It was thus that, lurking18 in little parties, in retreats only known to themselves, among craggy ravines and pine-clad precipices19, they now resumed that minor20 and predatory warfare21 which they had been wont22 to wage against the inhabitants of the more civilised parts of Scotland,—I mean that which consisted in plundering24 those richer districts of their cattle. Perhaps no inconsiderable degree of political animosity may have mingled26 itself in many instances with the other motives27 that prompted these [49]marauding expeditions in the later times of which I am speaking. But, be this as it may, we must not look upon those who were engaged in them as we do upon the wretched cow-stealers of the present day. That which is now considered as one of the most despicable of crimes was then, in the eyes of the mountaineer, esteemed29 as an honourable30 and chivalrous31 profession. In his untamed imagination no one was looked upon with so much admiration32 and envy as that individual who might be chosen as the leader of a daring band to harry33 the low country of its live stock; for these proud sons of the Gael had ever held the inhabitants of the plains in the most sovereign contempt, and they regarded them and their more favoured pastures in no other light than as so many nurses and nurseries, destined34 by Heaven to rear the cattle which they were born to consume. I can instance one well authenticated35 example which displays this opinion in its true light. The Laird of Grant, the great chieftain of the glen of Urquhart, having had his cattle driven off by a party of Camerons, and having sent a strong remonstrance36 to Cameron of Lochiel himself by a special ambassador, had his herds37 immediately restored to him, with a most courteous39 letter of apology, which, I believe, still exists, assuring him that his stupid fellows had entirely40 mistaken his orders, which were, that they should not begin to plunder23 until they had reached “Moray-land, where every gentleman was entitled to take his prey42.”
It was soon after the middle of the last century that Mr. Russel, a gentleman of Morayshire, who resided at Earlsmill, near Tarnaway Castle, to the north of the Findhorn, and about ten miles from hence, was alarmed one morning by the unpleasant intelligence, that a strong body of Highlanders had come before daybreak and carried off the whole of his cattle from this very farm of the Aitnoch, which he had at that time taken as a hill-grazing. Mr. Russel was an extremely active and intelligent man; and although he did not make all the warlike preparations which your friend the Laird of Macfarlane did, yet he was not deficient43 either in promptitude of decision or in readiness of action. After putting a few questions to the scared and breathless messenger, he lost not a moment in summoning and arming his servants; and, instead of taking this way—towards the Aitnoch, he struck at once diagonally across the [50]country in a westerly direction, and marched with great expedition, in order, if possible, to reach a part of the deep glen of the Findhorn, some miles above Dulsie yonder, in such time as to enable him to intercept44 the plunderers. You may trace with your eye the dark shadow of the glen, which sinks deep and abruptly45 into the bosom46 of those purple mountains which you see retreating behind each other in misty47 perspective. That is the grand pass into the Western Highlands, and Mr. Russel was well aware that if he did not succeed in arresting his cattle before the robbers had made their way through it, the boundless48 wastes to which it led would render all further search after them quite hopeless. Having reached the course of the river, Mr. Russel and his party made their way down the steep hill-side, forded the stream to its southern bank, and, carefully examining the ground to ascertain49 whether any fresh footprints were to be observed, they took their stand, satisfied that they had been so far successful.
The spot chosen by Mr. Russel for his ambuscade was in the midst of that most beautiful range of retired50 and tranquil51 scenery known by the name of The Streems. There the hollow glen is so profound and so narrow in many places, that one of those little clusters of cottages which are now found here and there sprinkled in the pastoral bottom has the name of Tchirfogrein, a Gaelic appellation52 implying that it never sees the sun. There were then no houses near the place they had selected, but the party lay concealed53 behind some huge fragments of rock, shivered by the wedging ice of the previous winter from the summit of a lofty crag that hung half across the narrow holm where they had taken up their position. A little farther down the river the passage was contracted, and there was no approach from that point but by a rude and scrambling54 footpath55 irregularly worn along the steep face of the mountain, and behind them the glen was equally confined. Both extremities56 of the small amphitheatre thus enclosed were then, though they are not now, shaded by dense57 thickets58 of birch, hazel, and holly59, whilst a few wild pines found a scanty60 subsistence for their roots on the face of the crags in midway air, and were twisted and writhed61 by lack of nutriment into the most fantastic and picturesque62 forms. The stillness of an unusually calm and breathless air hung over this romantic scene, and it was lighted by the now [51]declining sun of a serene63 summer day, so that half the narrow haugh was in broad and deep shadow, that was strongly contrasted with the brilliant golden light falling on the tufted tops of the trees of a wooded bank on the opposite side of the river.
