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."
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.
