onable, their activity in his service unremitting. Food was
abundant, and, in addition, they volunteered to provide him with decent
clothing, and tidings of the movements of the enemy. The first was
accomplished somewhat ferociously. Two of the outlaws met the servant of
an officer, on his way to Fort Augustus with his master's baggage. This
poor fellow they killed, and thus provided their guest with a good stock
of clothing. Another of them, in disguise, made his way into Fort
Augustus. Here he learned much about the movements of the troops, and,
eager to provide the prince with something choice in the way of food,
brought him back a pennyworth of gingerbread,--a valuable luxury to his
simple soul.

For three weeks Charles remained with these humble but devoted friends.
It was not easy to break away from their enthusiastic loyalty.

"Stay with us," they said; "the mountains of gold which the government
has set upon your head may induce some gentleman to betray you, for he
can go to a distant country and live upon the price of his dishonor. But
to us there exists no such temptation. We can speak no language but our
own, we can live nowhere but in this country, where, were we to injure a
hair of your head, the very mountains would fall down to crush us to
death. Do not leave us, then. You will nowhere be so safe as with us."

This advice was hardly to Charles's taste. He preferred court-life in
France to cave-life in Scotland, and did not cease his efforts to
escape. His purposes were aided by an instance of enthusiastic devotion.
A young man named McKenzie, son of an Edinburgh goldsmith, and a
fugitive officer from the defeated army, happened to resemble the prince
closely in face and person. He was attacked by a party of soldiers,
defended himself bravely, and when mortally wounded, cried out, "Ah,
villains, you have slain your prince!"

His generous design proved successful. His head was cut off, and sent to
London as that of the princely fugitive, which it resembled so closely
that it was some time before the mistake was discovered. This error
proved of the utmost advantage to the prince. The search was greatly
relaxed, and he found it safe to leave the shelter of his cave, and
seek some of his late adherents, of whose movements he had been kept
informed. He therefore bade farewell to the faithful outlaws, with the
exception of two, who accompanied him as guides and guards.

Safety was not yet assured. It was wit