ask her father to fetch it, unless it be too hot or too heavy." « But to be the daughter of a cattle-stealer,--a common thief!» «< Common thief!—No such thing; Donald Bean Lean never lifted less than a drove in his life." « Do you call him an uncommon thief, then?> «No-he that steals a cow from a poor widow, or a stirk from a cottar, is a thief; he that lifts a drove from a Sassenach laird is a gentleman-drover. And, besides, to take a tree from the forest, a salmon from the river, a deer from the hill, or a cow from a Lowland strath, is what no Highlander need ever think shame upon.» « But what can this end in, were he taken in such an appropriation?>> «To be sure he would die for the law, as many a pretty man has done before him.» «Die for the law ! » «Ay; that is, with the law, or by the law; be strapped up on the kind gallows of Crieff, where his father died, and his goodsire died, and where, I hope, he'll live to die himsel, if he's not shot, or slashed, in a creagh.» «You hope such a death for your friend, Evan?» And that do I e'en; would you have me wish him to die on a bundle of wet straw in yon den of his, like a mangy tyke?» << But what becomes of Alice, then?» Troth, if such an accident were to happen, as her father would not need her help any longer, I ken nought to hinder me to marry her mysel.>> " « Gallantly resolved,» said Edward; — « but, in the mean while, Evan, what has your fatherin-law (that shall be, if he have the good fortune to be hanged) done with the baron's cattle?» Oich,» answered Evan, they were all trudging before your lad and Allan Kennedy, before the sun blinked'over Ben-Lawers this morning; and they'll be in the pass of Bally-Brough by this time, in their way back to the parks of Tully-Veolan, all but two, that were unhappily slaughtered before I got last night to Uaimh an Ri.» « And where are we going, Evan, if I may be so bold as to ask?» said Waverley. << Where would ye be ganging, but to the laird's ain house of Glennaquoich? Ye would no think to be in his country without ganging to see him? It would be as much as a man's life's worth." «And are we far from Glennaquoich?»> «< But five bits of miles; and Vich Ian Vohr will meet us. » In about half an hour they reached the upper end of the lake, where, after landing Waverley, the two Highlanders drew the boat into a little creek among thick flags and reeds, where it lay perfectly concealed. The oars they put in another place of concealment, both for the use of Donald Bean Lean probably, when his occasions should next bring him to that place. The travellers pursued for some time a delightful opening into the hills down which a little brook found its way to the lake. When they had pursued their walk a short distance, Waverley renewed his questions about their host of the cavern. « Does he always reside in that cave?»> «Out no! it's past the skill of man to tell where he's to be found at a' times: there's not a dern nook, or cove, or corri, in the whole country, that he's not acquainted with.» << And do others beside your master shelter him?» « My master?-My master is in Heaven,» answered Evan, haughtily; and then immediately assuming his usual civility of manner, <«<but you mean my chief; no, he does not shelter Donald Bean Lean, nor any that are like him; he only allows him (with a smile) wood and water. >> << No great boon, I should think, Evan, when both seem to be very plenty."> << Ah! but ye dinna see through it. When I say wood and water, I mean the loch and the land; and I fancy Donald would be put till't if the laird were to look for him wi' threescore men in the wood of Kailychat yonder; and if our boats, with a score or two more, were to come down the loch to Uaimh an Ri, headed by mysel, or ony other pretty man.» « But suppose a strong party came against him from the low country, would not your chief defend him?» " Na, he would not ware the spark of a flint for him if they came with the law.» " And what must Donald do, then?» « He behoved to rid this country of himsel, and fall back, it may be, over the mount upon Letter-Scriven.»> « And if he were pursued to that place?» «<I'se warrant he would go to his cousin's at Rannoch.>> Well, but if they followed him to Rannoch? » That,» quoth Evan, « is beyond all belief; and, indeed, to tell you the truth, there durst not a Lowlander in all Scotland follow the fray a gun-shot beyond Bally-Brough, unless he had the help of the Sidier Dhu.» « Whom do you call so?» « The Sidier Dhu? the black soldier; that is what they called the independent companies that were raised to keep peace and law in the Highlands. Vich Ian Vohr commanded one of them for five years, and I was a serjeant mysel, I shall warrant ye. They call them. Sidier Dhu because they wear the tartans, as they call your men,-King George's men -Sidier Roy, or red soldiers.» Well, but when you were in King George's pay, Evan, you were surely King George's soldiers?» Troth, and you must ask Vich Ian Vohr about that; for we are for his king, and care not much which o' them it is. At any rate, nobody can say we are King George's men now, when we have not seen his pay this twelvemonth.>> This last argument admitted of no reply, nor did Edward attempt any he rather chose to bring back the discourse to Donald Bean Lean. « Does Donald confine himself to cattle, or does you call it, any thing else that comes he lift, as Troth he's nae nice body, and he'll just tak ony thing, but most readily cattle, horse, or live Christians; for sheep are slow of travel, and inside plenishing is cumberous to carry, and not easy to put away for silver in this country.» Y < But does he carry off men and women?»> Out ay. Did not ye hear him speak o' the Perth baillie? It cost him five hundred marks ere he got to the south o' Bally-Brough.And ance Donald played a pretty sport. There was to be a blythe bridal between the Lady Cramfeezer, in the howe o' the Mearns (she was the auld laird's widow, and no sae young as she had been hersel), and young Gilliewhackit, |