Patsy

a wind-blown cloud crossing a mountain-side, and on the sands, with none but Jean Garland to see, Patsy could fleet it a

ir ears in hopes of a chase, but the next moment, their keen senses telling them that it was only Patsy running ove

ndinavian blood, half the distance to Saythe Point and then passing her, as an arrow may miss and pass one who flees. Now she moved like a leaf blown by the hurricane. Her white feet in their sandals of yellow leather of Corinth hardly seemed to

n the perilous goat-track which led down to the bothy itself. Diarmid scanned the distance wi

himself, "she can run through deep heathe

er foot light, and her eye sure. Besides, she could hear what was hidden and unheard at the stile on which Diarmid stood, the rock-rock of the

eather of her sandals pattered like rain on dry leaves on the narrow, twisted sheep-tracks, then mounted springily over the bulls'-fell of the knolls of stunted heather, a

press-gang is landing at this moment at the Abbey Burnfoot to cut you off. Eben McClure

ho was always the boldest in speech a

ast trouble about me, Stair Garland. I

peak with the officers who were at the head of it. Perhaps they had their side to it also, which would be worth the finding out. And the spy-she had never seen a spy, a marker-d

ghter of a magistrate and a laird, nothing serious would happen t

thing cove for nothing?" she said. "Save yo

air wore a scowl on his handsome face as he slung his gun over hi

et out of sight. Keep yourselves safe. That is t

nezer McClure, came upon a picture framed in the doorway of the Bothy of Blairmore. Patsy had spread Jean Garland's scarlet sash to its broadest, and so had been able to let down

i-occasional visits, from one or other of their sisters. What they wanted at the time they took out and washed in the pleasant tumble o

This was not at all what they had come out to find, nor what their men had

ow with curly black hair plastered about his brow and tied in a greasy fall of ringlets on his shoulders, frowned and growled. He had understood at once

icer, bowing to Patsy, "where the young men Garland are to be found? We

I have never seen a 'press' before. Where are your handcuffs? Which of y

e," said Captain Laurence, who had grown hot

enant Everard of the Britomart, with a sneer. "I have

of dragoons. "All the same I must ask you t

ass, rubbing it, and holding it up to the light. "You are trespassing on

your fathe

a right to ask you f

ughed and glanc

agoon; "you observe that

er hand and shaking it contemptuously at them. "Special duty, indeed, that me

ould rather be fighting the foes of my king and country, but as to that I am not consulted.

men like criminals was not the best

ent fingers that fiddled endlessly with the tassel of his sword-hilt. "We will not be put off longer. The men are escaping all the time while you ar

t your service or not, I cannot tell. As for me, if you are the gallant gentlemen you look, you will

ated Eben McClure, the superintendent of recrui

o the devil. I command here. Miss Ferris, I beg your

s with a clash of their iron handles and with the easiest swagger in the world took the direction of the spring, his spurs jingling as he went. A sailor on guard behind the rock would have aided him to fill them, but he tol

ut she went to the door and showed Captain Laurence the way over the ridges to the house of Cairn Ferris. "My father is likely to be

aptain Laurence, "yo

n Wemyss of Auchenyards and Wellwood-and

ntance of your uncle; his family (and that

ey would-but as they growled and cursed behind him, Eben McClure suddenly remembered that Julian Wemyss and my Lord Erskine were first cousins, and that so long as the government remained in office, it would be advisable

en who had not spoken would certainly leave some hidden spy to watch whe

had left home, and which she had shed, as it were providentially, to be able to run the bet

like it-when Jean arrived, full of wonder and joy. She carrie

" she said, "you will ne

ightly about the small head, the pale blue linen gown girt with the sash of scarlet silk, and

epeated, "that you can't go

to the kirk on Sabbath dressed as you would have m

se nobody would be able to attend

e the lads g

s time. At least Fergus and Agnew are. Stair I met on my way here. He was lurking in a moss

never was in the least danger, and there is no doubt but that t

ake orders from no one, except in matters of the farm. He is a good boy, and has great influence among the young fellows, for he will stick at nothing. But he is easil

Louis Raincy would have to say to this constant watchfulness, and how she herself would like it when next Louis and she

n lost, the women of the Picts would keep theirs and whistle men to heel, as sheep-dogs follow their masters. Uncle

, even when he appeared most serious, that y

t Patsy, but, after all, just because Un

hour later, "has aided the escape of three young men, a

isitors. The hall, oak-beamed and still lighted mainly by tall, narrow windows, originally slotted for a

se members had been cattle-lifti

t laws?" deman

tenants," said the officer; "and as for the

Your uniform misled me. From your dr

ndignantly; "of His Majesty's ship Britom

ely, as one who receiv

bourhood. I cannot imagine that they have anything more to do with the traffic of which you speak than I myself. But if they have b

he Lieutenant. "I am in comm

Adam Ferris's face

ubject to the press-gang. There are no sai

sir," interpolated Eben McClure; "he has a rig

th fife and drum-yes! But not all over my

ermission from Earl

" quoth Adam Ferris; "but, by the way, where

at last, "but having discovered some fancied kinship with your brother's family, h

or the cavalry. His cousin, the Secreta

ey fell foul one of the other, the officer with his exercised sea-tongue having much the better of the word-strife. But

simply turned in his tracks and went back to that b

t of Enlistments, who had a bounty upon every pressed ma

ve lost our men, and we are li

t turned angr

ficers must be treated like huckstering excisemen by every dirty Scot who owns as much ground as a cow can turn roun

to come across!" insinuated th

d hotly upon

witted by half-clad minxes? You are a spy, and no fit company for gentlemen. I tell you so much to your face. But when you are in your o

owed fast in the direction of that ship, because the men kn