hat dreadful night. But he was not long
exposed to many sufferings; for the leddy on the day following, as in
after-time we heard, was seized with her dead-ill, and departed this
life in the course of three days; and the laird also, in less than a
month, was laid in the kirk-yard, with his ancestors, by her side.

CHAPTER LXVI

After leaving Ringlewood, the two fugitives, by divers journeyings and
sore passages through moss and moor, crossed the Balloch ferry, and
coming down the north side of the Clyde frith to Ardmore, they boated
across to Greenock, where, in little more than an hour after their
arrival, they were taken in Euphan Blair's public in Cartsdyke, and the
same night marched off to Glasgow; of all which I have already given
intimation in recording my own trials at Inverkip.

But in that march, as my brother and Esau Wardrop were passing with
their guard at the Inchinnan ferry, the soldiers heedlessly laying their
firelocks all in a heap in the boat, the thought came into my brother's
head, that maybe it might be turned to an advantage if he was to spoil
the powder in the firelocks; so, as they were sitting in the boat, he,
with seeming innocence, drew his hand several times through the water,
and in lifting it took care to drop and sprinkle the powder-pans of the
firelocks, in so much, that by the time they were ferried to the Renfrew
side, they were spoiled for immediate use.

"Do as I do," said he softly to Esau Wardrop, as they were stepping out,
and with that he feigned some small expedient for tarrying in the boat,
while the soldiers, taking their arms, leapt on shore. The ferryman also
was out before them; and my brother seeing this, took up an oar,
seemingly to help him to step out; but pretending at the time to
stumble, he caught hold of Esau's shoulder, and pushing with, the oar,
shoved off the boat in such a manner, that the rope was pulled out of
the ferryman's hand, who was in a great consternation. The soldiers,
however, laughed at seeing how the river's current was carrying away
their prisoners; for my brother was in no hurry to make use of the oar
to pull the boat back; on the contrary he pushed her farther and farther
into the river, until one of the guards, beginning to suspect some
stratagem, levelled his firelock, and threatened to shoot. Whereupon my
brother and Esau quickened their exertions, and soon reached the
opposite side of the river, while the soldiers were banning and