Mr. Russel and his small party had not long occupied their post when, as they listened in the silence of the evening, they heard the distant lowing of the cattle and the wild shouts of the reavers as they came faint and prolonged up the hollow trough of the glen. The sounds gradually drew nearer and nearer, and increased in volume as they were swelled64 and re-echoed from the rocks on either side. At length the crashing of the boughs65 announced the appearance of the more advanced part of the drove; and the tired animals began to issue slowly from among the tangled66 wood, or to rush violently forth67 as the shouts of their drivers were more or less impetuous, or their blows chanced to light upon them. As they appeared individually, they gathered themselves into a group on the level open sward, where they stood bellowing68, as if quite unwilling69 to proceed any farther.
In rear of the last stragglers of the herd38 Mr. Russel now beheld70, bursting singly from different parts of the brake, a party of fourteen Highlanders, all in the full costume of the mountains, and wearing the well-known tartan of a western clan71. All of them were armed with the dirk, pistol, and claymore, and the greater number of them carried antique fowling-pieces. Mr. Russel’s party consisted of not more than ten or eleven persons; but they were well armed, and they were people upon whom he could depend. Exhorting72 them to be firm, therefore, he drew them suddenly forth from their ambush73, and ranged them up in array upon the green turf. The robbers appeared to be confounded for a moment, and uttered some uncouth74 exclamations75 of surprise; but a shrill76 whistle from their leader made them quickly recover their presence of mind, and they rushed forward in a body, and formed themselves in order of battle in front of their spoil. Mr. Russel and his party stood their ground with determination, whilst the leader of the enemy seemed to be holding counsel with himself as to what he should do. He was a little spare athletic77 man, with long red hair curling over his shoulders, and with a pale and thin, but acute visage. [52]After leaning upon his gun for a time, and surveying the party opposed to him with the eye of a hawk78, he shouldered his piece and advanced slowly a few paces in front of his men, until he considered himself to be sufficiently79 within earshot, and, raising his voice,—
“Mr. Russel,” cried he, in very correct English, though with a Highland4 accent, “are you for peace or war? If for war, look to yourself. But if you are for peace and treaty, order your men to stand fast, and let you and me advance and meet each other half way.”
“I will treat,” replied Mr. Russel; “but can I trust to your keeping faith?”
“Trust!” exclaimed the other in an offended tone, and with an imperious air; “methinks you may well enough trust to the word and honour of a gentleman.”
“I am content,” said Mr. Russel.
The respective parties were now ordered to stand their ground, and the two leaders advanced about seventy or eighty paces each towards the middle of the open space, with their loaded guns cocked and presented at each other; and having abridged81 the distance that divided them to some ten or twelve paces, they halted, and the negotiation82 commenced. A certain sum was demanded for the restitution83 of the cattle. Mr. Russel had not so much money about him; but he offered to give all he had in his pocket, which amounted to a sum not a great deal short of what the robber had asked. After some little conversation this was accepted. The bargain was concluded, the money was paid, the guns were uncocked and shouldered, and the two hitherto hostile parties advanced to meet each other and to mingle25 together in perfect harmony.
“And now, Mr. Russel,” said the leader of the band, “you must look at your beasts, to see that none of them are wanting.”
“They are all here but one small dun quey,” said Mr. Russel, after a minute examination of the herd.
“Ha!” cried the Highland leader, darting84 an angry glance of inquiry85 around his men, “how is this? Ewan, I would speak with you.”
A tall handsome dark man, whom he had thus addressed, then moved a little way apart with him, and a conversation ensued between them in Gaelic, the sound of which could only be heard, whilst ever and anon the leader’s eyes [53]glanced towards one or other of his people; and his voice and gestures indicated anything but satisfaction. At last he returned towards the group.
“Mr. Russel,” said he, “you may make your mind easy about the dun quey. On the word of a gentleman, she shall be on your pasture before daylight to-morrow morning.”
The treaty being thus happily concluded, and the cattle taken possession of by those who were wont to have the charge of them, Mr. Russel and the Highland leader shook hands and parted, and each took his own way, attended by his followers86.
Clifford, interrupting the narrative87, Ah! I have a shrewd suspicion that the cheese-shaped lump of tallow you spoke88 of will turn out, after all, to have been the produce of poor Dunny.
