out of trouble, instead of wasting it upon the tales of

Seannachies," said Ranald, who now grew impatient of the
Captain's loquacity, "or if your feet could travel as fast as

your tongue, you might yet lay your head on an unbloody pillow
to-night."

"Something there is like military skill in that," replied the
Captain, "although wantonly and irreverently spoken to an officer

of rank. But I hold it good to pardon such freedoms on a march,
in respect of the Saturnalian license indulged in such cases to

the troops of all nations. And now, resume thine office, friend
Ranald, in respect I am well-breathed; or, to be more plain, I

PRAE, SEQUAR, as we used to say at Mareschal-College."
Comprehending his meaning rather from his motions than his

language, the Son of the Mist again led the way, with an unerring
precision that looked like instinct, through a variety of ground

the most difficult and broken that could well be imagined.
Dragging along his ponderous boots, encumbered with thigh-pieces,

gauntlets, corslet, and back-piece, not to mention the buff
jerkin which he wore under all these arms, talking of his former

exploits the whole way, though Ranald paid not the slightest
attention to him, Captain Dalgetty contrived to follow his guide

a considerable space farther, when the deep-mouthed baying of a
hound was heard coming down the wind, as if opening on the scent

of its prey.
"Black hound," said Ranald, "whose throat never boded good to a

Child of the Mist, ill fortune to her who littered thee! hast
thou already found our trace? But thou art too late, swart hound

of darkness, and the deer has gained the herd."
So saying, he whistled very softly, and was answered in a tone

equally low from the top of a pass, up which they had for some
time been ascending. Mending their pace, they reached the top,

where the moon, which had now risen bright and clear, showed to
Dalgetty a party of ten or twelve Highlanders, and about as many

women and children, by whom Ranald MacEagh was received with such
transports of joy, as made his companion easily sensible that

those by whom he was surrounded, must of course be Children of
the Mist. The place which they occupied well suited their name

and habits. It was a beetling crag, round which winded a very
narrow and broken footpath, commanded in various places by the

position which they held.
Ranald spoke anxiously and hastily to the children of his tribe,

and the men came one by one to shake hands with Dalgetty, while
the women, clamorous in their gratitude, pressed round to kiss

even the hem of his garment. "They plight their faith to you,"
said Ranald MacEagh, "for requital of the good deed you have done

to the tribe this day."
"Enough said, Ranald," answered the soldier, "enough said--tell

them I love not this shaking of hands--it confuses ranks and
degrees in military service; and as to kissing of gauntlets,

puldrons, and the like, I remember that the immortal Gustavus, as
he rode through the streets of Nuremberg, being thus worshipped

by the poulace (being doubtless far more worthy of it than a poor
though honourablecavalier like myself), did say unto them, in

the way of rebuke, 'If you idolize me thus like a god, who shall
assure you that the vengeance of Heaven will not soon prove me to

be a mortal?'--And so here, I suppose you intend to make a stand
against your followers, Ranald--VOTO A DIOS, as the Spaniard

says?--a very pretty position--as pretty a position for a small
peloton of men as I have seen in my service--no enemy can come

towards it by the road without being at the mercy of cannon and
musket.--But then, Ranald, my trusty comrade, you have no cannon,

I dare to aver, and I do not see that any of these fellows have
muskets either. So with what artillery you propose making good

the pass, before you come to hand blows, truly, Ranald, it
passeth my apprehension."

"With the weapons and with the courage of our fathers," said
MacEagh; and made the Captain observe, that the men of his party

were armed with bows and arrows.
"Bows and arrows!" exclaimed Dalgetty; "ha! ha! ha! have we

Robin Hood and Little John back again? Bows and arrows! why,
the sight has not been seen in civilized war for a hundred years.

Bows and arrows! and why not weavers' beams, as in the days of
Goliah? Ah! that Dugald Dalgetty, of Drumthwacket, should live

to see men fight with bows and arrows!--The immortal Gustavus
would never have believed it--nor Wallenstein--nor Butler--nor

old Tilly,--Well, Ranald, a cat can have but its claws--since
bows and arrows are the word, e'en let us make the best of it.

Only, as I do not understand the scope and range of such old-
fashioned artillery, you must make the best disposition you can

out of your own head for MY taking the command, whilk I would
have gladly done had you been to fight with any Christian

weapons, is out of the question, when you are to combat like
quivered Numidians. I will, however, play my part with my

pistols in the approaching melley, in respect my carabine
unhappily remains at Gustavus's saddle.--My service and thanks to

you," he continued, addressing a mountaineer who offered him a
bow; "Dugald Dalgetty may say of himself, as he learned at

Mareschal-College,
"Non eget Mauri jaculis, neque arcu,

Nec venenatis gravida sagittis,
Fusce, pharetra;

whilk is to say--"
Ranald MacEagh a second time imposed silence on the talkative

commander as before, by pulling his sleeve, and pointing down the
pass. The bay of the bloodhound was now approaching nearer and

nearer, and they could hear the voices of several persons who
accompanied the animal, and hallooed to each other as they

dispersed occasionally, either in the hurry of their advance, or
in order to search more accurately the thickets as they came

along. They were obviouslydrawing nearer and nearer every
moment. MacEagh, in the meantime, proposed to Captain Dalgetty

to disencumber himself of his armour, and gave him to understand
that the women should transport it to a place of safety.

"I crave your pardon, sir," said Dalgetty, "such is not the rule
of our foreign service in respect I remember the regiment of

Finland cuirassiers reprimanded, and their kettle-drums taken
from them, by the immortal Gustavus, because they had assumed the

permission to march without their corslets, and to leave them
with the baggage. Neither did they strike kettle-drums again at

the head of that famous regiment until they behaved themselves so
notably at the field of Leipsic; a lesson whilk is not to be

forgotten, any more than that exclamation of the immortal
Gustavus, 'Now shall I know if my officers love me, by their

putting on their armour; since, if my officers are slain, who
shall lead my soldiers into victory?' Nevertheless, friend

Ranald, this is without prejudice to my being rid of these
somewhat heavy boots, providing I can obtain any other

succedaneum; for I presume not to say that my bare soles are
fortified so as to endure the flints and thorns, as seems to be

the case with your followers."
To rid the Captain of his cumbrous greaves, and case his feet in

a pair of brogues made out of deerskin, which a Highlander
stripped off for his accommodation, was the work of a minute, and

Dalgetty found himself much lightened by the exchange. He was in
the act of recommending to Ranald MacEagh, to send two or three

of his followers a little lower to reconnoitre the pass, and, at
the same time, somewhat to extend his front, placing two detached

archers at each flank by way of posts of observation, when the
near cry of the hound apprised them that the pursuers were at the

bottom of the pass. All was then dead silence; for, loquacious
as he was on other occasions, Captain Dalgetty knew well the