un had gone down among the Highland
mountains, and the gloaming was beginning to grow dark. At which hour I
was aware of a long, lean, bony-like Lothian man of a very swarthy
countenance, that came towards us among the bents on a farm horse.

"Lads," cried he, "hae ye a paper like this?" and held up one in his
hand. Neil produced a second, which the new comer studied through a pair
of horn spectacles, and saying all was right and we were the folk he was
seeking, immediately dismounted. I was then set in his place, my feet
tied under the horse's belly, and we set forth under the guidance of the
Lowlander. His path must have been very well chosen, for we met but one
pair--a pair of lovers--the whole way, and these, perhaps taking us to
be free-traders, fled on our approach. We were at one time close at the
foot of Berwick Law on the south side; at another, as we passed over
some open hills, I spied the lights of a clachan and the old tower of a
church among some trees not far off, but too far to cry for help, if I
had dreamed of it. At last we came again within sound of the sea. There
was moonlight, though not much; and by this I could see the three huge
towers and broken battlements of Tantallon, that old chief place of the
Red Douglases. The horse was picketed in the bottom of the ditch to
graze, and I was led within, and forth into the court, and thence into a
tumble-down stone hall. Here my conductors built a brisk fire in the
midst of the pavement, for there was a chill in the night. My hands were
loosed, I was set by the wall in the inner end, and (the Lowlander
having produced provisions) I was given oatmeal bread and a pitcher of
French brandy. This done, I was left once more alone with my three
Highlandmen. They sat close by the fire drinking and talking; the wind
blew in by the breaches, cast about the smoke and flames, and sang in
the tops of the towers; I could hear the sea under the cliffs, and my
mind being reassured as to my life, and my body and spirits wearied
with the day's employment, I turned upon one side and slumbered.

I had no means of guessing at what hour I was wakened, only the moon was
down and the fire low. My feet were now loosed, and I was carried
through the ruins and down the cliff-side by a precipitous path to where
I found a fisher's boat in a haven of the rocks. This I was had on board
of, and we began to put forth from the shore in a fine starlight.

CHAPTER XIV

THE BASS