Author.—Have patience, and you shall hear.
We shall leave Mr. Russel and his people to return down the glen with the rescued herd, that we may inquire a little into the motions of the reaver and his men. They had no sooner threaded the mazes89 of the brake which shut in the upper end of the dell that was the scene of the strange negotiation I have described, than the leader halted them, in order to hold a conference.
“Ewan,” said he to him who seemed to act as his second in command, “this is an awkward affair, and you have been much to blame. You had charge of the rear, and not a beast should have strayed. But your carelessness has brought my honour into pledge; and, by all that is good, you must redeem90 it. I have said that the dun quey shall be on Mr. Russel’s pasture in the morning; and, dead or alive, she must be there, for a gentleman’s word must be kept.”
“I own I have not been so sharp as I should have been,” said Ewan, with a mortified91 air; “but I think I have enough of cleverness in me to enable me to promise you, on the word of a gentleman, that your word shall be made good.”
“See that it be so, then,” said the leader somewhat sternly, as he walked slowly away up the glen. “Take what strength you please with you, but see that you save both my honour and your own.”
His comrades crowded around Ewan, proffering92 him their friendly aid to enable him to search for and recover [54]the quey. But he courteously93 declined all their kind offers; and tightening94 his plaid over his body with the utmost composure, he sprang up the almost perpendicular95 face of the southern mountain with the agility96 of a deer, and disappeared over the brow of it, without permitting his breath to come much quicker there than it had done whilst he was in talk with his companions in the deep glen below.
Ewan wandered not over the moors97 and mosses100 which you see stretching over the mountain far off yonder like one who was bewildered, or like a hound at fault. Circumstances had arisen to his mind, which had afforded him some clue to the search he had undertaken; and of that clue he had at once laid hold, with a determined101 resolution to unravel102 it as speedily as possible to the end. His course, therefore, was taken at once; and it was a most direct one. You see that singular opening in the country between us and Strathspey? Perhaps you may remember that there is a narrow pass there, where a small lake fills the bottom of the defile103, and where the face of the mountain that rises over it has all the appearance of having been shaven down by the sword of some giant. The strange tradition of the country indeed is, that it was done by the mighty104 Fingal, by way of trying the temper of a claymore which he had not yet put to the proof. Well does the weapon seem to have performed its office; and in honour of it the place has ever since been called Beemachlai, or the cut of the sword. Ewan then had no sooner breasted the mountain that hung over the Findhorn, than he turned his face directly southward, and took his way in a straight line for the pass; and despite of the ravines and burns, and peat-pots and moss99-hags, and all the other difficulties and obstructions105 that lay in his road, and the darkness of the evening which settled down upon that wild hill to make all these difficulties ten times greater than they otherwise would have been, he, in a wonderfully short period of time, found himself planted in the narrow path that ran between the loch of Beemachlai, on the one hand, and the mountain that rises from its western margin106 on the other.
But before taking up his post, the cautious Ewan stooped down, and carefully passed his hand over the whole surface of a bare spot, of some dozen or so of square yards in [55]extent, which he knew must necessarily have been crossed by every man or beast travelling that way, to ascertain whether any fresh footprints had been made in the soft black surface of the moss. His experience in such investigations107 was so great as to enable him perfectly108 to satisfy himself that no animal at least had recently trodden there; and with this assurance he stationed himself in the very hollow of the pass, and, seated on a bank, he turned his head towards the north, whence the path came downwards109 along the base of the hill, and kept eager watch both with eyes and ears. The moon was at this time but young, and the sky was partially110 covered with thin fleecy clouds; so that when it did rise, it gave but a scanty and uncertain light, though it was enough to pourtray the bold profile of Fingal’s hill on the calm bosom of the lake, as well as to enable any one to distinguish a human figure at some little distance.
Ewan had not remained long in this position, when he distinctly heard the short sharp cry used by Highlanders for urging on a bullock. It was occasionally repeated; and by and bye it was followed by the faint sound of the footsteps of a beast and its driver, which grew upon his ear. Ewan bent111 his head towards the ground, that he might the better catch the figures of both against the sky; and ere they had already come within fifty yards of him, he rubbed his hands together with satisfaction to find that his judgment112 had not deceived him, and starting up to his feet, he planted himself directly in the middle of the path, so that his figure threw a broad shadow across it; and leaning on his gun, he calmly waited the advance of him who came. He was a tall—nay, almost a gigantic man, with an awkward shambling gait; and he held the dun quey by a long halter with his left hand, whilst he drove her on with a huge rough stick which he carried in his right. He halted the moment that Ewan’s dark figure appeared.
