The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

ROB ROY. 233
landers, and becomes again, after all he has suffered, their agent-their tool
-their slave."
"Add, madam," said I, "and their benefactor."
"Be it so," she said; " for it is the most empty title of them all, since he
has uniformly sown benefits to reap a harvest of the most foul ingratitude.
— But enough of this. I shall cause you to be guided to the enemy's outposts. Ask for their commander, and deliver him this message from me,
Helen MacGregor; —that if they injure a hair of MacGregor's head, and if
they do not set him at liberty within the space of twelve hours, there is not
a lady in the Lennox but shall before Christmas cry the coronach for them
she will be loath to lose, - there is not a farmer but shall sing well-a-wa
over a burnt barnyard and an empty byre, - there is not a laird nor heritor
shall lay his head on.the pillow at night with the assurance of being a live
man in the morning, - and, to begin as we are to end, so soon as the term
is expired, I will send them this Glasgow Bailie, and this Saxon Captain,
and all the rest of my.prisoners, each bundled in a plaid, and chopped into
as many pieces as there are checks in the tartan."
As she paused in her denunciation, Captain Thornton, who was within
hearing, added, with great coolness, "Present my compliments -Captain
Thornton's, of the Royals, compliments-to the commanding officer, and tell
him to do his duty and secure his prisoner, and not waste a thought upon
me. If I have been fool enough to have been led into an ambuscade by
these artful savages, I anm wise enough to know how to die for it without
disgracing the service. I am only sorry for my poor fellows," he said,
"that have fallen into such butcherly hands."
"Whisht! whisht!" exclaimed the Bailie; "are ye weary o' your life?
— Ye'll gie my service to the commanding officer, Mr. Osbaldistone —
Bailie Nicol Jarvie's service, a magistrate o' Glasgow, as his father the
deacon was before him -and tell him, here are a wheen honest men in
great trouble, and like to come to mair; and the best thing he can do for
the common good, will be just'to let Rob come his wa's up the glen, and
nae mair about it. There's been some ill dune here already; but as it has
lighted chiefly on the gauger, it winna be muckle worth making a stir about."
With these very opposite injunctions from. the parties chiefly interested in
the success of my embassy, and with the reiterated charge of the wife of
MacGregor to remember and detail every word of her injunctions, I was at
length suffered to depart; and Andrew Fairservice, chiefly, I believe, to get
rid of his clamorous supplications, was permitted to attend me. Doubtful,
however, that I might use my horse as a means of escape from my guides,
or desirous to retain a prize of some value, I was given to understand that
I was to perform my journey on foot, escorted by Hamish MacGregor, the
Blder brother, who, with two followers, attended, as well to show me the
way, as to reconnoitre the strength and position of the enemy. Dougal had
been at first. ordered on this party, but he contrived to elude the service,
with the purpose, as we afterwards understood, of watching over Mr. Jarvie,
whom, according to his wild principles of fidelity, he considered as entitled;o his good offices, from having once acted in some measure as his patron or
naster.
After walking with great rapidity about an hour, we arrived at an emilence covered with brushwood, which gave us a commanding prospect down;he valley, and a full view of the post which the militia occupied. Being,hiefly cavalry, they had judiciously avoided any attempt to penetrate the
)ass which had been so unsuccessfully assayed by Captain Thornton. They
lad taken up their situation with some military skill, on a rising ground in,he centre of the little valley of Aberfoil, through which the river Forth.
vinds its earliest course, and which is formed by two ridges of hills, faced
vith barricades of limestone rock, intermixed with huge masses of breccia,.r pebbles imbedded in some softer substance which has hardened around
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