The travellers followed for some time a delightful opening into the hills, down which a little brook found its way to the lake.When they had pursued their walk a short distance, Waverley renewed his questions about their host of the cavern.
``Does he always reside in that cave?''
``Out, no! it's past the skill of man to tell where he's to be found at a' times; there's not a dern, nook, or cove, or corri, in the whole country, that he's not acquainted with.''
``And do others beside your master shelter him?''
``My master?---_My_ master is in heaven,'' answered Evan haughtily; and then immediately assuming his usual civility of manner---``But you mean my Chief;---no, he does not shelter Donald Bean Lean, nor any that are like him; he only allows him (with a smile) wood and water.''
``No great boon, I should think, Evan, when both seem to be very plenty.''
``Ah! but ye dinna see through it.When I say wood and water, I mean the loch and the land; and I fancy Donald would be put till't if the laird were to look for him wi' threescore men in the wood of Kailychat yonder; and if our boats, with a score or twa mair, were to come down the loch to Uaimh an Ri, headed by mysell, or ony other pretty man.''
``But suppose a strong party came against him from the Low Country, would not your Chief defend him?''
``Na, he would not ware the spark of a flint for him---if they came with the law.''
``And what must Donald do, then?''
``He behoved to rid this country of himself, and fall back, it may be, over the mount upon Letter Scriven.''
``And if he were pursued to that place?''
``I'se warrant he would go to his cousin's at Rannoch.''
``Well, but if they followed him to Rannoch?''
``That,'' quoth Evan, ``is beyond all belief; and, indeed, to tell you the truth, there durst not a Lowlander in all Scotland follow the fray a gun-shot beyond Bally-Brough, unless he had the help of the _Sidier Dhu._''
``Whom do you call so?''
``The _Sidier Dhu?_ the black soldier; that is what they call the independent companies that were raised to keep peace and law in the Highlands.Vich Ian Vohr commanded one of them for five years, and I was sergeant myself, I shall warrant ye.They call them _Sidier Dhu,_ because they wear the tartans ---as they call your men, King George's men, _Sidier Roy,_ or red soldiers.''
``Well, but when you were in King George's pay, Evan, you were surely King George's soldiers?''
``Troth, and you must ask Vich Ian Vohr about that; for we are for his king, and care not much which of them it is.
At anyrate, nobody can say we are King George's men now, when we have not seen his pay this twelvemonth.''
This last argument admitted of no reply, nor did Edward attempt any; he rather chose to bring back the discourse to Donald Bean Lean.``Does Donald confine himself to cattle, or does he _lift,_ as you call it, anything else that comes in his way ?''
``Troth, he's nae nice body, and he'll just tak' onything, but most readily cattle, horse, or live Christians; for sheep are slow of travel, and inside plenishing is cumbrous to carry, and not easy to put away for siller in this country.''
``But does he carry off men and women?''
``Out, ay.Did not ye hear him speak o' the Perth bailie?
It cost that body five hundred merks ere he got to the south of Bally-Brough.And ance Donald played a pretty sport.<*> There * Note I.Caterans.<! p130>
was to be a blythe bridal between the Lady Cramfeezer, in the howe o' the Mearns (she was the auld laird's widow, and no sae young as she had been herself), and young Gilliewhackit, who had spent his heirship and moveables, like a gentleman, at cock-matches, bull-baitings, horse-races, and the like.Now, Donald Bean Lean being aware that the bridegroom was in request, and wanting to cleik the cunzie (that is, to hook the siller), he cannily carried off Gilliewhackit ae night when he was riding _dovering_ hame (wi' the malt rather abune the meal), and with the help of his gillies he gat him into the hills with the speed of light, and the first place he wakened in was the cove of Uaimh an Ri.So there was old to do about ransoming the bridegroom; for Donald would not lower a farthing of a thousand punds''------``The devil!''