n was apparent. Except for persons in the
garrison itself, with whom it was a point of honour and military duty to
retain me captive, I knew, in the whole country of Scotland, these two
alone. If it were to be done at all, they must be my helpers. To tell
them of my designed escape while I was still in bonds, would be to lay
before them a most difficult choice. What they might do in such a case,
I could not in the least be sure of, for (the same case arising) I was
far from sure what I should do myself. It was plain I must escape first.
When the harm was done, when I was no more than a poor wayside fugitive,
I might apply to them with less offence and more security. To this end
it became necessary that I should find out where they lived and how to
reach it; and feeling a strong confidence that they would soon return to
visit me, I prepared a series of baits with which to angle for my
information. It will be seen the first was good enough.

Perhaps two days after, Master Ronald put in an appearance by himself. I
had no hold upon the boy, and pretermitted my design till I should have
laid court to him and engaged his interest. He was prodigiously
embarrassed, not having previously addressed me otherwise than by a bow
and blushes; and he advanced to me with an air of one stubbornly
performing a duty, like a raw soldier under fire. I laid down my
carving; greeted him with a good deal of formality, such as I thought he
would enjoy; and finding him to remain silent, branched off into
narratives of my campaigns such as Goguelat himself might have scrupled
to endorse. He visibly thawed and brightened; drew more near to where I
sat; forgot his timidity so far as to put many questions; and at last,
with another blush, informed me he was himself expecting a commission.

"Well," said I, "they are fine troops, your British troops in the
Peninsula. A young gentleman of spirit may well be proud to be engaged
at the head of such soldiers."

"I know that," he said; "I think of nothing else. I think shame to be
dangling here at home, and going through with this foolery of education,
while others, no older than myself, are in the field."

"I cannot blame you," said I. "I have felt the same myself."

"There are--there are no troops, are there, quite so good as ours?" he
asked.

"Well," said I, "there is a point about them: they have a defect--they
are not to be trusted in a retreat. I have seen them behave very ill in
a retreat."