“What is it that stands there? Answer, in the name of God!” cried he in Gaelic, and in a tone that manifested great alarm.
“Methinks a foul113 thief like you had little ado with any such name, Gilliesh,” replied Ewan resolutely115. “What devil tempted116 you to steal the dun quey from our herd?”
“What devil told you that I had stolen her?” demanded [56]Gilliesh, much relieved to find that he had to deal with nothing more than mortal flesh.
“Did I not see thee lurking among the birches on the Doun of Dulsie?” said Ewan; “and did I not know that thou couldst be there for no good end; and when the quey was missed, did I not put that and that together to help my guessing, and have I not guessed rightly?”
“What an you have?” replied Gilliesh; “’tis but a poor prize I have gotten after all, and hardly worth your tramping so far for. You had surely enough, without grudging117 me this bit dwining beast.”
“Such base thievery cannot be suffered,” said Ewan, “besides, I have reasons of my own for what I do. Come away, then, and give me the rope; and bless your stars that you escape, for this time at least, being hanged by one. The beast must back with me, and you may take your own way home to Dulnan side at your leisure, and thank your good fortune that you get there in a whole skin.”
“Well may you speak so bold indeed,” said Gilliesh bitterly, “with that big black gun in your hand, ready to bring me down in a moment like a muir-cock off a hillock. But by the great oath, ye would crack less crouse if ye stood there before me with nothing but your claymore by your side.”
“Ye lie, ye thieving vagabond,” cried Ewan, “I’ll stand at all times before you or a better man with this good sword alone. See here, my gun shall rest against this rock; and on the word and honour of a gentleman, I’ll never touch stock or lock of it till I shall have chastised118 thee to thy heart’s content, if thou wilt119 so have it.”
“Be it so,” said the crafty120 Gilliesh; “and I’ll tether the quey to this moss-fir stump121 here, and let her stand by to see the stour, and to be the prize of him who may prove himself to be the better man.”
It would have been a sight of some interest to have watched the preparations for this very extraordinary single combat. On the part of Ewan they consisted merely in his placing his gun against the rock with great tranquillity123 and with great care, and then drawing his claymore from its scabbard, and twisting the folds of his plaid tightly over his left arm, ere he put himself into the proper position for action. As for Gilliesh, he had no sooner tied the end of the quey’s halter to the moss-fir stump, than he drew a [57]broadsword of a magnitude so tremendous, as well corresponded with his almost Philistian height. The bare, flat, mossy piece of ground already noticed was the arena124 on which they were to contend; and if it was free from prints of any kind when Ewan examined it a brief space before, it was now destined ere long to have enow of them impressed upon it by the coming struggle. Aware of the great advantage which Gilliesh had over him from his superior height, and still more from the greater sweep of his arm and sword, Ewan approached his adversary125 very cautiously at first. On the other hand, numerous, and rash, and awkward, were the cuts and the thrusts which Gilliesh attempted to make; but they were given with a force and a fury that rendered it necessary for Ewan to use all the skill of which he was master, to enable him to dodge126 and to parry them. Now and then their blades came into fearful contact; and when they did so, the shearing127 of them together produced a sheet of flame that gave a temporary illumination to the deep shadow which a projecting bank threw over that part of the lake immediately below. As their desperate play went on, the clashing of the glowing steel struck terror into the timid animal that had occasioned the fight; and the powerful efforts which her fear impelled128 her to make having at last burst her tether from its fastening, she fled away beyond hearing of the fray129. Meanwhile, the combat continued to rage, and as it went on the combatants gradually shifted their ground until they had changed places. On the part of Gilliesh this was not done without its intention; for no sooner did he find himself within reach of Ewan’s gun, than he seized it up, and presented it without scruple130 at its owner, and without one shadow of remorse131 drew the trigger. But the hammer fell harmless into the empty pan. Ewan sprang upon him in a moment, and, ere he could recover the use of his sword, he gave him one desperate cut across the temple that brought him to the earth with his face bathed in blood.
“Villain!” cried Ewan, as he stood over his prostrate132 foe133 with the point of his sword at his throat. “Traitor that thou art, wouldst thou have been a murderer as well as a thief? Had not a stray stag crossed me at a distance as I came over the hill, and tempted me to take an idle chance shot in the twilight134, when my haste would not [58]allow me to load again, I should have been at this moment stretched out a corpse135 by thy treachery.”
