the retainers
of Buchan, and, as such, believed him as loyal and faithful to King
Robert's interest as himself and others in the countess's train. The man
had artfully evaded all young Malcolm's expression of astonishment and
inquiries as to why Donald MacAlpine, whom he well knew to be one of the
stoutest and most sturdy men-at-arms which the clan possessed, should
have taken to so peaceful an employment as cutting wood, and skilfully
drew from the boy much information concerning the movements of the party
to whom he belonged. Malcolm freely spoke of Sir Alan and the Countess
of Buchan, dilating with no little pleasure on his young master having
received knighthood at the hand of his king, and all the honors and
delights which accompanied it. Aware, however, of the dangers which
environed the Bruce, he spoke of him more cautiously, and the more
Donald sought to discover if the king were near at hand, the more
carefully did Malcolm conceal that he was, telling the woodman if he
wished to know all particulars, he had better turn his sickle into a
spear, his cap into a helmet, and strike a good blow for Scotland and
King Robert. This the man refused to do, alleging he loved his own
sturdy person and independent freedom too well to run his neck into such
a noose; that King Robert might do very well for a while, but eventually
he must fall into King Edward's hands. Malcolm angrily denied this, and
they parted, not the best friends imaginable. On reviewing all that had
passed, the boy reproached himself incessantly for having said too much,
and was continually tormented by an indefinable fear that some evil
would follow. This fear kept him by the side of the countess, instead
of, as was his wont, following Sir Alan to the chase. The increasing
darkness had concealed her from him, but he was the first to distinguish
her whistle. He had reached the spot time enough to recognize the
supposed woodman in the second speaker, and to feel with painful
acuteness his boyish thoughtlessness had brought this evil on a
mistress, to serve whom he would willingly have laid down his life.
Resistance he knew, on his part, was utterly useless, and therefore he
determined to follow their track, and thus bring accurate intelligence
to the king. The minds of the men preoccupied by the thought of their
distinguished prisoner, and the thickening gloom, aided his resolution.
Happening to have a quantity of thick flax in his pocket, the boy, with
adm