and moving from the room.

When the pirates forced their way into the castle, the defenders were
separated; Davie Cheyne, with the two serving girls, hurrying off their
mistress in one direction, while Lawrence and the men bravely opposed
them for some minutes, till they were completely overpowered, and
compelled to submit to the enemy.

Having provided for their prisoners, the captain of the pirates and his
men set off to engage in the pleasant occupation of ransacking the
castle. From room to room they went, injuring nothing, and breaking
nothing, except the locks of drawers, cabinets, chests, and cupboards.
These, as the keys were not forthcoming, they burst open to examine
their contents. They worked away briskly, but in no undue hurry. They
knew that the operation in which they were engaged should not be done
slowly, in case of interruption; at the same time at present, they had
no reason to expect any interference with their performances. They were
most of them evidently practised hands, for they were choice in their
selections, and took only the more valuable articles. Plate, jewels,
and ornaments were quickly transferred to their pockets, or to bags with
which they had come prepared; but, with the exception of a few clothes,
to which some of them took a fancy, and a collection of eatables from
the housekeeper's store-room, nothing else was carried off.

These matters being arranged, the captain ordered a retreat to be
sounded. It was time, for daylight was already coming on, and they
could not tell what assistance might be sent to the inhabitants of the
castle, as they knew that the sound of their firing must have given
notice to the neighbouring population that something unusual was going
on. With some derisive expressions, the meaning of which Lawrence
alone, of those who heard them, could understand, they left the party in
the room, simply turning the key on them, and took their way to their
boats. Just as they were shoving off through the twilight, a figure was
seen standing on the edge of the cliff, stretching forth her arms, and
shrieking out--

"My child--my child! Bring back my boy! Take him not away!"

In vain she cried, and those fierce men, cruel and callous as they were,
had not the barbarity to mock her. Without uttering a word, they pulled
rapidly from the shore. Giving vent to her feelings in cries, she
uttered shriek after shriek, and would have thrown herself into the
water, in