“Spare thy life!” replied Ewan contemptuously, as he quietly picked up his gun, and proceeded to load it; “I have no mind that thy worthless and cowardly life should stain this good sword of mine with dishonour136, nor do I choose that it should be the means of cheating the gallows137 of what so justly belongs to it. Gather thyself up, then, as thou mayest, and take thy way to Dulnan side; for, by all that is good, if thou dost show thine ugly visage again to me, like a grim ghost on the moor98, I’ll not miss thy big body as I did that of the stray stag, but I’ll open a door in it wide enough to allow thy rascally138 soul to issue forth and to join its kindred malignant139 spirits of the swamp and the fen80.”
With these words Ewan threw his gun over his shoulder, and set out in search of the stray heifer. It was some time before he found her, and a still longer time after he had found her before he caught her, and after he had caught her it was but the commencement of a most toilsome night with her, ere he could compel her, tired as she was, to travel through bog140 and mire141 to the place of her destination. But be this as it may, Ewan saw that the reaver’s word was made good,—next morning the dun quey was seen grazing with the rest of the herd on the farm of the Aitnoch. Nobody could tell how she came there; but the eagerness with which she plucked at the pasture, and her jaded142 and draggled appearance, afforded sufficient evidence of the length and nature of the night journey she had been compelled to perform.
It was not very long after this that Mr. Russel happened accidentally to have ridden up to his farm here one morning, and, as he was engaged in moving about looking at his stock, his attention was attracted by a long drove of cattle, which he observed straggling up yonder opposite bank of the Dorback branch of the river Divie, to the eastward143 there, evidently with the intention of crossing at a ford8 a little way above. At first sight there appeared to be little remarkable144 in this, for he well knew that to be a common track, travelled by all whose route lay through this country, stretching up the south side of the Findhorn. But the drovers and their herd had no sooner passed the Dorback, [59]and gained its western bank, and begun to advance in a direction pointing towards the course of the Findhorn, than Mr. Russel recognised the same Highland party and the same bold leader from whom he had so recently recovered his own cattle. Some of the men who were about him were led, from certain circumstances, to know that the drove of beasts which they now saw had been carried off from Gordonston, the seat of Sir Robert Gordon, about thirty miles distant in the Laigh of Moray. Mr. Russel was in habits of friendship with Sir Robert, and he quickly came to the resolution that he should allow no such hostile and predatory act to be done to him if he could help it, and above all that he should not facilitate it by permitting a passage for the robbers and their booty through his territory. He was here not only in the midst of his own people, but he was, moreover, in the very centre of Lord Moray’s estate of Brae-Moray, of which he had the entire management, and accordingly he resolved to avail himself of these circumstances, and he determined immediately to arrest them. With this intention he hastily collected all the dependants145 who were within his reach, and, before the robbers came up with their booty, he found himself at the head of double their number of well-armed men.
When the party arrived within hearing, Mr. Russel hailed the leader, and at once plainly told him that he could not stand by and suffer the cattle of his friend Sir Robert Gordon to be thus harried146, far less could he tamely permit them to be thus driven through his farm. He therefore called upon the robber to halt, assuring him that if he offered to advance with his party, or to persist in driving the cattle one step farther, it should be at his own peril147, and he must take the consequences; for that nothing but force should compel him to give them way.
“Mr. Russel!” cried the leader, stepping before the rest with a haughty148 air, “this is not what I expected from you after what has already passed between us. You stopped and recovered your own beasts, and nobody could blame you; but, sir, it is not like a gentleman to offer to hinder me from taking cattle from anybody else.”
“My principles are very different,” said Mr. Russel, with great coolness.
“I tell you again,” cried the little man, “that you will [60]be acting149 unjustly if you persevere150, and that you have no right to do so.”
“I am determined to persevere notwithstanding,” said Mr. Russel, with great strength of emphasis and firmness of expression.
“Then, sir, I must caution you that you had better take care what you do,” said the Highlander3.
“I am prepared for all consequences,” said Mr. Russel.
“Well, well, sir,” said the Highlander frowning, “we cannot help it; you are in your own kingdom here, and you must have your own way; but, I bid you take heed—you’ll rue2 this yet,—look well to yourself.” So saying, he called to his followers in Gaelic, who, with much apparent dissatisfaction, abandoned the cattle, and the whole party took the road to the hills, muttering dark threats and half-smothered imprecations against Mr. Russel.
