h hooks to keep them either shut or open, as the need arose. The one
that was already shut I secured in this fashion; but when I was
proceeding to slide to the other, Alan stopped me.

"David," said he--"for I canna bring to mind the name of your landed
estate, and so will make so bold as to call you David--that door, being
open, is the best part of my defences."

"It would be yet better shut," says I.

"Not so, David," says he. "Ye see, I have but one face; but so long as
that door is open and my face to it, the best part of my enemies will be
in front of me, where I would aye wish to find them."

Then he gave me from the rack a cutlass (of which there were a few
besides the fire-arms), choosing it with great care, shaking his head
and saying he had never in all his life seen poorer weapons; and next he
set me down to the table with a powder-horn, a bag of bullets and all
the pistols, which he bade me charge.

"And that will be better work, let me tell you," said he, "for a
gentleman of decent birth, than scraping plates and raxing[14] drams to
a wheen tarry sailors."

Thereupon he stood up in the midst with his face to the door, and
drawing his great sword, made trial of the room he had to wield it in.

"I must stick to the point," he said, shaking his head; "and that's a
pity too. It doesn't set my genius, which is all for the upper guard.
And now," said he, "do you keep on charging the pistols, and give heed
to me."

I told him I would listen closely. My chest was tight, my mouth dry, the
light dark to my eyes; the thought of the numbers that were soon to leap
in upon us kept my heart in a flutter; and the sea, which I heard
washing round the brig, and where I thought my dead body would be cast
ere morning, ran in my mind strangely.

"First of all," said he, "how many are against us?"

I reckoned them up; and such was the hurry of my mind, I had to cast the
numbers twice. "Fifteen," said I.

Alan whistled. "Well," said he, "that can't be cured. And now follow me.
It is my part to keep this door, where I look for the main battle. In
that ye have no hand. And mind and dinna fire to this side unless they
get me down; for I would rather have ten foes in front of me than one
friend like you cracking pistols at my back."

I told him, indeed I was no great shot.

"And that's very bravely said," he cried, in a great admiration of my
candour. "There's many a pretty gentleman that wouldna dare to say it."

"B