " said Menteith, "and not here. Allan, you know me well--waittill to-morrow, and you shall have fighting enough. "

"This hour--this instant--or never, " answered M'Aulay. 

"Your triumph shall not go farther than the hour which is stricken. Menteith, I entreat you by our relationship--by our joint conflicts andlabours--draw your sword, and defend your life!" As he spoke, he seizedthe Earl's hand, and wrung it with such frantic earnestness, that hisgrasp forced the blood to start under the nails. Menteith threw him offwith violence, exclaiming, "Begone, madman!"

"Then, be the vision accomplished!" said Allan; and, drawing his dirk, struck with his whole gigantic force at the Earl's bosom. The temper ofthe corslet threw the point of the weapon upwards, but a deep woundtook place between the neck and shoulder; and the force of the blowprostrated the bridegroom on the floor. Montrose entered at one side ofthe anteroom. The bridal company, alarmed at the noise, were in equalapprehension and surprise; but ere Montrose could almost see what hadhappened, Allan M'Aulay had rushed past him, and descended thecastle stairs like lightning. "Guards, shut the gate!" exclaimedMontrose--"Seize him--kill him, if he resists!--He shall die, if he weremy brother!"

But Allan prostrated, with a second blow of his dagger, a sentinel whowas upon duty---traversed the camp like a mountain-deer, though pursuedby all who caught the alarm--threw himself into the river, and, swimmingto the opposite side, was soon lost among the woods. In the course ofthe same evening, his brother Angus and his followers left Montrose'scamp, and, taking the road homeward, never again rejoined him. 

Of Allan himself it is said, that, in a wonderfully short space afterthe deed was committed, he burst into a room in the Castle of Inverary, where Argyle was sitting in council, and flung on the table his bloodydirk. 

"Is it the blood of James Grahame?" said Argyle, a ghastly expressionof hope mixing with the terror which the sudden apparition naturallyexcited. 

"It is the blood of his minion, " answered M'Aulay--"It is the bloodwhich I was predestined to shed, though I would rather have spilt myown. "

Having thus spoken, he turned and left the castle, and from that momentnothing certain is known of his fate. As the boy Kenneth, with three ofthe Children of the Mist, were seen soon afterwards to cross Lochfine, it is supposed they dogged his course, and that he perished by theirhand in some obscure wilderness. Another opinion maintains, that AllanM'Aulay went abroad and died a monk of the Carthusian order. But nothingbeyond bare presumption could ever be brought in support of eitheropinion. 

His vengeance was much less complete than he probably fancied; forMenteith, though so severely wounded as to remain long in a dangerousstate, was, by having adopted Major Dalgetty's fortunate recommendationof a cuirass as a bridal-garment, happily secured from the worstconsequences of the blow. But his services were lost to Montrose; and itwas thought best, that he should be conveyed with his intendedcountess, now truly a mourning bride, and should accompany his woundedfather-in-law to the castle of Sir Duncan at Ardenvohr. Dalgettyfollowed them to the water's edge, reminding Menteith of the necessityof erecting a sconce on Drumsnab to cover his lady's newly-acquiredinheritance. 

They performed their voyage in safety, and Menteith was in a few weeksso well in health, as to be united to Annot in the castle of her father. 

The Highlanders were somewhat puzzled to reconcile Menteith's recoverywith the visions of the second sight, and the more experienced Seerswere displeased with him for not having died. But others thought thecredit of the vision sufficiently fulfilled, by the wound inflicted bythe hand, and with the weapon, foretold; and all were of opinion, thatthe incident of the ring, with the death's head, related to the deathof the bride's father, who did not survive her marriage many months. The incredulous held, that all this was idle dreaming, and that Allan'ssupposed vision was but a consequence of the private suggestions of hisown passion, which, having long seen in Menteith a rival more belovedthan himself, struggled with his better nature, and impressed upon him, as it were involuntarily, the idea of killing his competitor. 

Menteith did not recover sufficiently to join Montrose during his briefand glorious career; and when that heroic general disbanded his army andretired from Scotland, Menteith resolved to adopt the life of privacy, which he led till the Restoration. After that happy event, he occupieda situation in the land befitting his rank, lived long, happy alike inpublic regard and in domestic affection, and died at a good old age. 

