," returned Quentin, "ann the
wulderness hereaway is warse than the wulderness that Moses led his folk
through. They had manna there. Mony o' us hae _naething_ here."

Quentin Dick spoke with cynicism in his tone, for he was a stern
straightforward man, on whom injustice told with tremendous power, and
who had not yet been taught by adversity to bow his head to man and
restrain his indignation.

Before Wallace had time to make any rejoinder, something like the
appearance of a group of horsemen in front arrested them. They were
still so far distant as to render their tramp inaudible. Indeed they
could not have been seen at all in so dark a night but for the fact that
in passing over the crest of a hill they were for a moment or two dimly
defined against the sky.

"Dragoons--fowr o' them," muttered Quentin. "We'll step aside here an'
let them gang by."

Clambering up the somewhat rugged side of the road, the two men
concealed themselves among the bushes, intending to wait till the
troopers should pass.

"What can they be doing in this direction, I wonder?" whispered Wallace.

"My freend," answered Quentin, "dinna whisper when ye're hidin'. Of a'
the sounds for attractin' attention an' revealin' secrets a whisper is
the warst. Speak low, if ye maun speak, but sometimes it's wiser no to
speak ava'. Dootless the sodgers'll be giein' Andrew Black a ca', but
he kens brawly hoo to tak' care o' himsel'."

When the horseman approached it was seen that they were driving before
them a boy, or lad, on foot. Evidently they were compelling him to act
as their guide.

"It's Ramblin' Peter they've gotten haud o', as sure as I'm a leevin'
man," said the shepherd with a low chuckle; "I'd ken him amang a
thoosand by the way he rins."

"Shall we not rescue him?" exclaimed Wallace, starting up.

"Wheesht! keep still, man. Nae fear o' Peter. He'll lead them in amang
the bogs o' some peat-moss or ither, gie them the slip there, an' leave
them to find their way oot."

Just as the troop trotted past an incident occurred which disconcerted
the hiders not a little. A dog which the soldiers had with them scented
them, stopped, and after snuffing about for a few seconds, began to bark
furiously. The troop halted at once and challenged.

"Tak' nae notice," remarked Quentin in a low voice, which went no
farther than his comrade's ear.

A bright flash and sharp report followed the challenge, and a ball
whistled through the