penheim. The opposite
bank was covered with bushes to the water's edge, and on an eminence a
short distance back could be seen the tents of the Spaniards.

"If it were summer we might swim across," Nigel Graheme said to Malcolm;
"the river is broad, but a good swimmer could cross it easily enough."

"Yes," Malcolm agreed, "there would be no difficulty in swimming if
unencumbered with arms and armour, but there would be no advantage in
getting across without these; if we could but get hold of a boat or two,
we would soon wake yonder Spaniards up."

The next morning Malcolm wandered along the bank closely examining the
bushes as he went, to see if any boats might be concealed among them,
for the fishermen and boatmen would naturally try to save their craft
when they heard that the Imperialists were destroying them. He walked
three miles up the river without success. As he returned he kept his
eyes fixed on the bushes on the opposite bank. When within half a mile
of the camp he suddenly stopped, for his eye caught something dark among
them. He went to the water's edge and stooped, the better to see under
the bushes, and saw what he doubted not to be the stern of a boat
hauled up and sheltered beneath them. He leapt to his feet with a joyful
exclamation. Here was the means of crossing the river; but the boat had
to be brought over. Once afloat this would be easy enough, but he was
sure that his own strength would be insufficient to launch her, and
that he should need the aid of at least one man. On returning to camp he
called aside the sergeant of his company, James Grant, who was from his
own estate in Nithsdale, and whom he knew to be a good swimmer.

"Sergeant," he said, "I want you to join me in an enterprise tonight. I
have found a boat hauled up under the bushes on the opposite shore, and
we must bring her across. I cannot make out her size; but from the look
of her stern I should say she was a large boat. You had better therefore
borrow from the artillerymen one of their wooden levers, and get a stout
pole two or three inches across, and cut half a dozen two foot lengths
from it to put under her as rollers. Get also a plank of four inches
wide from one of the deserted houses in the village behind us, and cut
out two paddles; we may find oars on board, but it is as well to be
prepared in case the owner should have removed them."

"Shall I take my weapons, sir?"

"We can take our dirks in our belts, sergeant, an