Our DRAMATIS PERSONAE have been so limited, that, excepting Montrose, whose exploits and fate are the theme of history, we have only tomention Sir Dugald Dalgetty. This gentleman continued, with the mostrigorous punctuality, to discharge his duty, and to receive his pay, until he was made prisoner, among others, upon the field of Philiphaugh. He was condemned to share the fate of his fellow-officers upon thatoccasion, who were doomed to death rather by denunciations from thepulpit, than the sentence either of civil or military tribunal; theirblood being considered as a sort of sin-offering to take away the guiltof the land, and the fate imposed upon the Canaanites, under a specialdispensation, being impiously and cruelly applied to them. 

Several Lowland officers, in the service of the Covenanters, intercededfor Dalgetty on this occasion, representing him as a person whose skillwould be useful in their army, and who would be readily induced tochange his service. But on this point they found Sir Dugald unexpectedlyobstinate. He had engaged with the King for a certain term, and, till that was expired, his principles would not permit any shadow ofchanging. The Covenanters, again, understood no such nice distinction, and he was in the utmost danger of falling a martyr, not to this or thatpolitical principle, but merely to his own strict ideas of a militaryenlistment. Fortunately, his friends discovered, by computation, thatthere remained but a fortnight to elapse of the engagement he hadformed, and to which, though certain it was never to be renewed, nopower on earth could make him false. With some difficulty they procureda reprieve for this short space, after which they found him perfectlywilling to come under any engagements they chose to dictate. He enteredthe service of the Estates accordingly, and wrought himself forward tobe Major in Gilbert Ker's corps, commonly called the Kirk's Own Regimentof Horse. Of his farther history we know nothing, until we find him inpossession of his paternal estate of Drumthwacket, which he acquired, not by the sword, but by a pacific intermarriage with Hannah Strachan, a matron somewhat stricken in years, the widow of the AberdeenshireCovenanter. 

Sir Dugald is supposed to have survived the Revolution, as traditionsof no very distant date represent him as cruising about in that country, very old, very deaf, and very full of interminable stories about theimmortal Gustavus Adolphus, the Lion of the North, and the bulwark ofthe Protestant Faith. 

*****

READER! THE TALES OF MY LANDLORD ARE NOW FINALLY CLOSED, closed, andit was my purpose to have addressed thee in the vein of JedediahCleishbotham; but, like Horam the son of Asmar, and all other imaginarystory-tellers, Jedediah has melted into thin air. 

Mr. Cleishbotham bore the same resemblance to Ariel, as he at whosevoice he rose doth to the sage Prospero; and yet, so fond are we of thefictions of our own fancy, that I part with him, and all his imaginarylocalities, with idle reluctance. I am aware this is a feeling in whichthe reader will little sympathize; but he cannot be more sensible thanI am, that sufficient varieties have now been exhibited of the Scottishcharacter, to exhaust one individual's powers of observation, and thatto persist would be useless and tedious. I have the vanity to suppose, that the popularity of these Novels has shown my countrymen, and theirpeculiarities, in lights which were new to the Southern reader; and thatmany, hitherto indifferent upon the subject, have been induced to readScottish history, from the allusions to it in these works of fiction. 

I retire from the field, conscious that there remains behind not only alarge harvest, but labourers capable of gathering it in. More than onewriter has of late displayed talents of this description; and if thepresent author, himself a phantom, may be permitted to distinguish abrother, or perhaps a sister shadow, he would mention, in particular, the author of the very lively work entitled MARRIAGE. 

