FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68  
69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   >>   >|  
Rose Bradwardine, close by her friend's side, watched him with a sigh on her lip, and colour on her cheek--yet with a sort of pride, too, that she should have been the first to discover what a gallant and soldierly youth he was. Jacobite or Hanoverian, she cared not. At Tully-Veolan or at a court ball, she was equally proud of Edward Waverley. Next morning our hero was awakened by the screaming of the warpipes outside his bedroom, and Callum Beg, his attendant, informed him that he would have to hurry if he wished to come up with Fergus and the Clan Ivor, who had marched out with the Prince when the morning was yet grey. Thus spurred, Edward proved himself no laggard. On they went, threading their way through the ranks of the Highland army, now getting mixed up with Balmawhapple's horsemen, who, careless of discipline, went spurring through the throng amid the curses of the Highlanders. For the first time Edward saw with astonishment that more than half the clansmen were poorly armed, many with only a scythe on a pole or a sword without a scabbard, while some for a weapon had nothing better than their dirks, or even a stake pulled out of the hedge. Then it was that Edward, who hitherto had only seen the finest and best armed men whom Fergus could place in the field, began to harbour doubts as to whether this unmilitary array could defeat a British army, and win the crown of three kingdoms for the young Prince with whom he had rashly cast in his lot. [Illustration: "ROSE BRADWARDINE, close by her friend's side, watched him with a sigh on her lip, and colour on her cheek--yet with a sort of pride, too, that she should have been the first to discover what a gallant and soldierly youth he was."] But his dismal and foreboding thoughts were quickly changed to pride when whole Clan Ivor received him with a unanimous shout and the braying of their many warpipes. "Why," said one of a neighbouring clan, "you greet the young Sassenach as if he were the Chief himself!" "If he be not Bran, he is Bran's brother!" replied Evan Dhu, who was now very grand under the name of Ensign Maccombich. "Oh, then," replied the other, "that will doubtless be the young English duinhe-wassel who is to be married to the Lady Flora?" "That may be or that may not be," retorted Evan, grimly; "it is no matter of yours or mine, Gregor." The march continued--first by the shore toward Musselburgh and then along the top of a little hill
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68  
69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Edward

 

Fergus

 

Prince

 
replied
 
warpipes
 

discover

 

soldierly

 
gallant
 

colour

 

friend


watched

 

morning

 

braying

 
unanimous
 

changed

 

received

 

Callum

 
Sassenach
 

quickly

 
neighbouring

thoughts

 
kingdoms
 

British

 

unmilitary

 
defeat
 

attendant

 

rashly

 

dismal

 

foreboding

 

BRADWARDINE


Illustration

 

bedroom

 

brother

 

Gregor

 
matter
 

grimly

 
retorted
 
Musselburgh
 
continued
 

Ensign


awakened

 

Maccombich

 

duinhe

 
wassel
 

married

 

English

 

doubtless

 
Bradwardine
 

informed

 
Balmawhapple