zeal.  Others puffed and strutted, filled with the importance of carrying arms, and all the novelty of their situation, while the rest, apparently fatigued with their march, dragged their limbs listlessly along, or straggled from their companions to procure such refreshments as the neighbouring cottages and ale-houses afforded.—­Six grenadiers of Ligonier’s, thought the Major to himself, as his mind reverted to his own military experience, would have sent all these fellows to the right about.

Greeting, however, Mr. Gilfillan civilly, he requested to know if he had received the letter he had sent to him upon his march, and could undertake the charge of the state prisoner whom he there mentioned, as far as Stirling Castle.  ‘Yea,’ was the concise reply of the Cameronian leader, in a voice which seemed to issue from the very penetralia of his person.

‘But your escort, Mr. Gilfillan, is not so strong as I expected,’ said Major Melville,

‘Some of the people,’ replied Gilfillan, ’hungered and were athirst by the way, and tarried until their poor souls were refreshed with the word.’

‘I am sorry, sir,’ replied the Major, ’you did not trust to your refreshing your men at Cairnvreckan; whatever my house contains is at the command of persons employed in the service.’

‘It was not of creature comforts I spake,’ answered the Covenanter, regarding Major Melville with something like a smile of contempt; ’howbeit, I thank you; but the people remained waiting upon the precious Mr. Jabesh Rentowel, for the outpouring of the afternoon exhortation.’

‘And have you, sir,’ said the Major, ’when the rebels are about to spread themselves through this country, actually left a great part of your command at a field-preaching!’

Gilfillan again smiled scornfully as he made this indirect answer,—­’Even thus are the children of this world wiser in their generation than the children of light!’

‘However, sir,’ said the Major, ’as you are to take charge of this gentleman to Stirling, and deliver him, with these papers, into the hands of Governor Blakeney, I beseech you to observe some rules of military discipline upon your march.  For example, I would advise you to keep your men more closely together, and that each, in his march, should cover his file-leader, instead of straggling like geese upon a common; and, for fear of surprise, I further recommend to you to form a small advance-party of your best men, with a single vidette in front of the whole march, so that when you approach a village or a wood’—­(Here the Major interrupted himself)—­’But as I don’t observe you listen to me, Mr. Gilfillan, I suppose I need not give myself the trouble to say more upon the subject.  You are a better judge, unquestionably, than I am, of the measures to be pursued; but one thing I would have you well aware of, that you are to treat this gentleman, your prisoner, with no rigour nor incivility, and are to subject him to no other restraint than is necessary for his security.’