CHAPTER XXVI

END OF THE FLIGHT: WE PASS THE FORTH

The month, as I have said, was not yet out, but it was already far
through August, and beautiful warm weather, with every sign of an early
and great harvest, when I was pronounced able for my journey. Our money
was now run to so low an ebb that we must think first of all on speed;
for if we came not soon to Mr. Rankeillor’s, or if when we came there he
should fail to help me, we must surely starve. In Alan’s view, besides,
the hunt must have now greatly slackened; and the line of the Forth and
even Stirling Bridge, which is the main pass over that river, would be
watched with little interest.

“It’s a chief principle in military affairs,” said he, “to go where
ye are least expected. Forth is our trouble; ye ken the saying, ‘Forth
bridles the wild Hielandman.’ Well, if we seek to creep round about
the head of that river and come down by Kippen or Balfron, it’s just
precisely there that they’ll be looking to lay hands on us. But if we
stave on straight to the auld Brig of Stirling, I’ll lay my sword they
let us pass unchallenged.”

The first night, accordingly, we pushed to the house of a Maclaren in
Strathire, a friend of Duncan’s, where we slept the twenty-first of the
month, and whence we set forth again about the fall of night to make
another easy stage. The twenty-second we lay in a heather bush on the
hillside in Uam Var, within view of a herd of deer, the happiest ten
hours of sleep in a fine, breathing sunshine and on bone-dry ground,
that I have ever tasted. That night we struck Allan Water, and followed
it down; and coming to the edge of the hills saw the whole Carse of
Stirling underfoot, as flat as a pancake, with the town and castle on a
hill in the midst of it, and the moon shining on the Links of Forth.

“Now,” said Alan, “I kenna if ye care, but ye’re in your own land again.
We passed the Hieland Line in the first hour; and now if we could but
pass yon crooked water, we might cast our bonnets in the air.”

In Allan Water, near by where it falls into the Forth, we found a little
sandy islet, overgrown with burdock, butterbur and the like low plants,
that would just cover us if we lay flat. Here it was we made our camp,
within plain view of Stirling Castle, whence we could hear the drums
beat as some part of the garrison paraded. Shearers worked all day in
a field on one side of the river, and we could hear the stones going
on the hooks and the voices and even the words of the men talking. It
behoved to lie close and keep silent. But the sand of the little isle
was sun-warm, the green plants gave us shelter for our heads, we had
food and drink in plenty; and to crown all, we were within sight of
safety.

As soon as the shearers quit their work and the dusk began to fall,
we waded ashore and struck for the Bridge of Stirling, keeping to the
fields and under the field fences.

The bridge is close under the castle hill, an old, high, narrow bridge
with pinnacles along the parapet; and you may conceive with how much
interest I looked upon it, not only as a place famous in history, but as
the very doors of salvation to Alan and myself. The moon was not yet up
when we came there; a few lights shone along the front of the fortress,
and lower down a few lighted windows in the town; but it was all mighty
still, and there seemed to be no guard upon the passage.

I was for pushing straight across; but Alan was more wary.

“It looks unco’ quiet,” said he; “but for all that we’ll lie down here
cannily behind a dyke, and make sure.”

So we lay for about a quarter of an hour, whiles whispering, whiles
lying still and hearing nothing earthly but the washing of the water on
the piers. At last there came by an old, hobbling woman with a crutch
stick; who first stopped a little, close to where we lay, and bemoaned
herself and the long way she had travelled; and then set forth again up
the steep spring of the bridge. The woman was so little, and the night
still so dark, that we soon lost sight of her; only heard the sound of
her steps, and her stick, and a cough that she had by fits, draw slowly
farther away.

“She’s bound to be across now,” I whispered.

“Na,” said Alan, “her foot still sounds boss[32] upon the bridge.”

[32] Hollow.

And just then--“Who goes?” cried a voice, and we heard the butt of
a musket rattle on the stones. I must suppose the sentry had been
sleeping, so that had we tried, we might have passed unseen; but he was
awake now, and the chance forfeited.

“This’ll never do,” said Alan. “This’ll never, never do for us, David.”

And without another word, he began to crawl away through the fields; and
a little after, being well out of eye-shot, got to his feet again, and
struck along a road that led to the eastward. I could not conceive what
he was doing; and indeed I was so sharply cut by the disappointment,
that I was little likely to be pleased with anything. A moment back
and I had seen myself knocking at Mr. Rankeillor’s door to claim my
inheritance, like a hero in a ballad; and here was I back again, a
wandering, hunted blackguard, on the wrong side of Forth.

“Well?” said I.