IV. APPENDIX. 

No. I

The scarcity of my late friend's poem may be an excuse for adding thespirited conclusion of Clan Alpin's vow. The Clan Gregor has met in theancient church of Balquidder. The head of Drummond-Ernoch is placed onthe altar, covered for a time with the banner of the tribe. The Chief ofthe tribe advances to the altar:

 And pausing, on the banner gazed; Then cried in scorn, his finger raised, "This was the boon of Scotland's king;" And, with a quick and angry fling, Tossing the pageant screen away, The dead man's head before him lay. Unmoved he scann'd the visage o'er, The clotted locks were dark with gore, The features with convulsion grim, The eyes contorted, sunk, and dim. But unappall'd, in angry mood, With lowering brow, unmoved he stood. Upon the head his bared right hand He laid, the other grasp'd his brand: Then kneeling, cried, "To Heaven I swear This deed of death I own, and share; As truly, fully mine, as though This my right hand had dealt the blow: Come then, our foeman, one, come all; If to revenge this caitiffs fall One blade is bared, one bow is drawn, Mine everlasting peace I pawn, To claim from them, or claim from him, In retribution, limb for limb. In sudden fray, or open strife, This steel shall render life for life. " He ceased; and at his beckoning nod, The clansmen to the altar trod; And not a whisper breathed around, And nought was heard of mortal sound, Save from the clanking arms they bore, That rattled on the marble floor; And each, as he approach'd in haste, Upon the scalp his right hand placed; With livid lip, and gather'd brow, Each uttered, in his turn, the vow. Fierce Malcolm watch'd the passing scene, And search'd them through with glances keen; Then dash'd a tear-drop from his eye; Unhid it came--he knew not why. Exulting high, he towering stood: "Kinsmen, " he cried, "of Alpin's blood, And worthy of Clan Alpin's name, Unstain'd by cowardice and shame, E'en do, spare nocht, in time of ill Shall be Clan Alpin's legend still!"

No. II. 

It has been disputed whether the Children of the Mist were actualMacGregors, or whether they were not outlaws named MacDonald, belongingto Ardnamurchan. The following act of the Privy Council seems to decidethe question:--

"Edinburgh, 4th February, 1589. 

"The same day, the Lords of Secret Council being crediblie informed ofye cruel and mischievous proceeding of ye wicked Clangrigor, so langcontinueing in blood, slaughters, herships, manifest reifts, and stouthscommitted upon his Hieness' peaceable and good subjects; inhabiting yecountries ewest ye brays of ye Highlands, thir money years bybgone;but specially heir after ye cruel murder of umqll Jo. Drummond ofDrummoneyryuch, his Majesties proper tennant and ane of his fosters ofGlenartney, committed upon ye day of last bypast, be certain of ye saidclan, be ye council and determination of ye haill, avow and to defend yeauthors yrof qoever wald persew for revenge of ye same, qll ye said Jo. Was occupied in seeking of venison to his Hieness, at command ofPat. Lord Drummond, stewart of Stratharne, and principal forrester ofClenartney; the Queen, his Majesties dearest spouse, being yn shortlielooked for to arrive in this realm. Likeas, after ye murder committed, ye authors yrof cutted off ye said umqll Jo. Drummond's head, andcarried the same to the Laird of M'Grigor, who, and the haill surname ofM'Grigors, purposely conveined upon the Sunday yrafter, at the Kirk ofBuchquhidder; qr they caused ye said umqll John's head to be pnted toym, and yr avowing ye sd murder to have been committed by yr communion, council, and determination, laid yr hands upon the pow, and in eithnik, and barbarous manner, swear to defend ye authors of ye sd murder, inmaist proud contempt of our sovrn Lord and his authoritie, and inevil example to others wicked limmaris to do ye like, give ys sall besuffered to remain unpunished. "

Then follows a commission to the Earls of Huntly, Argyle, Athole, Montrose, Pat. Lord Drummond, Ja. Commendator of Incheffray, And. Campbel of Lochinnel, Duncan Campbel of Ardkinglas, Lauchlane M'Intoshof Dunnauchtane, Sir Jo. Murray of Tullibarden, knt. , Geo. Buchanan ofthat Ilk, and And. M'Farlane of Ariquocher, to search for and apprehendAlaster M'Grigor of Glenstre (and a number of others nominatim), "andall others of the said Clangrigor, or ye assistars, culpable of the saidodious murther, or of thift, reset of thift, herships, and sornings, qrever they may be apprehended. And if they refuse to be taken, or fleesto strengths and houses, to pursue and assege them with fire and sword;and this commission to endure for the space of three years. "

Such was the system of police in 1589; and such the state of Scotlandnearly thirty years after the Reformation. 

V. NOTES. 

Note I. --FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA. 

