persuades himself that the predictions which are, in reality, the

result of judgment and reflection, are supernatural impressions
on his mind, just as fanatics conceive the workings of their own

imagination to be divine inspiration--at least, if this will not
serve you, Anderson, I have no better explanation to give; and it

is time we were all asleep after the toilsome journey of the
day."

CHAPTER VI.
Coming events cast their shadows before. CAMPBELL.

At an early hour in the morning the guests of the castle sprung
from their repose; and, after a moment's private conversation

with his attendants, Lord Menteith addressed the soldier, who was
seated in a corner burnishing his corslet with rot-stone and

chamois-leather, while he hummed the old song in honour of the
victorious Gustavus Adolphus:--

When cannons are roaring, and bullets are flying,
The lad that would have honour, boys, must never fear dying.

"Captain Dalgetty," said Lord Menteith, "the time is come that we
must part, or become comrades in service."

"Not before breakfast, I hope?" said Captain Dalgetty.
"I should have thought," replied his lordship, "that your

garrison was victualled for three days at least."
"I have still some stowage left for beef and bannocks," said the

Captain; "and I never miss a favourable opportunity of renewing
my supplies."

"But," said Lord Menteith, "no judiciouscommander allows either
flags of truce or neutrals to remain in his camp longer than is

prudent; and therefore we must know your mind exactly, according
to which you shall either have a safe-conduct to depart in peace,

or be welcome to remain with us."
"Truly," said the Captain, "that being the case, I will not

attempt to protract the capitulation by a counterfeited parley,
(a thing excellently practised by Sir James Ramsay at the siege

of Hannau, in the year of God 1636,) but I will frankly own, that
if I like your pay as well as your provant and your company, I

care not how soon I take the oath to your colours."
"Our pay," said Lord Menteith, "must at present be small, since

it is paid out of the common stock raised by the few amongst us
who can command some funds--As major and adjutant, I dare not

promise Captain Dalgetty more than half a dollar a-day."
"The devil take all halves and quarters!" said the Captain;

"were it in my option, I could no more consent to the halving of
that dollar, than the woman in the Judgment of Solomon to the

disseverment of the child of her bowels."
"The parallel will scarce hold, Captain Dalgetty, for I think you

would rather consent to the dividing of the dollar, than give it
up entire to your competitor. However, in the way of arrears, I

may promise you the other half-dollar at the end of the
campaign."

"Ah! these arrearages!" said Captain Dalgetty, "that are always
promised, and always go for nothing! Spain, Austria, and Sweden,

all sing one song. Oh! long life to the Hoganmogans! if they
were no officers of soldiers, they were good paymasters.--And

yet, my lord, if I could but be made certiorate that my natural
hereditament of Drumthwacket had fallen into possession of any of

these loons of Covenanters, who could be, in the event of our
success, conveniently made a traitor of, I have so much value for

that fertile and pleasant spot, that I would e'en take on with
you for the campaign."

"I can resolve Captain Dalgetty's question," said Sibbald, Lord
Menteith's second attendant; "for if his estate of Drumthwacket

be, as I conceive, the long waste moor so called, that lies five
miles south of Aberdeen, I can tell him it was lately purchased

by Elias Strachan, as rank a rebel as ever swore the Covenant"
"The crop-eared hound!" said Captain Dalgetty, in a rage; "What

the devil gave him the assurance to purchase the inheritance of a
family of four hundred years standing?--CYNTHIUS AUREM VELLET,

as we used to say at Mareschal-College; that is to say, I will
pull him out of my father's house by the ears. And so, my Lord

Menteith, I am yours, hand and sword, body and soul, till death
do us part, or to the end of the next campaign, whichever event

shall first come to pass."
"And I," said the young nobleman, "rivet the bargain with a

month's pay in advance."
"That is more than necessary," said Dalgetty, pocketing the money

however. "But now I must go down, look after my war-saddle and
abuilziements, and see that Gustavus has his morning, and tell

him we have taken new service."
There goes your precious recruit," said Lord Menteith to

Anderson, as the Captain left the room; "I fear we shall have
little credit of him."

"He is a man of the times, however," said Anderson; "and without
such we should hardly be able to carry on our enterprise."

"Let us go down," answered Lord Menteith, "and see how our muster
is likely to thrive, for I hear a good deal of bustle in the

castle."
When they entered the hall, the domestics keeping modestly in the

background, morning greetings passed between Lord Menteith, Angus
M'Aulay, and his English guests, while Allan, occupying the same

settle which he had filled the preceding evening, paid no
attention whatever to any one. Old Donald hastily rushed into

the apartment. "A message from Vich Alister More; [The
patronymic of MacDonell of Glengarry.] he is coming up in the

evening."
"With how many attendants?" said M'Aulay.

"Some five-and-twenty or thirty," said Donald, "his ordinary
retinue."

"Shake down plenty of straw in the great barn," said the Laird.
Another servant here stumbled hastily in, announcing the expected

approach of Sir Hector M'Lean, "who is arriving with a large
following."

"Put them in the malt-kiln," said M'Aulay; "and keep the
breadth of the middenstead between them and the M'Donalds; they

are but unfriends to each other."
Donald now re-entered, his visageconsiderably lengthened --"The

tell's i' the folk," he said; "the haill Hielands are asteer, I
think. Evan Dhu, of Lochiel, will be here in an hour, with Lord

kens how many gillies."
"Into the great barn with them beside the M'Donalds," said the

Laird.
More and more chiefs were announced, the least of whom would have

accounted it derogatory to his dignity to stir without a retinue
of six or seven persons. To every new annunciation, Angus

M'Aulay answered by naming some place of accommodation,--the
stables, the loft, the cow-house, the sheds, every domestic

office, were destined for the night to some hospitable purpose or
other. At length the arrival of M'Dougal of Lorn, after all his

means of accommodation were exhausted, reduced him to some
perplexity. "What the devil is to be done, Donald?" said he;

"the great barn would hold fifty more, if they would lie heads
and thraws; but there would be drawn dirks amang them which

should lie upper-most, and so we should have bloody puddings
before morning!"

"What needs all this?" said Allan, starting up, and coming
forward with the stern abruptness of his usual manner; "are the

Gael to-day of softer flesh or whiter blood than their fathers
were? Knock the head out of a cask of usquebae; let that be