“Well,” said Alan, “what would ye have? They’re none such fools as I
took them for. We have still the Forth to pass, Davie--weary fall the
rains that fed and the hillsides that guided it!”

“And why go east?” said I.

“Ou, just upon the chance!” said he. “If we cannae pass the river, we’ll
have to see what we can do for the firth.”

“There are fords upon the river, and none upon the firth,” said I.

“To be sure there are fords, and a bridge forbye,” quoth Alan; “and of
what service, when they are watched?”

“Well,” said I, “but a river can be swum.”

“By them that have the skill of it,” returned he; “but I have yet to
hear that either you or me is much of a hand at that exercise; and for
my own part, I swim like a stone.”

“I’m not up to you in talking back, Alan,” I said; “but I can see we’re
making bad worse. If it’s hard to pass a river, it stands to reason it
must be worse to pass a sea.”

“But there’s such a thing as a boat,” says Alan, “or I’m the more
deceived.”

“Ay, and such a thing as money,” says I. “But for us that have neither
one nor other, they might just as well not have been invented.”

“Ye think so?” said Alan.

“I do that,” said I.

“David,” says he, “ye’re a man of small invention and less faith. But
let me set my wits upon the hone, and if I cannae beg, borrow, nor yet
steal a boat, I’ll make one!”

“I think I see ye!” said I. “And what’s more than all that: if ye pass a
bridge, it can tell no tales; but if we pass the firth, there’s the boat
on the wrong side--somebody must have brought it--the country-side will
all be in a bizz---”

“Man!” cried Alan, “if I make a boat, I’ll make a body to take it back
again! So deave me with no more of your nonsense, but walk (for that’s
what you’ve got to do)--and let Alan think for ye.”

All night, then, we walked through the north side of the Carse under
the high line of the Ochil mountains; and by Alloa and Clackmannan and
Culross, all of which we avoided: and about ten in the morning, mighty
hungry and tired, came to the little clachan of Limekilns. This is a
place that sits near in by the water-side, and looks across the Hope to
the town of the Queensferry. Smoke went up from both of these, and from
other villages and farms upon all hands. The fields were being reaped;
two ships lay anchored, and boats were coming and going on the Hope.
It was altogether a right pleasant sight to me; and I could not take
my fill of gazing at these comfortable, green, cultivated hills and the
busy people both of the field and sea.

For all that, there was Mr. Rankeillor’s house on the south shore, where
I had no doubt wealth awaited me; and here was I upon the north, clad in
poor enough attire of an outlandish fashion, with three silver shillings
left to me of all my fortune, a price set upon my head, and an outlawed
man for my sole company.

“O, Alan!” said I, “to think of it! Over there, there’s all that heart
could want waiting me; and the birds go over, and the boats go over--all
that please can go, but just me only! O, man, but it’s a heart-break!”

In Limekilns we entered a small change-house, which we only knew to be a
public by the wand over the door, and bought some bread and cheese from
a good-looking lass that was the servant. This we carried with us in a
bundle, meaning to sit and eat it in a bush of wood on the sea-shore,
that we saw some third part of a mile in front. As we went, I kept
looking across the water and sighing to myself; and though I took no
heed of it, Alan had fallen into a muse. At last he stopped in the way.

“Did ye take heed of the lass we bought this of?” says he, tapping on
the bread and cheese.

“To be sure,” said I, “and a bonny lass she was.”

“Ye thought that?” cries he. “Man, David, that’s good news.”

“In the name of all that’s wonderful, why so?” says I. “What good can
that do?”

“Well,” said Alan, with one of his droll looks, “I was rather in hopes
it would maybe get us that boat.”

“If it were the other way about, it would be liker it,” said I.

“That’s all that you ken, ye see,” said Alan. “I don’t want the lass to
fall in love with ye, I want her to be sorry for ye, David; to which end
there is no manner of need that she should take you for a beauty. Let me
see” (looking me curiously over). “I wish ye were a wee thing paler; but
apart from that ye’ll do fine for my purpose--ye have a fine, hang-dog,
rag-and-tatter, clappermaclaw kind of a look to ye, as if ye had
stolen the coat from a potato-bogle. Come; right about, and back to the
change-house for that boat of ours.”

I followed him, laughing.

“David Balfour,” said he, “ye’re a very funny gentleman by your way of
it, and this is a very funny employ for ye, no doubt. For all that, if
ye have any affection for my neck (to say nothing of your own) ye will
perhaps be kind enough to take this matter responsibly. I am going to
do a bit of play-acting, the bottom ground of which is just exactly as
serious as the gallows for the pair of us. So bear it, if ye please, in
mind, and conduct yourself according.”

