y,
touched the lad to the core, and from that moment he was ready to yield
to Mr. Paterson the same passionate devotion that the Highland clansmen
used to hold for their chieftain.

At last, amid fluttering of flags, booming of cannon, and solemn
offering of prayer, the ships weighed anchor and, with all sails set,
stood out to sea, the favouring breeze taking them in a few hours well
out of the sheltered Firth of Forth into the exposed expanse of the
North Sea.

They had not long been tumbling about amongst ever-troubled waters when
Donalblane, in common with very many of his shipmates on the _Bonnie
Scotland_, had a new experience. Hitherto his personal acquaintance
with the sea had been limited to short trips between Leith and
neighbouring ports, and now for the first time he was out of sight of
land and entirely at the mercy of wind and wave. An old salt would
have called the wind before which the ships of the expedition bowled
southward just "a fresh breeze," but Donalblane thought it a gale, and
the _Bonnie Scotland_ had not long been pitching and tossing in lively
fashion before something began to go wrong inside of him, making him
feel so uncomfortable that he was fain to leave the quarter-deck, where
he had been enjoying himself, and to seek a snug corner in which he
could curl up unnoticed. By the end of an hour he was completely
overcome, and if Mr. Paterson had happened along then with his
question, he certainly would not have received so prompt and resolute a
response. Not one day's illness had Donald known in the whole course
of his life, and this misery of sea-sickness made him as angry with
himself as was possible in his prostrate condition.

As the ships got down towards the English Channel they tumbled about
more than ever, until the poor boy began to think he was really going
to die, and heartily wished himself back upon solid ground. But once
they were out in the Atlantic matters improved. Fine, bright weather
succeeded, the vessels moved steadily along before a favouring wind,
and Donald was soon established on his sea-legs.

He now had a chance to become acquainted with some of his
fellow-passengers, the majority of whom had shared his sufferings.
They were certainly a very mixed company of men, women, and children.
Highlanders and lowlanders, peers and peasantry, grave ministers and
gay scapegraces, shaggy shepherds from the hills, and bronzed
sailor-men from the coast--a motley throng