After journeying a considerable time in silence, he could not help asking, ‘Was it far to the end of their journey?’

’Ta cove was tree, four mile; but as Duinhe-wassel was a wee taiglit, Donald could, tat is, might—­would—­should send ta curragh.’

This conveyed no information.  The curragh which was promised might be a man, a horse, a cart, or chaise; and no more could be got from the man with the battle-axe, but a repetition of ‘Aich ay! ta curragh.’

But in a short time Edward began to conceive his meaning, when, issuing from the wood, he found himself on the banks of a large river or lake, where his conductor gave him to understand they must sit down for a little while.  The moon, which now began to rise, showed obscurely the expanse of water which spread before them, and the shapeless and indistinct forms of mountains with which it seemed to be surrounded.  The cool and yet mild air of the summer night refreshed Waverley after his rapid and toilsome walk; and the perfume which it wafted from the birch-trees, bathed in the evening dew, was exquisitely fragrant. [It is not the weeping birch, the most common species in the Highlands, but the woolly-leaved Lowland birch, that is distinguished by this fragrance.]

He had now time to give himself up to the full romance of his situation.  Here he saw on the banks of an unknown lake, under the guidance of a wild native, whose language was unknown to him, on a visit to the den of some renowned outlaw, a second Robin Hood, perhaps, or Adam o’ Gordon, and that at deep midnight, through scenes of difficulty and toil, separated from his attendant, left by his guide.—­What a variety of incidents for the exercise of a romantic imagination, and all enhanced by the solemn feeling of uncertainty, at least, if not of danger!  The only circumstance which assorted ill with the rest, was the cause of his journey—­the Baron’s milk-cows!  This degrading incident he kept in the background.

While wrapped in these dreams of imagination, his companion gently touched him, and pointing in a direction nearly straight across the lake, said ‘Yon’s ta cove.’  A small point of light was seen to twinkle in the direction in which he pointed, and gradually increasing in size and lustre, seemed to flicker like a meteor upon the verge of the horizon.  While Edward watched this phenomenon, the distant dash of oars was heard.  The measured sound approached near and more near, and presently a loud whistle was heard in the same direction.  His friend with the battle-axe immediately whistled clear and shrill, in reply to the signal, and a boat, manned with four or five Highlanders, pushed for a little inlet, near which Edward was sitting.  He advanced to meet them with his attendant, was immediately assisted into the boat by the officious attention of two stout mountaineers, and had no sooner seated himself than they resumed their oars, and began to row across the lake with great rapidity.