“Well, well,” said I, “have it as you will.”

As we got near the clachan, he made me take his arm and hang upon it
like one almost helpless with weariness; and by the time he pushed
open the change-house door, he seemed to be half carrying me. The maid
appeared surprised (as well she might be) at our speedy return; but
Alan had no words to spare for her in explanation, helped me to a chair,
called for a tass of brandy with which he fed me in little sips,
and then breaking up the bread and cheese helped me to eat it like
a nursery-lass; the whole with that grave, concerned, affectionate
countenance, that might have imposed upon a judge. It was small wonder
if the maid were taken with the picture we presented, of a poor, sick,
overwrought lad and his most tender comrade. She drew quite near, and
stood leaning with her back on the next table.

“What’s like wrong with him?” said she at last.

Alan turned upon her, to my great wonder, with a kind of fury. “Wrong?”
cries he. “He’s walked more hundreds of miles than he has hairs upon his
chin, and slept oftener in wet heather than dry sheets. Wrong, quo’ she!
Wrong enough, I would think! Wrong, indeed!” and he kept grumbling to
himself as he fed me, like a man ill-pleased.

“He’s young for the like of that,” said the maid.

“Ower young,” said Alan, with his back to her.

“He would be better riding,” says she.

“And where could I get a horse to him?” cried Alan, turning on her with
the same appearance of fury. “Would ye have me steal?”

I thought this roughness would have sent her off in dudgeon, as indeed
it closed her mouth for the time. But my companion knew very well what
he was doing; and for as simple as he was in some things of life, had a
great fund of roguishness in such affairs as these.

“Ye neednae tell me,” she said at last--“ye’re gentry.”

“Well,” said Alan, softened a little (I believe against his will) by
this artless comment, “and suppose we were? Did ever you hear that
gentrice put money in folk’s pockets?”

She sighed at this, as if she were herself some disinherited great lady.
“No,” says she, “that’s true indeed.”

I was all this while chafing at the part I played, and sitting
tongue-tied between shame and merriment; but somehow at this I could
hold in no longer, and bade Alan let me be, for I was better already. My
voice stuck in my throat, for I ever hated to take part in lies; but my
very embarrassment helped on the plot, for the lass no doubt set down my
husky voice to sickness and fatigue.

“Has he nae friends?” said she, in a tearful voice.

“That has he so!” cried Alan, “if we could but win to them!--friends and
rich friends, beds to lie in, food to eat, doctors to see to him--and
here he must tramp in the dubs and sleep in the heather like a
beggarman.”

“And why that?” says the lass.

“My dear,” said Alan, “I cannae very safely say; but I’ll tell ye what
I’ll do instead,” says he, “I’ll whistle ye a bit tune.” And with that
he leaned pretty far over the table, and in a mere breath of a whistle,
but with a wonderful pretty sentiment, gave her a few bars of “Charlie
is my darling.”

“Wheesht,” says she, and looked over her shoulder to the door.

“That’s it,” said Alan.

“And him so young!” cries the lass.

“He’s old enough to----” and Alan struck his forefinger on the back part
of his neck, meaning that I was old enough to lose my head.

“It would be a black shame,” she cried, flushing high.

“It’s what will be, though,” said Alan, “unless we manage the better.”

At this the lass turned and ran out of that part of the house, leaving
us alone together. Alan in high good humour at the furthering of his
schemes, and I in bitter dudgeon at being called a Jacobite and treated
like a child.

“Alan,” I cried, “I can stand no more of this.”

“Ye’ll have to sit it then, Davie,” said he. “For if ye upset the pot
now, ye may scrape your own life out of the fire, but Alan Breck is a
dead man.”

This was so true that I could only groan; and even my groan served
Alan’s purpose, for it was overheard by the lass as she came flying in
again with a dish of white puddings and a bottle of strong ale.

“Poor lamb!” says she, and had no sooner set the meat before us, than
she touched me on the shoulder with a little friendly touch, as much as
to bid me cheer up. Then she told us to fall to, and there would be no
more to pay; for the inn was her own, or at least her father’s, and he
was gone for the day to Pittencrieff. We waited for no second bidding,
for bread and cheese is but cold comfort and the puddings smelt
excellently well; and while we sat and ate, she took up that same place
by the next table, looking on, and thinking, and frowning to herself,
and drawing the string of her apron through her hand.

“I’m thinking ye have rather a long tongue,” she said at last to Alan.

“Ay” said Alan; “but ye see I ken the folk I speak to.”

“I would never betray ye,” said she, “if ye mean that.”

“No,” said he, “ye’re not that kind. But I’ll tell ye what ye would do,
ye would help.”

