Archie left his party in the forest under the command of William Orr.  He dressed himself as a mountaineer, and, accompanied by Cluny Campbell, and carrying a buck which they had shot in the forest, went boldly down into the village.  He soon got into conversation with an old fisherman, and offered to exchange the deer for dried fish.  The bargain was quickly struck, and then Archie said: 

“I have never been out on the lake, and would fain have a view of the convent from the water.  Will you take me and my brother out for a row?”

The fisherman, who had made a good bargain, at once assented, and rowed Archie and Cluny far out into the lake.

As they passed along at some distance Archie saw that the shore was in several places smooth and shelving, and that there would be no difficulty in effecting a landing.  He saw also that there were many clumps of trees and shrubs in the garden.

“And do the nuns and the ladies at the convent often walk there?” he asked the fisherman.

“Oh yes,” he answered; “of an evening as I come back from fishing I can see numbers of them walking there.  When the vesper bell rings they all go in.  That is the chapel adjoining the convent on this side.”

“It is a strong building,” Archie said as when past the end of the promontory they obtained a full view of it.  “It is more like a castle than a convent.”

“It had need be strong,” the old man said; “for some of the richest heiresses in Scotland are shut up there.  On the land side I believe there are no windows on the lower storey, and the door is said to be of solid iron.  The windows on that side are all strongly barred; and he would have hard work, indeed, who wanted by force or stratagem to steal one of the pretty birds out of that cage.”

Archie had no idea of using force; and although he had been to some extent concerned in the breach of sanctuary at Dumfries, he would have shrunk from the idea of violating the sanctuary of St. Kenneth.  But to his mind there was no breach whatever of that sanctuary in aiding one kept there against her will to make her escape.  Having ascertained all that he wished to know, he bade the boatman return to shore.

“Keep a lookout for me,” he said, “for I may return in a few days with another buck, and may bring a comrade or two with me who would like an afternoon’s fishing on the lake.  I suppose you could lend me your boat and nets?”

“Assuredly,” the fisherman replied.  “You will not mind taking into consideration the hire of the boat in agreeing for the weight of fish to be given for the stag?”

Archie nodded, secretly amused at the old man’s covetousness, for he knew that the weight of fish he had given him for the stag which he had brought down was not one fourth the value of the meat.