Bonnie Prince Charlie

n France, and that in his absence she often let lodgings to strangers. That two days before, a man whom she knew not came and hired a

ew his sword and ordered her to come up stairs with him. That he then made her assist him to pull up a plank, and thrust it from the attic to the

when we came in?" Mr. M'Whirtle asked sternly.

he law and Scripture. I was frighted enough before, and I just put my apron over my head and sat down till the hubbub was over. A

ightened almost out of her senses, and the magistrate at last ordered her to return to

n old acquaintance who had left him to his care. The open announcement of Ronald that he was the son of one of the leaders in the last rebellion, coming just as it did when the air was thick with rumours of anothe

mply because he sees two men near the house. He must somehow have known that man was there, and went to give him warning. Now I think of it, he passed through the shop when Peter M'Whirtle was talking to me about it, though, indeed, he did not know then where the loon was

, but she was too much bewildered and horrifi

his head, Andrew?

don't fret over it, Janet. I will do all I can for him. And in truth I think Malcolm is more to blame than he is; and we have been t

ndrew? We cannot let the p

treason--aiding and abetting the king's enemies, and the rest of it. If it were in the old times they would put the thumb screws on him to find out all he knew about it, for they will never believe he risked his life in the plot; and the fact that his f

was altogether too serious to be disposed of by them, being of the nature of high treason, and that nothing could be done until instructions were received from London. N

ncashire, and there was a serious quarrel between h

into mischief, Malcolm, but that yo

your son, and I thank you with all my heart for your kindness to him; but I could not forget Leslie of Glenlyon, and I do not blame myself that I have kept the same alive

e's no fear of that. You will never have to render that account, for there's no more chance of your ever hearing more of him than there is of my

o I deny what you have said about myself; it's true enough, and you might say worse things against me without my qua

our supper with us," Andrew said,

ugh I know in her heart she disapproves of me altogether; but after this scrape into which I have go

e to the establishment o

n the stocks as a vagabond; but I snapped my fingers in their faces, saying I earned my money as honestly as they did, and that I concern myself in no way in politics, but teach English officers and the sons of Glasgow tradesmen as well as those of Highland

I can guess. I know, of course, his heart is with the king over the wate

hat his capture was considered a very important one, and that the justices here expected to have gained no smal

t be trusted in such a business. It can hardly be that they would have confided any secrets to him; still, the fact that he was in the house with the man they

ou think of do

old comrades here in Glasgow, and I doubt not that they will all strike a blow

matter. The doors are strong, and you would have the soldiers, to say nough

ill be sending him south for the king's ministers to get out of him what he knows about the Jacobite plot and the names of all concerned, and it's upon the

at if the lad knows aught there will be plenty whose interest it is to get him out

for years in an English prison if we do not get him out of their hands before he gets there. At any rate what we have got to do now is to mark every ship in the port sailing for London, and to find out whether passages are taken for a prisoner a

d in failure and ruin to all concerned. Although his belief in Ronald's truthfulness was great he could not credit that the story which he had told contained all the facts of the matter. To the bailie it seemed incredible that merely from an abstract feeling in favour of the Stuarts Ron

thumb screws and the rack, but there are other ways of making a prisoner speak, and it would be far better for you to make a clean breast of it at once. Janet is grieving fo

my aunt"--for Ronald had from the first been taught to address the bailie and his wife as if Malcolm Anderson had been his real father;

e all that you are like to have; but I fear that there is little chance of that. They are sure to send for you to London, and whether you will ever come back alive the gude Lord only knows. We know

?" Ronald asked, to ch

the meeting was not altogether

relled with him on my acc

him my opinion as to his learning you to take such courses, but we parted f

the interview, here notified

take you south. I would that I could do more

ape and must take the consequences; but if I were

ound in it a small pellet of paper, and on opening it read the words: "Keep

owing how strong was the prison, he had little hopes that Malcolm would

odbye, telling him that orders had been received f

en Malcolm before I went,

ance of your seeing him. I myself had difficulty in getting leave to see you, though a bailie and known to be a loyal citizen. But Malcolm knows that there would be no chance of one

watch on him or not," Ronald said. "Will you tell

ve given you no mes

ght comes of it or not I thank him, and for all

t the conduct of the city authorities in the matter. Greatly mortified at the upshot of an affair from which they had hoped to obtain much credit from government, and believing it certain that there were many greatly interested in getting Ronald out of the hands of his captors, the authorities took every precaution to prevent it. H

had entertained that Malcolm might, as the message hinted, make an attempt at rescue were blighted. The vessel dropped down with

it got nearer two men were seen to be rowing, and two others seated in the stern; but as the craft was a large one

ou do we fire, and as I don't want to shed your bl

who with levelled muskets ranged themselves alon

h shooting? What are you and your sixteen armed men doing on board? Are you expecting a French fleet off the coast? And do you

ugh which he could have squeezed himself he would long before have jumped overboard and tried to make his escape by swimming under cover of the darkness. He now strove to force the door open, for he recognized Malcolm's voice, and doubted not

wly, for the wind was but just filling her sails, the vessel dr

ond the mouth of the river that the boat was pulled up alongside, and the guard,

oyage. The man who was in charge of the guard had at first wished to place some restriction on his going about on board as he chose; but the crew sided with the young prisoner, and threw such ridicule on the idea that four warders and a hea

and held the staircase against us all while a noted traitor made his escape, and that he ran one of us through the shoulder, and they only shouted with laughter, and said he was a brave young cock. Like as not, if they had a chance, these men would aid him to escape, and then w

Ronald's door at night, thereby defeating a plan which the sailors had formed of lowering

ntered the mouth of the Thames. By this time Ronald's boyish spirits had allayed all suspicion on the part of his guards. He joked with the sailors, climbed about the rigging like a cat, and was so li

pure love of adventure. He will have many a weary month to pass in prison before they free him, I reckon. It goes against my heart to hand over such a mere laddie as a pris

eck not far from Ronald, who was standing on the taffrail. As the boat passed some twenty yards astern of the ship the man who was not rowing turned round for a moment and looked up at Ronald. It was but a momentary glance that the lad caught of his face, and he suppressed with difficult

the intention of examining every ship as she passed up until the one in which he knew he had sailed made its appearance. What his next step

he anchor was weighed. There was a light breeze which just sufficed to give the vessel steerage way, and a mist hung on the water. R

congratulating himself that he should just reach a berth opposite the Tower before it turned. Presently a boat with two rowers shot out

without a moment's hesitati

The ball struck the boat close to Ronald. It was already in motion; the men bent to their oars, and the boat glided towards the Surrey side of the river. Loud shouts arose from on board the vessel, and fo

rowers, and then sprang ashore with Ronald, and handed the latter a long coat which

before they can lower a boat and get here we shall be safe in shelter, an

on, Malcolm proceeded along several streets and lanes

he people of the house that I am expecting a n

e shop he said to the w

I was nor so very far wrong in my calculations. The young scamp has had en

away two years ago, and I hope he will have co

ir room up stairs Malcolm thre

d you were caught, and thought that if ill came to you it would be all my fault. And now tell me how you got into this scrape

ture, and said that even now he was absolutely ig

their hands too!" and Malcolm broke into a loud laugh. "I would give a month's earnings to see the faces of the guard as they make their report that they have arrived empty handed

as a good guard kept over me. The door was locked and a sentry always on watch, and I had quite given up

ll the northern routes will be watched. No, I shall make a bargain with some Du

ou got mone

for you, but that he was to ask no questions, so that whatever came of i

ur teaching, see that you do him no further harm. I guess you are be