These denunciations were little heeded151, and were probably soon forgotten by him against whom they were uttered, or if they were remembered at all it was only to produce greater vigilance on the part of those who had the charge of his stock. But it so happened that, during the course of the ensuing winter, some express business, connected with his charge of Lord Moray’s affairs, carried Mr. Russel to Edinburgh. When he was on his return homewards, he arrived late one stormy and tempestuous152 night at the solitary inn of Dalnacaerdoch, situated153, as everybody knows, at the southern extremity154 of that part of the great Highland road leading through the savage155 pass of Drumouachter. Seeing that it was quite hopeless to think of prosecuting156 his journey that night in such weather, he took a hasty supper and went to bed, with the resolution of rising as early next day as the lack of light at that season would permit.
He was accordingly up in the morning, and in the saddle before he could well see his horse’s ears, and he set out through the snow for the inn of Dalwhinnie, situated at the northern end of the pass, attended only by a single servant. He had not proceeded far into the wild and savage part of that solitary scene, where high poles, painted black, are erected157 along the edge of the road to serve as beacons158 during winter, to prevent travellers from deviating159 from the road and being engulphed in the snow-wreaths, when by the light of the dawn, he descried160 a man, at [61]some two or three hundred yards’ distance, who came riding towards him. As he came onwards, Mr. Russel had time to remark that he exhibited a thin spare figure which was enveloped161 in a long dark brown cloak or greatcoat. He rode one of the loose made garrons of the country, of a dirty mouse colour, having no saddle, and no other bridle162 than a halter made of small birchen twigs163, twisted into a sort of rope, called by the common people a woodie. In spite of himself, the recollection of the Highland reaver and his angry threats darted164 across Mr. Russel’s mind; and he was somewhat alarmed at first, when he observed that he who approached carried in his hand, poised165 by the middle, a very long fowling-piece, of that ancient character and description which gave our ancestors excellent hope of killing166 a wild duck sitting in the water half-way across a lake of half a mile broad. Mr. Russel instinctively167 pulled out his pistols and examined their locks, and he made his servant do the same by his; but the inequality of such weapons, compared with that which I have this moment described, was only thereby168 rendered the more woefully apparent to both of them. Mr. Russel rode slowly but resolutely on however, with his eyes intently watching every motion of him who came, and who was now drawing nearer and nearer to them. The stranger himself seemed to advance cautiously; but no sooner had he come close enough to enable him to recognise a human countenance169, than he pushed up his shying steed by the application of ardent170 and repeated kicks; and, when he had at length succeeded in compelling him forward, to Mr. Russel’s no inconsiderable relief, he recognised in him—the landlord of the inn of Dalwhinnie!
“Keep us a’, I’m glad I ha’e forgathered wi’ ye in time, Mr. Russel!” he exclaimed in a south country tone and dialect, and without waiting for the ordinary preliminary salutations.
“Why, what’s the matter?” demanded Mr. Russel.
“Matter!” replied the man; “a matter o’ murder, gif I’m no far mistane.”
“Mercy on me! Who has been murdered?” cried Mr. Russel.
“I didna say that ony body was murdered,” answered the man; “but, an ye persevere on your road through the pass, I’m thinkin’ that somebody will be murdered.” [62]
“What makes you fancy so?” asked Mr. Russel.
“Were ye no to hae been at my hoose last night?” demanded the Dalwhinnie landlord.
“I did so intend,” said Mr. Russel; “but the road turned out to be so much heavier than I had anticipated, that all I could do was to reach Dalnacaerdoch, and that at a late hour.”
“It was the yespecial providence171 o’ Heevin that you didna get forrit,” said the landlord, throwing up his eyes as if in thanksgiving, “for, if you had, you would have been assuredly a cauld corp at this precious moment.”
“A corpse!” exclaimed Mr. Russel, “what has put that into your head?”
“Troth, as sure as ye are noo sittin’ on your horse,” replied the landlord, “ye wad hae been murdered, though you had had mair lives nor a cat.”
