a hard climb, being steep, and the sand like water underfoot. But I
caught hold at last by the long bent-grass on the brae-top, and pulled
myself to a good footing. The same moment men stirred and stood up here
and there, six or seven of them, ragged-like knaves, each with a dagger
in his hand. The fair truth is, I shut my eyes and prayed. When I opened
them again, the rogues were crept the least thing nearer without speech
or hurry. Every eye was upon mine, which struck me with a strange
sensation of their brightness, and of the fear with which they continued
to approach me. I held out my hands empty: whereupon one asked, with a
strong Highland brogue, if I surrendered.

"Under protest," said I, "if ye ken what that means, which I misdoubt."

At that word, they came all in upon me like a flight of birds upon a
carrion, seized me, took my sword, and all the money from my pockets,
bound me hand and foot with some strong line, and cast me on a tussock
of bent. There they sat about their captive in a part of a circle and
gazed upon him silently like something dangerous, perhaps a lion or a
tiger on the spring. Presently this attention was relaxed. They drew
nearer together, fell to speech in the Gaelic, and very cynically
divided my property before my eyes. It was my diversion in this time
that I could watch from my place the progress of my friend's escape. I
saw the boat come to the brig and be hoisted in, the sails fill, and the
ship pass out seaward behind the isles and by North Berwick.

In the course of two hours or so, more and more ragged Highlandmen kept
collecting, Neil among the first, until the party must have numbered
near a score. With each new arrival there was a fresh bout of talk, that
sounded like complaints and explanations; but I observed one thing, none
of those that came late had any share in the division of my spoils. The
last discussion was very violent and eager, so that once I thought they
would have quarrelled; on the heels of which their company parted, the
bulk of them returning westward in a troop, and only three, Neil and two
others, remaining sentries on the prisoner.

"I could name one who would be very ill pleased with your day's work,
Neil Duncanson," said I, when the rest had moved away.

He assured me in answer I should be tenderly used, for he knew I was
"acquent wi' the leddy."

This was all our talk, nor did any other son of man appear upon that
portion of the coast until the s