The military men of the times agreed upon dependencies of honour, asthey called them, with all the metaphysical argumentation of civilians, or school divines. 

The English officer, to whom Sir James Turner was prisoner after therout at Uttoxeter, demanded his parole of honour not to go beyond thewall of Hull without liberty. "He brought me the message himself, --Itold him I was ready to do so, provided he removed his guards fromme, for FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA; and, if he took my word for myfidelity, he was obliged to trust it, otherwise, it was needless for himto seek it, either to give trust to my word, which I would not break, orhis own guards, who I supposed would not deceive him. In this manner Idealt with him, because I knew him to be a scholar. "--TURNER'S MEMOIRS, p. 80. The English officer allowed the strength of the reasoning; butthat concise reasoner, Cromwell, soon put an end to the dilemma: "SirJames Turner must give his parole, or be laid in irons. "

Note II. --WRAITHS. 

A species of apparition, similar to what the Germans call aDouble-Ganger, was believed in by the Celtic tribes, and is stillconsidered as an emblem of misfortune or death. Mr. Kirke (See Note toROB ROY, ), the minister of Aberfoil, who will no doubt be able to tellus more of the matter should he ever come back from Fairy-land, gives usthe following:--

"Some men of that exalted sight, either by art or nature, have told methey have seen at these meetings a double man, or the shape of some manin two places, that is, a superterranean and a subterraneaninhabitant perfectly resembling one another in all points, whom he, notwithstanding, could easily distinguish one fro another by some secrettokens and operations, and so go speak to the man his neighbour andfamiliar, passing by the apparition or resemblance of him. They avouchthat every element and different state of being have animals resemblingthose of another element, as there be fishes at sea resembling Monks oflate order in all their hoods and dresses, so as the Roman inventionof good and bad daemons and guardian angels particularly assigned, iscalled by them ane ignorant mistake, springing only from this originall. They call this reflex man a Co-Walker, every way like the man, as atwin-brother and companion haunting him as his shadow, as is that seenand known among men resembling the originall, both before and after theoriginall is dead, and was also often seen of old to enter a hous, bywhich the people knew that the person of that liknes was to visit themwithin a few days. This copy, echo, or living picture, goes at last tohis own herd. It accompanied that person so long and frequently for endsbest known to its selve, whether to guard him from the secret assaultsof some of its own folks, or only as an sportfull ape to counterfeit allhis actions. "--KIRKE'S SECRET COMMOMWEALTH, p. 3. 

The two following apparitions, resembling the vision of Allan M'Aulay inthe text, occur in Theophilus Insulanus (Rev. Mr. Fraser's Treatise onthe Second Sight, Relations x. And xvii. ):--

"Barbara Macpherson, relict of the deceased Mr. Alexander MacLeod, lateminister of St. Kilda, informed me the natives of that island had aparticular kind of second sight, which is always a forerunner of theirapproaching end. Some months before they sicken, they are haunted withan apparition, resembling themselves in all respects as to their person, features, or clothing. This image, seemingly animated, walks with themin the field in broad daylight; and if they are employed in delving, harrowing, seed-sowing, or any other occupation, they are at the sametime mimicked by this ghostly visitant. My informer added further thathaving visited a sick person of the inhabitants, she had the curiosityto enquire of him, if at any time he had seen any resemblance of himselfas above described; he answered in the affirmative, and told her, thatto make farther trial, as he was going out of his house of a morning, heput on straw-rope garters instead of those he formerly used, andhaving gone to the fields, his other self appeared in such garters. Theconclusion was, the sick man died of that ailment, and she no longerquestioned the truth of those remarkable presages. "

"Margaret MacLeod, an honest woman advanced in years, informed me, thatwhen she was a young woman in the family of Grishornish, a dairy-maid, who daily used to herd the calves in a park close to the house, observed, at different times, a woman resembling herself in shape andattire, walking solitarily at no great distance from her, and beingsurprised at the apparition, to make further trial, she put the backpart of her upper garment foremost, and anon the phantom was dressedin the same manner, which made her uneasy, believing it portended somefatal consequence to herself. In a short time thereafter she was seizedwith a fever, which brought her to her end, and before her sickness andon her deathbed, declared the second sight to several. "