“It’s an awfu’ story,” said the landlord, shuddering173 at the mere122 recollection of it. “It was at the dead hour o’ the night, ye see, whan we war a’ sound sleepin’ in our beds, we war a’ alarumed wi’ a sudden noise and rissellin’ in the yard, an’ afore we kent whar we wuz, the hoose was filled wi’ better nor twa dizzen o’ great muckle armed hillan’men, wi’ blackit faces. Aweel! they lighted great big lunts o’ moss-fir at the kitchen fire, and cam’ straught to my bedside, brandishin’ their pistols and durks, and lookin’ as if they wad eat me up.—‘Whar’s Mr. Russel sleepin’?’ cries they.—‘Gentlemen,’ says I, ‘as sure as death, Mr. Russel’s no in this hoose.’—‘We ken41 better,’ says they, ‘we ken he was to be here this night.’—‘Some mistak, gentlemen,’ says I, ‘I’m dootin’ that ye maun hae made some mistak, for Mr. Russel’s not only no here, but, an’ ye’ll believe me, troth I didna even expeck him.’—A’ this only made them waur. They threatent and swoore at me like very rampawgin deevils, and then they begud to search ilka hole and bore and cranny and corner in the hoose; an’ no contented174 wi’ the hoose, they rummaged175 a’ the oothooses, lookin’ even into places whaur it was just simply impossible that a very cat could ha’e concealed hersel’, an’ forcin’ me alang wi’ them a’ the time, half naked, an’ near hale dead wi’ fear. And syne176, whan they could find neither you nor your horses, preserve us a’ what [63]a furious hillant yell they did set up!—they war just a’thegither mad wi’ rage and disappointment; an’ some o’ them war for burnin’ the very hoose, that they might mak’ sure that ye warna lurkin’ somewhere aboot it after a’. At length, a stiff, stern wee body, wha seemed to be their captain, seelenced them in a moment; and having spoken to them for some time in Gaelic, their violence was moderated, or rather it seemed to be converted into downright hunger and drouth, for they begud to look for bread and cheese, and ither eatables, and whisky, for themsel’s. Weel I wot, I gied them what they wanted wi’ gude heart and wull, houpin’ to get the sooner quite o’ them; and little payment, I trow, did I expeck for my cheer. But what think ye, sir? As I’m a sinner, they honestly paid me every farden o’ their shot afore they ga’ed awa.”
“Have you any notion as to whither they went after they left your house?” demanded Mr. Russel.
“Some o’ our herds war sayin’ that their tracks i’ the snaw lay towards Loch Ericht,” replied the landlord; “and gif so be the case, I’se warrant that they have darned themsel’s in some o’ the queer hidy-holes aboot the craigs there awa’. And, I’ll be bailed177, they’ll be ready to come back again or e’er ye ken whaur ye are, to murder you clean oot o’ hand; for surely they maun contrive178 somehoo or ither to ha’e gude information.”
“It is certainly most strange how they could have known so well what my plans were,” said Mr. Russel.
“Troth, sir, they’re just deevils incarnate,” continued the landlord; “but ye maun on no account think o’ gaein’ on, Mr. Russel, for, gif ye do, ye gang to certain death. Gae ye yere ways back to Blair or Dunkeld, for I’m dootin’ ye’ll no be safe nae gate else, and I’ll send ower into Morayshire for some o’ your ain fouk, weel accoutred and furnished, to convoy179 ye safe hame.”
Mr. Russel was no coward, but he well knew the nature of the Highlanders he had to deal with. And what could the pistols of two men do against two dozen of well-armed assassins, springing on them at unawares by the way, or attacking them in their beds? After some little consideration, therefore, he deemed it most prudent180 to take the landlord’s advice; and, accordingly, after he had thanked the honest fellow for the zeal181 he had manifested for his safety, and after the landlord had looked suspiciously [64]around him and scanned the faces of the hills to their very tops with strong signs of apprehension182, earnestly praying to God that their interview might not have been overlooked and watched by any of the robbers or their spies, they parted; and Mr. Russel and his servant retraced183 their steps at a good round pace.
