a few hours of troubled sleep in some
rocky hollow while the rest of the party kept guard. News of the enemy's
movements was brought them occasionally by secret friends under cover of
darkness, but even their approach was full of terror for the fugitives.
Worst of all was their suffering from hunger. The soldiers devoured and
destroyed what meagre stores the country could boast, and in spite of
the generosity of the poorer clansmen no food could be had. For four
days the whole party lived on a few handfuls of dry meal and some
butter. On one occasion soldiers passed below their lair driving cattle.
The Prince, who was starving, proposed to follow them, and 'lift' some
of the cattle in the night. His companions remonstrated, but he led the
party himself, and secured the beef.[8] The guide, and indeed the leader
of the little band, was a farmer, Donald Cameron of Glenpean. But for
this man's daring courage and his intimate knowledge of the country the
Prince must sooner or later have fallen into the hands of his enemies.

The circle was daily being drawn more closely round the prey, and daily
the fear of starvation stared them in the face. Should they wait to die
like driven deer or make one desperate effort to break through the toils
that surrounded them, and either escape or die like men? For brave men
there could only be one answer to such a question. On the night of July
25 they determined to force their way through the cordon.

All that day the Prince had lain in closest hiding on a hill on the
confines of Knoydart, not a mile from the chain of sentinels. He had
slept some hours while two of the party had kept watch and the other two
had gone and foraged for food, bringing back two dry cheeses as the
result. (Old Borodale had gone back at this time; the party consisted of
his son John, Glenaladale and his brother, and Cameron of Glenpean.) All
day parties of soldiers had been searching the neighbourhood, and now
the sentinel fires were alight all along the line of defence. At
nightfall the little band started, walking silently and rapidly up a
mountain called Drumnachosi. The way was very steep, and the night very
dark. Once crossing a little stream the Prince's foot slipped, he
stumbled, and would have fallen down over a cliff had not Cameron caught
one arm and Glenaladale the other and pulled him up. From the top of the
hill they could see the sentinel fires close in front of them, and were
near enough to hear the