“I couldnae,” said she, shaking her head. “Na, I couldnae.”

“No,” said he, “but if ye could?”

She answered him nothing.

“Look here, my lass,” said Alan, “there are boats in the Kingdom of
Fife, for I saw two (no less) upon the beach, as I came in by your
town’s end. Now if we could have the use of a boat to pass under cloud
of night into Lothian, and some secret, decent kind of a man to bring
that boat back again and keep his counsel, there would be two souls
saved--mine to all likelihood--his to a dead surety. If we lack that
boat, we have but three shillings left in this wide world; and where
to go, and how to do, and what other place there is for us except the
chains of a gibbet--I give you my naked word, I kenna! Shall we go
wanting, lassie? Are ye to lie in your warm bed and think upon us, when
the wind gowls in the chimney and the rain tirls on the roof? Are ye to
eat your meat by the cheeks of a red fire, and think upon this poor sick
lad of mine, biting his finger ends on a blae muir for cauld and hunger?
Sick or sound, he must aye be moving; with the death grapple at his
throat he must aye be trailing in the rain on the lang roads; and when
he gants his last on a rickle of cauld stanes, there will be nae friends
near him but only me and God.”

At this appeal, I could see the lass was in great trouble of mind,
being tempted to help us, and yet in some fear she might be helping
malefactors; and so now I determined to step in myself and to allay her
scruples with a portion of the truth.

“Did ever you hear,” said I, “of Mr. Rankeillor of the Ferry?”

“Rankeillor the writer?” said she. “I daur say that!”

“Well,” said I, “it’s to his door that I am bound, so you may judge by
that if I am an ill-doer; and I will tell you more, that though I am
indeed, by a dreadful error, in some peril of my life, King George has
no truer friend in all Scotland than myself.”

Her face cleared up mightily at this, although Alan’s darkened.

“That’s more than I would ask,” said she. “Mr. Rankeillor is a kennt
man.” And she bade us finish our meat, get clear of the clachan as soon
as might be, and lie close in the bit wood on the sea-beach. “And ye can
trust me,” says she, “I’ll find some means to put you over.”

At this we waited for no more, but shook hands with her upon the
bargain, made short work of the puddings, and set forth again from
Limekilns as far as to the wood. It was a small piece of perhaps a score
of elders and hawthorns and a few young ashes, not thick enough to veil
us from passersby upon the road or beach. Here we must lie, however,
making the best of the brave warm weather and the good hopes we now had
of a deliverance, and planing more particularly what remained for us to
do.

We had but one trouble all day; when a strolling piper came and sat in
the same wood with us; a red-nosed, bleareyed, drunken dog, with a great
bottle of whisky in his pocket, and a long story of wrongs that had been
done him by all sorts of persons, from the Lord President of the
Court of Session, who had denied him justice, down to the Bailies of
Inverkeithing who had given him more of it than he desired. It was
impossible but he should conceive some suspicion of two men lying all
day concealed in a thicket and having no business to allege. As long as
he stayed there he kept us in hot water with prying questions; and after
he was gone, as he was a man not very likely to hold his tongue, we were
in the greater impatience to be gone ourselves.

The day came to an end with the same brightness; the night fell quiet
and clear; lights came out in houses and hamlets and then, one after
another, began to be put out; but it was past eleven, and we were long
since strangely tortured with anxieties, before we heard the grinding
of oars upon the rowing-pins. At that, we looked out and saw the lass
herself coming rowing to us in a boat. She had trusted no one with our
affairs, not even her sweetheart, if she had one; but as soon as her
father was asleep, had left the house by a window, stolen a neighbour’s
boat, and come to our assistance single-handed.

I was abashed how to find expression for my thanks; but she was no less
abashed at the thought of hearing them; begged us to lose no time and to
hold our peace, saying (very properly) that the heart of our matter was
in haste and silence; and so, what with one thing and another, she had
set us on the Lothian shore not far from Carriden, had shaken hands with
us, and was out again at sea and rowing for Limekilns, before there was
one word said either of her service or our gratitude.

Even after she was gone, we had nothing to say, as indeed nothing was
enough for such a kindness. Only Alan stood a great while upon the shore
shaking his head.

“It is a very fine lass,” he said at last. “David, it is a very fine
lass.” And a matter of an hour later, as we were lying in a den on
the sea-shore and I had been already dozing, he broke out again in
commendations of her character. For my part, I could say nothing, she
was so simple a creature that my heart smote me both with remorse and
fear: remorse because we had traded upon her ignorance; and fear lest we
should have anyway involved her in the dangers of our situation.