After nearly a week’s delay at Dunkeld, Mr. Russel was enabled to renew his journey at the head of a well-armed party of between thirty and forty of his own people, who came to escort him. They travelled along with great caution, but they did not perceive the smallest show of hostility184 till they got into the middle of the Pass of Drumouachter. Then, indeed, they observed that they were reconnoitred from the rough face of one of the hills overhanging the road, by a body of more than twenty armed mountaineers. They seemed to have issued from the recesses185 of one of those Corries, or ravines, which there yawn over the valley like gashes186 on the lofty brow of a warrior187; and after some minutes apparently188 spent in consultation189, they began to move along the steep acclivity in a line parallel to the road which Mr. Russel pursued. Their dark tartans waved in the wind, and their figures were boldly relieved against the glazed190 and brilliant surface of the snow they trod on. A certain degree of hesitation191 seemed to mark all their movements, which appeared to have a manifest reference to those of the party below. Mr. Russel marched on with a steady and resolute114 pace, his men keeping a sharp lookout192 in all directions, and being perfectly prepared to resist any sudden attack. But the mountaineers, being conscious of an inferiority of strength which rendered any open attempt on their part quite hopeless, did not venture to assault so large and so well armed a band. After skirting along the hill-sides for five or six miles, they seemed gradually to slacken their pace, till the whole body came to a halt on a prominent point of the mountain, where they remained, following Mr. Russel and his people with their eyes, and probably with their curses also, so long as they remained within sight. Mr. Russel thought it prudent to halt but for a short time at Dalwhinnie; and well was it for him that he did not tarry there all that night, for the house was again surrounded and searched by an overwhelming force, whilst Mr. Russel was urging his way homewards with an expedition [65]that enabled him to reach his residence in perfect safety.
Whether a natural or accidental death, or some other cause, put an end to any further attempts on the part of the vindictive193 mountaineer, I know not; but certain it is, that Mr. Russel was never more troubled either by him or by his people.
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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2
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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3
highlander
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| n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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4
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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espoused
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| v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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7
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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10
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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11
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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12
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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13
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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14
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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puerile
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| adj.幼稚的，儿童的 | |
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16
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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17
cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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18
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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19
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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20
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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21
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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22
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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23
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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24
plundering
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 ) | |
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25
mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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26
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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27
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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28
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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29
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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30
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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31
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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32
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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33
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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34
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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35
authenticated
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| v.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的过去式和过去分词 )；鉴定，使生效 | |
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36
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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37
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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38
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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39
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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40
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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42
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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43
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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44
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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45
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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46
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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47
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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48
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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49
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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50
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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51
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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52
appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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53
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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54
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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55
footpath
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| n.小路，人行道 | |
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56
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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57
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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58
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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59
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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60
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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61
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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63
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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64
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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65
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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66
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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67
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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68
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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69
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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70
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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71
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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72
exhorting
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| v.劝告，劝说( exhort的现在分词 ) | |
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73
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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74
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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75
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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76
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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77
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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78
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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79
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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80
fen
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| n.沼泽，沼池 | |
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81
abridged
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| 削减的，删节的 | |
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82
negotiation
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| n.谈判，协商 | |
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83
restitution
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| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
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84
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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85
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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86
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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87
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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88
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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89
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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90
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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91
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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92
proffering
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的现在分词 ) | |
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93
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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94
tightening
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| 上紧，固定，紧密 | |
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95
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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96
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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97
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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98
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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99
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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mosses
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| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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101
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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102
unravel
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| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
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103
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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104
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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105
obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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106
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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107
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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108
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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109
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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110
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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111
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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112
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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113
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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114
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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115
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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116
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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117
grudging
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| adj.勉强的，吝啬的 | |
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118
chastised
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| v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的过去式 ) | |
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119
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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120
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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121
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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122
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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123
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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124
arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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125
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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126
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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127
shearing
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| n.剪羊毛，剪取的羊毛v.剪羊毛( shear的现在分词 )；切断；剪切 | |
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128
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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129
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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130
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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131
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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132
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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133
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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134
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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135
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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136
dishonour
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| n./vt.拒付（支票、汇票、票据等）；vt.凌辱，使丢脸；n.不名誉，耻辱，不光彩 | |
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137
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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138
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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139
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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140
bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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141
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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142
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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143
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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144
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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145
dependants
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| 受赡养者，受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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146
harried
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| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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147
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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148
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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149
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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150
persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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151
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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153
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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154
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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155
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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156
prosecuting
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| 检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师 | |
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157
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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158
beacons
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| 灯塔( beacon的名词复数 )； 烽火； 指路明灯； 无线电台或发射台 | |
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159
deviating
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的现在分词 ) | |
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160
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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161
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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162
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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163
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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164
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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165
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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166
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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167
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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168
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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169
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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170
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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171
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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172
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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173
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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174
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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175
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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176
syne
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| adv.自彼时至此时，曾经 | |
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177
bailed
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| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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178
contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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179
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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180
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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181
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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182
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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183
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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184
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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185
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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186
gashes
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| n.深长的切口（或伤口）( gash的名词复数 )v.划伤，割破( gash的第三人称单数 ) | |
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187
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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188
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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189
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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190
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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191
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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192
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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193
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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