At that word, they came all in upon me like a flight of birds upon a carrion, seized me, took my sword, and all the money from my pockets, bound me hand and foot with some strong line, and cast me on a tussock of bent.  There they sat about their captive in a part of a circle and gazed upon him silently like something dangerous, perhaps a lion or a tiger on the spring.  Presently this attention was relaxed.  They drew nearer together, fell to speech in the Gaelic, and very cynically divided my property before my eyes.  It was my diversion in this time that I could watch from my place the progress of my friend’s escape.  I saw the boat come to the brig and be hoisted in, the sails fill, and the ship pass out seaward behind the isles and by North Berwick.

In the course of two hours or so, more and more ragged Highlandmen kept collecting, Neil among the first, until the party must have numbered near a score.  With each new arrival there was a fresh bout of talk, that sounded like complaints and explanations; but I observed one thing, none of those that came late had any share in the division of my spoils.  The last discussion was very violent and eager, so that once I thought they would have quarrelled; on the heels of which their company parted, the bulk of them returning westward in a troop, and only three, Neil and two others, remaining sentries on the prisoner.

“I could name one who would be very ill pleased with your day’s work, Neil Duncanson,” said I, when the rest had moved away.

He assured me in answer I should be tenderly used, for he knew he was “acquent wi’ the leddy.”

This was all our talk, nor did any other son of man appear upon that portion of the coast until the sun had gone down among the Highland mountains, and the gloaming was beginning to grow dark.  At which hour I was aware of a long, lean, bony-like Lothian man of a very swarthy countenance, that came towards us among the bents on a farm horse.

“Lads,” cried he, “hae ye a paper like this?” and held up one in his hand.  Neil produced a second, which the new comer studied through a pair of horn spectacles, and saying all was right and we were the folk he was seeking, immediately dismounted.  I was then set in his place, my feet tied under the horse’s belly, and we set forth under the guidance of the Lowlander.  His path must have been very well chosen, for we met but one pair—­a pair of lovers—­the whole way, and these, perhaps taking us to be free-traders, fled on our approach.  We were at one time close at the foot of Berwick Law on the south side; at another, as we passed over some open hills, I spied the lights of a clachan and the old tower of a church among some trees not far off, but too far to cry for help, if I had dreamed of it.  At last we came again within sound of the sea.  There was moonlight, though not much; and by this I could see the three huge towers and broken battlements of Tantallon, that old chief